James Potter stared in to the red, vertically slit eyes. He had anticipated this moment for so long. The red eyes stared back and the long, thin mouth curled in to a cruel smile. James could hear his own frantic heartbeat drumming fiercely in his ears, blocking out everything else so he felt as if he were drowning in a vast body of water. The slim, pale hand raised in to the air, its slender fingers wrapped around a wand. James realised a split second too late that his own wand was abandoned on the sofa.
The mouth muttered two carefully selected words, and before James could feel the impact of the spell his mind was racing as scenes from the past five days flipped like a film reel through his mind, falling in to sync with the rhythm of his heart beats.
Lily laughing as he pulled her back under the covers... Harry looking up to beam a one toothed smile at the Marauders as they walked with him through the park... Peter's troubled expression the last time he had walked from the house... Remus's haunted eyes as he passed on comforting words... Sirius smiling cheerfully, then suddenly lunging forwards to strike him... Lily sobbing as she held Harry to her chest...
"Avada kedavra!"
James heard the yell seemingly hours after it had passed the lips. A stunning green light illuminated the room and the house shook like a volcano had erupted, and then James Potter was dead.
The last thing he heard was the cold, manic laughter as it swept from the room.