Rachel McKinnon stared out of the window, wishing her life to go back to the way it used to be. Two weeks ago her aunt, the only family she had left, had been killed. When Lisa McKinnon died, Rachel’s visa hadn’t been renewed, and so she was going to get deported.
“Hey, Redtailia?” she turned her head toward the speaker.
“Oh, hi, Candace. What’s up?” Candace was one of the witches who Rachel went to school with. They were good friends, and Candace, along with Ruth, Amy, Ashley, and Amanda, were the only things helping Rachel keep her sanity.
“We are all worried about you. What is going on?”
“I sent that letter two days after my aunt died. I had to inform the Order of the Phoenix that she was dead. I asked for help in moving back to Britain. Why hasn’t there been any answer? Of course, it is not like they haven’t been busy, but I am out of options. I need to move back and transfer to Hogwarts now, or I will be forcibly removed in about two weeks.”
Candace stared at Rachel. Her friend was looking partly frustrated and partly ashamed, probably for acting like such a brat. “Rachel, just give them some more time. You know what we have been hearing. The Ministry itself was attacked a week before you sent that letter, and two witches were just barely murdered.”
“One was Lisa’s boss, Amelia Bones; the other was a friend of hers, Emmeline Vance, who was also a member of the Order. At least Fudge is out of office, so the Ministry will probably do something about Voldemort now.” Candace nodded. One thing Lisa has always said that since he hadn’t operated in America last time, the Americans weren’t afraid to say his name. That was one thing that would set Rachel apart when she got back to Britain.
“Aren’t you worried about Voldemort?”
Rachel shook her head, “No. If the worst he can do is kill me, I am not scared. There are things worse than death.” Like slowly losing your mind after a death, and not knowing what will happen to you. That is my fear, the fear of the unknown. For now, my friends are here to help, but that will soon change, once I go back to my home country, which I can’t even remember.
Candace flung back her long mahogany hair, and her turquoise eyes softened with compassion as she looked at her friend. She knew that Rachel’s biggest fear would was no longer being able to rely on her friends. Candace also knew that Rachel would stick out, because of her American upbringing, and her friend hated that. The only time she liked to stick out was out on the Quidditch field; other than that, she just wanted to blend into the woodwork.
Suddenly Rachel jumped up, and ran toward the window, her wild dark ash blonde hair streaming out behind her. “Candace,” she said, her ice blue eyes wild with fear, “Horus is coming back!” It normally took a lot to get an emotional reaction out of her, but that had changed with her aunt’s death. Now Rachel acted like she was permanently PMSing, with mood swings all of the time, and her emotions were very close to the surface
“Good, he will have the reply of the Order. Why did you write to them instead to the Ministry? Your aunt worked for them, representing the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the American Embassy.”
“She was also a member of the Order. Besides, all that the Ministry would have said, ‘We regret the death of your aunt, but our hands are tied.’ I knew the Order was most likely to do something.” Her owl, Horus, landed on her shoulder and she pulled the letter off with trembling fingers. “I hope they are able to do something.”
Candace sat down and observed as Rachel quickly unfolded the letter and read it. “They will send someone to pick me up at the airport as soon as I can get a flight to London. There are some distant relatives of my mum who are still alive and members of the Order. They decided to let me stay with them until the school years starts on September first. It says they have a child who is around my age and there will be some others staying with them, so it will be all right. I don’t care if I have to sleep on the floor; I finally know what is going to happen with me.”
“That is great news, Rachel!” Candace exclaimed, “I think my parents can help you get a flight, but I need you to do me one favor.”
“What?” Rachel was slightly perplexed.
“That you don’t leave until after the Fourth. You are going back to your homeland, but you can still celebrate Independence Day with us.”
“Oh, I will. The fireworks and waterfights are definitely worth being teased about my nationality.”
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Remus Lupin looked at his watch, and then around where he was sitting. He was at Heathrow, waiting for the arrival of a young witch who was finally returning home to Britain. He had known several members of the McKinnon family, especially Marlene, who had been a member of the Order, and Lisa, who had been a prefect when he was at school, and had given the Marauders detention more times then he could count.
He heard the announcement that the flight from Washington DC had finally arrived and was beginning to disembark. That was the flight he was waiting for. He began scanning the passengers, and was slightly worried when he couldn’t see someone who could be young Rachel. Then he stopped. A slender girl with untamed blonde hair had come out. He couldn’t believe it. She looked just like Allie Trent, who had married Brad McKinnon.
He quickly walked up to her, “Excuse me, are you Rachel McKinnon?”
The girl almost jumped out of her skin, “Yes, I’m Rachel. Er, are you the person the Order was sending to help me get to my mum’s cousin’s home?” she stammered, looking very on edge.
Lupin smiled. Rachel had definitely inherited her mother’s looks, just none of her boldness. That could be an interesting change, hopefully for the better. “Yes, my name is Remus Lupin; I am an old friend of your mothers.”
“You are one of the Marauders? She wrote so much stuff about what the four of you did in her journals. Did you actually turn Professor Flitwick’s hair pink?” Rachel was stunned.
Lupin stopped short. They had done that when they were third years. How did Allison know that was them who had done that? “Yes, we did, and many more pranks besides that. Do you know who you are staying with?”
“No, just that they are related to my mum. Do you know them?”
“The Weasleys? Yes, I do. Molly Weasley is a niece of your grandmother, Elizabeth Prewett. She and her husband Arthur have seven children, the second youngest, Ron, is the same age as you, sixteen.”
“Nearly. My sixteenth birthday is at the end of the month. Are you sure it is all right? I feel really bad about having to ask the Order for help. . .”
Lupin shook his head, “Yes, it is. The Weasleys know of your situation. They understand.”
“That my back was against a wall and I had run out of options?”
Lupin nodded. “Don’t worry, Rachel. They won’t think less of you for asking the Order for help.”
“Just why did they give me their help? I don’t deserve it. I am no one special. I am just a Transfiguration geek with a talent for Quidditch and some slightly unusual abilities.” She was more talking to herself than to him. Lupin stayed quiet, comparing her against her mother. “I always wanted to go to Hogwarts, but not like this.”
“Rachel, your aunt was a member of the Order and a friend to us all,” Lupin quietly interrupted her spoken train of thought, “We don’t mind helping you, and never think you aren’t worthy of it. Your grandfather was one of my favorite teachers, and your mother was a good friend. I think that is reason enough for me to help you. Besides, if I didn’t, Allie would probably break my nose once I die if I didn’t help you.”
Rachel shyly smiled, “That sounds like her. So how are we getting to the Weasleys? Is the Knight bus taking us there?”
“No, we are using Side-along Apparition. It is a little faster. Do you have all of your things with you?”
“No, I checked my trunk. We will need to pick it up.”
They did just that and then found a quiet area outside of the airport. Rachel grasped Lupin’s arm and they quickly Apparrated to the Burrow.
Lupin quickly knock on the door, “Molly, we’re here.”
“Identify yourself,” a woman’s voice replied. Rachel started to tense up again. She hated doing things like this. This whole move had put her out of her comfort zone so much she was scared of never finding it again.
“It is Remus Lupin, bringing Rachel McKinnon.”
The door opened, and a short, slightly plump woman who looked to be at her wits end opened the door. “Oh, hello Lupin. You must be Rachel. You look so much like your grandfather Will Trent, except that hair belongs to my aunt Elizabeth.”
Rachel nodded, “Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Weasley.”
“It is good to meet you, too. Come on in, I have some soup on the stove. Do you want some, Lupin?”
“No, sorry Molly, I have to get back.” He turned to Rachel, “It was good meeting you, Rachel.”
“Thanks,” she whispered, looking at her shoes. He shook her hand, and then quickly Apparated away. Mrs. Weasley helped Rachel carry her things inside, and sat her down on the table, with a bowl of hot onion soup and a large slice of homemade bread.
“Now, where shall you sleep? Hermione is already sharing Ginny’s room, which is way too small for three people. I was planning on putting Harry into the twins’ room.”
“I could just crash on the couch,” Rachel sleepily suggested. Her jet lag was catching up with her, and the warm, delicious food was making her very tired.
“Oh, no, that won’t do. You are a guest.” Suddenly there was another knock on the door. “Oh, who could that be? I was expecting you and Lupin because your flight didn’t get in until midnight. Dumbledore said that he was going to bring Harry, but I thought it wouldn’t be until morning,” she muttered, then called out, “Identify yourself!”
“It’s Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter,” someone replied. It was a testament to how tired Rachel was that she didn’t even react when she heard those names. Mrs. Weasley let them in, and talked with them for a second. Then Dumbledore turned his gaze on Rachel.
“I see Miss McKinnon has made it here safely. How was your flight, Rachel?”
She didn’t answer, due to the fact that she had fallen asleep at the table. Harry took a look at this girl. She wasn’t someone who would catch your eye, actually someone who you could easily look right through. She was rather plain, with pale skin, a few freckles and a snub nose. Yet there was something different about her.
“Oh, dear, I guess I will go with her suggestion and have her sleep on the couch for the night. Harry, dear, Professor, can you help me?” Mrs. Weasley asked. The three of them moved her to the couch in the living room and then went back to the kitchen, where Dumbledore left after a few minutes of small talk, and Mrs. Weasley fed Harry before sending him to bed.
Harry had one question, “Mrs. Weasley, who is that?”
“Oh, that is the granddaughter of my Aunt Elizabeth Prewett Trent. She was married to Professor Will Trent, who taught Ancient Runes at Hogwarts. They had one daughter; I think her name was Allison, who was about the same age as my brother Fabian. She married one of the McKinnons and was killed when You-Know-Who attacked the family. Strange, I didn’t know anyone had survived that attack until we received Rachel’s letter informing us of the death of Lisa McKinnon and of her need for help to move back to Britain. She has lived almost all of her life in the western United States.”
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Author’s note: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! Sorry about the delay, it took for ever to get this accepted.