Everything seemed fuzzy, slow. Fred and I sprang apart and drew our wands. Many people were only just realising that something strange had happened; heads were still turning toward the silver cat as it vanished. Silence spread outward in cold ripples from the place where the Patronus had landed. Then somebody screamed.

Fred and I threw ourselves into the panicking crowd. Guests were sprinting in all directions; many were Disapparating; the protective enchantments around the Burrow had broken.

"Harry!" I cried. "Harry, where are you?"

As we pushed our way across the dance floor, I saw cloaked and masked figures appearing in the crowd; then I saw Sirius and Lupin, their wands raised, and heard both of them shout, "Protego!", a cry that was echoed on all sides - But where was Harry, where was my twin, my brother - 

"Harry! Harry!" I called, half sobbing as Fred and I were buffered by terrified guests: Fred seized my hand as a streak of light whizzed over our heads, whether a protective charm or something more sinister I didn't know - 

And then Terry and George were there. Terry caught hold of my free arm, George taking Fred's, and I felt Fred turn on the spot; sight and sound were extinguished as darkness pressed in upon me; all I could feel was Fred and Terry's hands as I was squeezed through space and time, away from the Burrow, away from the descending Death Eaters, away, perhaps, from Riddle himself... 

"Where are we?" Terry's voice said.

I opened my eyes. For a moment I thought we had not left the wedding after all; we still seemed to be surrounded by people. We were on a busy street, with people moving in all directions around us. Terry had a rucksack slung over one shoulder - "I Apparated into the Burrow to get it literally ten seconds ago." He explained - and the twins were craning their necks over the crowd. 

"I dunno, some random street in London near the Leaky Cauldron, I think." Fred said. "Don't ask me, I seriously don't know why I thought of here." 

"The others - everybody at the wedding - Harry -" I croaked out, my bottom lip wobbling. 

"We can't worry about all them now." Terry whispered. "It's you they're after, Softpaw, and we'd just put everyone in even more danger by going back."

"He's right." Fred said, seeming to know that I was about to argue. "Most of the Order was there, they'll look after everyone. Harry'll be fine, they'd never kill him while Riddle's still after you; he'd want him as leverage over you."

"Yeah." I said. But I thought of Harry being held as Riddle's hostage, and fear bubbled like acid in my stomach.

"C'mon, I think we ought to keep moving." George said.

We moved up a side street and onto another main road, where a group of men on the opposite side was singing and weaving across the pavement.

"Where can we go?" Terry asked. 

I cringed as the men on the other side of the road started wolf-whistling at me. I was having to hold my very short dress down otherwise the breeze would lift it up. Fred slid an arm around me, scowling. 

"We can hardly book rooms at the Leaky Cauldron, can we? Maybe we can - oh, I wish those assholes would shut up!" George shot a glare at the men. 

"Alright, darling?" The drunkest of the men on the other pavement was yelling. "Fancy a drink? Ditch Ginger and come and have a pint!"

"Let's sit down somewhere." I said hastily as Fred opened his mouth to shout back across the road. "Look, maybe we SHOULD go get a pint or some shit, c'mon, in here." 

I nudged Terry and the twins into a pub next to us. The bouncer just let us through without any complaint, and I led the way to the bar, sliding onto a stool at the far end. The three boys sat down around me, their wands drawn underneath their blazers, glancing shiftily around. A loud crowd of people were dancing in the middle of the room, and another sizeable crowd was vying for attention at the bar, attempting to order drinks. 

"Okay, so, I think we should maybe go to Sirius's." I told them. 

"That's what I was going to say." George nodded. 

"Sure, it's still got the Fidelius Charm on it, and Snape can't expose the secret to any of the Death Eaters, 'cause Emily told me that they placed a tongue-tying curse or something on the front door." I said. 

"Why can't we just go to our apartment?" Fred said, frowning. "We've got a Fidelius Charm, and Snape definitely can't -" 

"Because Diagon Alley and the shop'll be crawling with Death Eaters." Terry said wisely. "Voldemort'll be expecting Softpaw to go there most out of anywhere." 

"Though I wish we could -" I began, before I was jostled from behind by a guy backing into me. I turned, scowling, before I noticed he had two drinks in his hands, one significantly less full than the other. 

"For you, pretty lady." He slurred, grinning, and thrust the fuller one into my hands. I glanced down at it, amused, and glanced back up at him. Fred's arm tightened around my waist. 

"Thanks, but I don't accept drinks from strangers." I told the guy. 

"Well, then, let's become acquainted." He leered, stepping closer to me, almost knocking the glass out of my hand. "You're sexy, I'm hot, let's smash. C'mon, drink up and let's go back to my place." 

I threw my head back, laughing. The guy's eyebrows furrowed, his eyes narrowing, and he took another step, pressing up against me. 

"You laugh at me? You find me funny? You find it funny, the idea of us smashing? You think you're too good for me?" 

I giggled, turning and setting the drink down on the bar behind me. I turned back to him, leaning back against Fred's stiffened arm, and beamed. "I do, yeah." 

The guy's face crumpled in rage; he moved forwards, his hands outstretched, but next second, before he could do anything to me, he was flattened onto the ground. He groaned, his hands covering his face; he stumbled up, feet crunching on broken glass from his dropped drink, and crashed into a couple dancing. They stumbled back in turn, glaring at him and shouting; the bouncer forced his way through the crowd and grabbed the guy, pulling him through the room by his ear, and we watched through the small window beside the bar as the guy was thrown onto the ground outside. 

I smirked to myself as I turned back to my friends. Terry's mouth was open as George grinned; Fred was shaking out his hand, stepping back from where he had leapt up to swing the most lethal punch I'd ever seen in my life second only to when Floppy had been a misogynistic incel towards me in the Entrance Hall and Fred had therefore knocked him out a few months ago. 

"I love you." I informed Fred as I picked up the drink behind me. My boyfriend flushed pink as the other two blinked in surprise, turning from me to him. "Now, what do you guys think this drink is? Only one way to find out, really. I gotta test it first, though..." 

I dipped the tip of my index finger into the drink and withdrew it. My nail stayed the same colour. I raised the glass to my nose just in case, taking a long, deep sniff. There were no notes of broomstick handles or marshmallows and gunpowder; just very strong alcohol. I crowed in delight, lowering the glass to my lips and taking a huge gulp. 

I was well adjusted to the taste of alcohol by now, so it didn't bother me that much. I took another few long sips before Fred gently pried the glass out of my hands, taking a casual sip himself before setting it firmly on the bar. 

"So, Sirius's, then?" George said. 

"I guess so." I slid off my stool, wobbling slightly on my feet already. "Are we ready to go -" 

Suddenly, Fred lunged, pushing me sideways onto the bar stools. The force of two spells shattered the tiled wall where Fred's head had just been, as Terry yelled, "Stupefy!" 

Someone dropped. George thrust his wand out and yelled another Stunning Spell; his fellow collapsed beside him, and Fred, his hands still clasped tight around me like a vice, guided me firmly through the crowd and out the door. Terry and George caught up to us a second later, panting; another moment, and the four of us were going through space and time again until we landed on the doorstep of 12 Grimmauld Place. 

We all huddled together, panting, recovering from what had just happened. But what HAD just happened? How had those - Death Eaters I'm presuming - known where we were? 

But we didn't have too long to recover our thoughts before the door had whipped open and we were dragged in by several pairs of hands, someone crying out, "Oh, thank fuck, thank fuck!" 

A few minutes of confusion, hugging, and tears later, we were sat in the kitchen with Sirius, Emily, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kylie. The six had Apparated straight here after Kingsley's warning, to Harry's extreme protests as he wanted to bring me with them. Apparently they had searched the marquee top and bottom but I'd already gone. 

They didn't know any more than we did at that moment. But the second Sirius finished explaining, I had given a cry of pain: my scar had burned as something flashed across my mind like a bright light on water. I saw a large shadow and felt a fury that was not my own pound through my body, violent and brief as an electric shock.

"What did you see?" Ron asked, turning on me. "Did you see him at my place?"

"No, I just felt anger - he's really angry -" 

"But that could be at the Burrow." Ron said loudly. "What else? Didn't you see anything? Was he cursing someone?"

"No, I just felt anger - I couldn't tell -" 

I felt badgered, confused, and Hermione did not help as she said in a frightened voice, "Your scar, again? But what's going on? I thought that connection had closed!" 

"Guys, don't -" Sirius warned. 

"I - I think it's started opening again whenever he loses control, that's how it used to -" I started, blinking my eyes against the dizziness of the pain. 

Then Terry yelled: I spun around to see a silver Patronus soar through the door to the kitchen and land upon the floor in front of us, where it solidified into the weasel that spoke with the voice of the twins' father.

"Family safe, do not reply, we are being watched."

The Patronus dissolved into nothingness. Ron let out a noise between a whimper and a groan and dropped onto his chair again: Fred and George joined him, looking pale. 

"They're all right, they're all right!" George whispered, and Ron half laughed and hugged him.

"Daisy," He said over George's shoulder, "I -"

"It's not a problem." I said, sickened by the pain in my head. "It's your family, 'course you were worried. I'd feel the same way." I glanced at Fred. "I do feel the same way."

The pain in my scar was reaching a peak. Faintly I heard Emily say, "Do you guys want your old rooms? I can give you all some extra blankets if you want." 

I heard the others agree. I couldn't fight the pain much longer. I had to succumb.

"Bathroom." I muttered, and I left the room as fast as I could without running.

I barely made it: bolting the door behind me with trembling hands, I grasped my pounding head and fell to the floor, then in an explosion of agony, I felt the rage that didn't belong to me possess my soul, saw a long room lit only by firelight, and a giant blond Death Eater on the floor, screaming and writhing, and a slighter figure standing over him, wand outstretched, while I spoke in a high, cold, merciless voice.

"More, Rowle, or shall we end it and feed you to Nagini? Lord Voldemort is not sure that he will forgive this time... You called me back for this, to tell me that Daisy Potter has escaped again? Felix, give Rowle another taste of our displeasure... Do it, or feel my wrath yourself!"

A log fell in the fire: flames reared, their light darting across a terrified, pointed white face, and with a sense of emerging from deep water, I drew heaving breaths and opened my eyes.

I was spread-eagled on the cold black marble floor, my nose inches from one of the silver serpent tails that supported the large bathtub. I sat up. Floppy's gaunt, petrified face seemed burned on the inside of my eyes. I felt sickened by what I had seen. Why did he look like that? Normally he took so much pleasure in torturing people. Why is it that lately, Floppy was looking more... human? 

There was a sharp rap on the door, and I jumped as Terry's voice rang out.

"Softpaw, do you want your toothbrush? I've got it here."

"Yeah, great, thanks." I said, fighting to keep my voice casual as I stood up to let him in.

~~~ 

Waking up at just before dawn, and not being able to fall back asleep, made me slide out from inside a snoring Fred's arms and underneath the blanket, and pad out onto the landing. Looking around, I decided to wander around the house for a bit to tire myself out, and I started climbing the stairs. 

Terry had stuffed all of our clothes and other essentials into his rucksack, which he'd made a bottomless pit with an Undetectable Extension Charm. I drew my fluffy dressing gown further around myself as I emerged onto the top landing, glancing around me. 

I heard quiet, muffled voices in one of the rooms beside me. I glanced up and saw that the noise was coming from a room marked 'Sirius,' and grinned. 

I reached out, pushing the door open. I peered in. 

"Sirius? Emily?" 

My whisper carried across the dark room beyond. A small lamp flickered on, and I saw Sirius and Emily sitting up in a four-poster bed, squinting at me. 

"You okay, sweetheart?" 

"S'up?" 

I shuffled into the room. "Couldn't sleep. You guys busy?" 

"No, of course not." Sirius said immediately. "Come here. I found something in here the other day I thought you and your brother might like to see." 

I grinned, padding over to the bed. Emily shuffled over and patted the space in between her and Sirius, and I beamed at her, flopping into it. I glanced around me as Sirius rifled through his drawers in his bedside table. 

The room had been painted and redecorated last year, but a few Gryffindor banners from Sirius's time at Hogwarts remained stuck onto the walls. The only Wizarding photograph on the walls was a picture of five Hogwarts students standing arm in arm, laughing at the camera.

With a leap of pleasure, I recognised my father, his untidy black hair stuck up at the back like mine, and he, like Harry, wore glasses. Beside him was Sirius, carelessly handsome, his slightly arrogant face so much younger. To Sirius's right stood Emily, her auburn hair in loose curls and dark brown eyes gleaming with mischief; on her other side was Pettigrew, more than a head shorter, plump and watery-eyed, flushed with pleasure at his inclusion in this coolest of gangs, with the much-admired rebels that James, Sirius, and Emily had been. On James's left was Lupin, even then a little shabby-looking, but he had the same air of delighted surprise at finding himself liked and included. 

"Aha! Here." Sirius turned to me, holding out a torn piece of parchment. I took it. 

'Dear Padfoot,

Thank you, thank you, for Daisy and Harry's birthday presents! They were their favourites by far. One year old and already zooming along on toy broomsticks, Daisy looked so pleased with herself especially. I'm enclosing a picture so you can see. You know they only rise about two feet off the ground but Daisy nearly killed the cat and she smashed a horrible vase Petunia sent me for Christmas (no complaints there). Of course James thought it was so funny, says she's going to be a great Quidditch player but we've had to pack away all the ornaments and make sure we don't take our eyes off her when she gets going. At least Harry's more sensible! 

We had a very quiet birthday tea, just us and old Bathilda who has always been sweet to us and who dotes on the twins. We were so sorry you couldn't come, but the Order's got to come first, and the kids aren't old enough to know it's their birthday anyway! James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell - also Dumbledore's still got his Invisibility Cloak, so no chance of little excursions. If you and Em could visit, it would cheer him up so much. Wormy was here last weekend. I thought he seemed down, but that was probably the news about the McKinnons; I cried all evening when I heard.

Bathilda drops in most days, she's a fascinating old thing with the most amazing stories about Dumbledore. I'm not sure he'd be pleased if he knew! I don't know how much to believe, actually because it seems incredible that Dumbledore -' 

My extremities seemed to have gone numb. I sat quite still, holding the miraculous paper in my nerveless fingers while inside me a kind of quiet eruption sent joy and grief thundering its equal measure through my veins. I read the letter again, but could not take in any more meaning than I had done the first time, and was reduced to staring at the handwriting itself. She had made her 'g's the same way I did. I searched through the letter for every one of them, and each felt like a friendly little wave glimpsed from behind a veil. The letter was an incredible treasure, proof that Lily Potter had lived, really lived, that her warm hand had once moved across this parchment, tracing ink into these letters, these words, words about me, Daisy, her daughter.

Impatiently brushing away the wetness in my eyes, I reread the letter, this time concentrating on the meaning. It was like listening to a half-remembered voice. 

"We had a cat?" I looked up. 

Sirius grinned. "Yeah. Weird little thing, it was. I think it fled when there was nobody left to feed it..." 

"And you'd bought me my first broomstick..." I said. 

"Yeah, you were a menace on it." Emily laughed. 

"And here." Sirius passed me something else. I looked down at it. 

It was a moving photograph. A black-haired baby was zooming in and out of the picture on a tiny broom, roaring with laughter, and a pair of legs that must have belonged to James was chasing after her. 

I beamed at the pair of them, and they beamed back. 

"Thanks, you guys." I said. 

Sirius and Emily slid their arms around my shoulders, side-hugging me tightly. 

~~~ 

"Daisy, the Death Eaters have got the full might of the Ministry on their side now." Sirius was saying. "They've got the power to perform brutal spells without fear of identification or arrest, it seems. They managed to penetrate every defensive spell the Order had cast against them, and once inside the defences of the Burrow, they were completely open about why they'd come." 

We were all in the kitchen again, discussing the events of a few days ago. Sirius and Emily had left Grimmauld Place a couple of times now to gather info about what had happened, and had returned with grim faces. 

"And are they bothering to give an excuse for torturing Daisy's whereabouts out of people?" Harry asked, an edge to his voice.

"Well." Emily said. She hesitated, then pulled out a folded copy of the Daily Prophet. "Here." She said, pushing it across the table to me. "You'll know sooner or later anyway. That's their pretext for going after you."

I smoothed out the paper. A huge photograph of my own face filled the front page. I read the headline over it:

'WANTED FOR QUESTIONING ABOUT HER SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED'

Fred, George, Terry, Harry, and Kylie gave roars of outrage as Sirius sat back in his chair, glaring into the corner, and Ron and Hermione's jaws dropped. 

"What the fuck? They can't do that!" Fred yelled, standing up, his fists clenching. He kicked his chair over, his face flushing in anger. 

I sighed. "So the Prophet's been taken over too, I guess." 

Emily nodded. "Right in one." 

"Everyone knows that relationship wasn't consensual!" Fred was still venting. I half expected to see steam coming out of his ears. "Why they would - HOW they would -" 

"We know, Fred." Sirius growled, scowling at the Prophet. "Fuckin' bastards. Their excuse to arrest Daisy is that she was sexually assaulted by him a year ago, and they're making it seem as if she consented to it and is basically his groupie. If I ever used an Unforgivable, it would be on -" 

"Right, well." Emily said hastily. "That's neither here nor there." 

"What's Riddle planning for Hogwarts?" Kylie asked.

"Attendance is now compulsory for every young witch and wizard." Emily replied, looking relieved at the topic change. "That was announced yesterday. It's a change, because it was never obligatory before. Of course, nearly every witch and wizard in Britain has been educated at Hogwarts, but their parents had the right to teach them at home or send them abroad if they preferred. This way, Voldemort will have the whole Wizarding population under his eye from a young age. And it's also another way of weeding out Muggleborns, because students must give Blood Status, meaning that they have to prove to the Ministry that they are of Wizard descent before they are allowed to attend." 

"Yikes." Terry said. We'd just learned of the Ministry's plans for Muggleborns yesterday, and it was just as sickening as you'd think. 

"And that's not all." Emily said with a face of disgust. She turned the page. 

A large picture of a familiar, hook-nosed, black-haired man stared up at us all, beneath a headline that read:

'SEVERUS SNAPE CONFIRMED AS HOGWARTS HEADMASTER' 

"No!" The twins, Harry, and I said loudly.

Hermione was quickest; she snatched up the newspaper and began to read the accompanying story out loud.

"Severus Snape, long-standing Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was today appointed headmaster in the most important of several staffing changes at the ancient school. Following the resignation of the previous Muggle Studies teacher, Alecto Carrow will take over the post while her brother, Amycus, fills the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. 'I welcome the opportunity to uphold our finest Wizarding traditions and values' - Like committing murder and cutting off people's ears, I suppose! Snape, headmaster! Snape in Dumbledore's study -" 

"Fuck sake, Mynee! Didn't you know, cutting off people's ears is indeed the FINEST Wizarding tradition and value?" I said sarcastically, and Terry giggled loudly. 

"The other teachers won't stand for this, McGonagall and Flitwick and Sprout all know the truth, they know how Dumbledore died. They won't accept that greaseball as headmaster. And who are these Carrows?" George said. 

"Death Eaters." Harry said. "There're pictures of them. They were at the top of the tower when Snape killed Dumbledore, so it's all friends together." He said bitterly, drawing up a chair. 

"I can't see that the other teachers have got any choice but to stay." Sirius added. "If the Ministry and Voldemort are behind Snape, it'll be a choice between staying and teaching, or a nice few years in Azkaban - and that's if they're lucky. I reckon they'll stay to try to protect the students." 

"Well, all good we're not going back, isn't it?" I said, and most of them at least cracked a smile. 

But little did I know that I would be eating my words soon enough.