When you were young and your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
But if this ever changing world in which we live in
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Mid-August was Lily's favorite time of summer. She still had enough time to remain relaxed but had the excitement of school just around the corner. The only one awake in the Evans' household, Lily was leaned into a window nook, rereading Pride & Prejudice for the countless time. Reading was her favorite past time, and by having a summer job she was unable to read during the day although that was perfectly fine with her. Lily enjoyed summer nights as well; just her in a seemingly asleep world. It was silent too, having picked up the needle from the record player hours ago, Lily allowed her mother and sister to sleep without a Elton John intrusion.
Lost within Elizabeth's pride and Darcy's prejudice, it was only when she paused to drink her water that she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She sat upright immediately; scanning the darkness on the other side of the window for a minute, barely able to see from the light of the waning moon. Garden lights scattered about her lawn, which really only illuminated themselves and nothing more. Able to make out the tops of trees and vague outlines of bushes and garden gnome ornaments, with no more further movement outside, she picked up her book once more.
The garden was once her father's pride and joy; fountains, ornaments and garden lights were scattered about the vast garden. He was known for his passion of gardening, always giving advice to others and taking night shifts at the Mill just to work daily in it. After he passed, her sister and mother tended to it when they had the chance, but the garden had overgrown into the forest around their house and overwhelmed them both. Lily put in a few hours here and there during the summer, but the garden surrounded the circumference of the house, making it impossible for her to tend to every plant.
There could be an animal in the garden. Birds were constantly in the garden because of the bird feeders around Lily's house. Lily had had quite a few frights from badgers loudly burrowing under the house. Also, deer were constantly trying to navigate from either side of the woods by cutting through the garden. She knew there were skunks, on more than one occasion members of the Evans household had been bettered by them. Or maybe it wasn't an animal at all, the wind had been vicious earlier that day; blowing up Lily's skirt more than once as she walked to and from work.
Even though Lily was looking down at her book, she was not focused on the words. If it was an animal she would surely see it move again, as her reaction would not affect it's path and if it was the wind, she would've heard it once more.
She couldn't help but be paranoid recently; at the end of term feast at Hogwarts, the Headmaster had forewarned them to be aware of their surroundings during these dark times. To take precaution even if it didn't feel necessary and to stay resilient against evil. The advice given were words Lily didn't take with a light heart; more and more muggleborn witches and wizards were being ostracized or attacked, acts promoted by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. His regime was strengthening and wreaking havoc almost daily, she herself was certain she had lost her former best friend, Severus, to Death Eater ranks.
What put her over the edge was when she received a personal letter from the Headmaster. Over a week ago, when Lily was visiting her friend Dorcas in London, the pair had gone to Diagon Alley for their school shopping. Initially, the trip was light-hearted fun; it was wonderful being immersed within the Wizarding World again. The trip quickly soured when Lily and Dorcas had turned down a side street that they saw the smoldering ruins of a building. A reporter was there asking opinions on the arson and attacks on the muggleborn shop owners who had rented the building.
Incensed, Lily couldn't resist giving her two cents. In hindsight, it was idiotic. At the time, it made perfect sense to defend her blood status. It wasn't as if her last name would be published, "Only your first", the reporter guaranteed after Lily inquired, "Wouldn't want to get ya killed!" The female reporter had laughed, patting her shoulder.
The reporter didn't mention she would include that Lily went to Hogwarts. Uneasy after reading the article, she tried reassure herself with the knowledge that Lyle, who was almost certainly Head Boy, had spoken to the reporter as well that day. Although, there was one other Lyle at Hogwarts and no other Lily's. Lily spent an inordinate amount of time wondering if Lyle Courte was muggleborn like Lyle Atkins. Eventually she came to the conclusion that she didn't care, because she was proud of what she said and would stand by it if push came to shove.
Then she had received a letter from Dumbledore, the Headmaster at Hogwarts.
'Undoubtedly brave and defiant, Miss Evans, but I now must recommend you to be on guard from those who do not share your strong opinions.' Read a line from the letter. Lily heeded his advice once more; she did not respond to the reporter's follow up owl to her when the article caused a sensation and she kept her wand with her when she was in the village.
Her bookstore job had given her constant anxiety, she always seemed to jump at the bell when a customer arrived and couldn't stop from giving them a look over more than once. Lily loved her job too much to quit, and would feel guilty if she did. The owner, an old man who lived above the shop, hired her the summer Lily was twelve, beginning with her shelving books and calling him from the storeroom if a customer needed ringing up. As the summers past it was soon understood that whenever Lily was home, she would run shop.
Even though Lily loved the shop, she had only really felt safe in her own home, a small house on the edge of the village of Cokeworth.
A shadow had intruded upon a garden light a split second. Long enough for Lily to snap out of her reverie and conclude there was definitely someone outside in the garden. She didn't move her head from her book but searched the surrounding area for her wand. Her wand, where was her wand she panicked momentarily at the thought of her wand, her safety net and weapon, missing from view.
Then she remembered: her wand was upstairs, thrown carelessly on her desk, alongside her discarded work clothes. Lily chastised herself when another shadow once more brushed into a garden light, much closer than before.
She had to get her wand. She had to go upstairs.
Slowly, carefully, Lily stood from her previous sitting position, she stretched and feigned a yawn, allowing herself to look once more into the night. Nothing more than what she had seen before, she dropped her book onto her previous seat.
It was a short walk to her room from the window nook. Though uneasy with turning her back to the window, she moved toward the staircase which encroached upon the living room. Passing the front door that sat across from the stairs, she paused ever so slightly to look into the kitchen that sat in the middle of the two. The windows that stayed continuously open in the summer were half heartedly closed yet remained unlocked. The front door was unlocked as well, Lily's mother always deeming the act of locking the door unnecessary because their town was safe. Which was true, the last reported crime in the village of Cokeworth was an 'offensive' store window display reported by old lady O'Malley. Mrs. O'Malley believed the clothing store mannequins were dressed too provocatively for public display. The mannequins, however, were dressed in scuba gear and the complaint was dismissed.
Once Lily reached the top of the stairs, she silently crept into her mother's room that overlooked the garden. She stood there, her nose pressed against the window, straining her eyes to look, to see if—her heart dropped into her stomach, there was one, no two, people in robes in the garden. The moon had cast enough light for her to see from this angle and fear surged through her when she saw the glint of a mask. Her mind raced to the picture in the Daily Prophet of Death Eaters, with their steel skull masks. Death Eaters. Panic flooded her entire body, her heart racing she turned to her mother's sleeping form.
"Mum" She whispered, standing over her. "Mum, mum, mum" Lily continued, shaking her awake, her voice flirting on the edge of frantic.
"What Lily?" Briony Evans mumbled, still half asleep, turning out of her daughter's grasp on her shoulders only to see that the clock read 3:09. "Lily it's three in the morning, what is—?" She asked as Lily pulled her up from by her arm
"Get to Petunia's room and hide" Lily said, startling herself with the clarity of her voice, "Now mummy, now." She finished exasperatedly, continuing to pull her mother up.
"Lily—" Briony began, only to be cut off by her daughter once more.
"There are people in the garden, I don't know who, but they're wearing robes… I think. Get into Petunia's room, come on." Lily whispered frantically, rushing her words as if they would propel her mother out of the room.
Briony was now fully awake and moving to the door with Lily. "Are you sure?" Briony asked, glancing behind Lily who was pushing her into the dark hallway.
"Quite sure, I was downstairs and I saw… I need my wand but then I'll come into Tuney's room as well. Go, be careful." Lily whispered, her eyes looking down the stairs. She pushed her mother towards Petunia's room, and quietly crossed the short distance to her lit room. Stopping outside the brightness of her room as she waited for her mother close the door to her sister's.
When she heard their hushed voices, muffled by the closed door, Lily released a shaky breath. She regretted leaving her lights on even more so than leaving her wand on her desk. Lily would be seen by whoever was watching; turning off the light would draw as much attention as her heading to her desk. Surely, they would not be pleased with her decision to make way upstairs.
Two windows shone into her room, one across the door and one over her desk facing the part of the garden that the intruders were in. With adrenaline pushing her forward, she ran into her room. Almost simultaneously as she grasped her wand, the window in front of her shattered. Lily felt the glass impact upon her, shards slicing into her skin. She ducked; using her desk as cover and bracing herself for a further attack. But none came. She could her her mother and sister screaming and Lily ran out of her bedroom, ducking still and covering her head, bracing herself once again.
"Mum! Mummy!" Lily whispered as she ran into her sister's room, turning quickly searching the dark room. Her eyes landing on the closet as it opened revealing her sister's pale face and her mother's worried look.
"Why'd you scream?" said Lily, looking around the empty room. "Window" Her mother simply stated, pointing to the window but dumbfounded and staring at her daughter's blood soaked face. The window in Petunia's room was shattered as well; a scare tactic to bring them downstairs, Lily was sure.
"Just don't do it again, no matter what!" Lily hushed her voice again, moving to the door. She thought she could hear footsteps. She looked back at her sister and mother once more to motion them to close the closet and she silently closed the door behind her. "Colloportus" Lily whispered, sealing the door shut.
Pressing herself against the wall and using the bannister for balance she crouched down and surveyed the living room in which the staircase entered upon. In her haste to get upstairs she had left a light on, so she was able to see the reflection of the million little shards of glass on the ground. But it was silent, no movement nor sound from the downstairs. She covered her mouth with her hand to hide her heavy breathing and prepared herself to creep down the stairs. The staircase had few steps and although there was a landing midway, it would be a difficult task to get down the creaky steps unnoticed.
Still in her crouched position, she stretched her foot to the step below and moved herself down. She strained to see more of the living room without revealing her presence as she slowly continued her journey to the ground floor. Although there was no persons in her vision, there was blindspot in the living room due to the position of the stairs. She also had to worry about the the kitchen, the entry way was to her immediate left. There was a presence other than her family in the house, but it had remained still.
Once Lily had reached the landing, she froze as the light downstairs revealed her. She was not frozen in fear but shocked by the blood on herself. Stains of blood on her arms and trails that had spilled down her pajamas. She was suddenly aware of the blood trickling down her face and neck. Fear surged through Lily's veins once more, beckoning her back upstairs.
But now was the moment for her to decide where to move once she reached the bottom of the staircase, the living room or into the kitchen? If Lily saw movement outside of the window she was sitting under, whoever had almost certainly entered that way. Kitchen it is, she thought to herself as she continued to slink down the stairs. Lily had reached the ground floor and popped up from her previous stance to run into the kitchen when she felt the full force of a spell rip towards her. Ducking, she spun into the kitchen, cringing at the sound of a blast as it hit the doorframe.
"Lily Evans; red hair, green eyes, 15. Mudblood scum attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A Gryffindor bitch, prefect…full O. …. impressive Lily…quite impressive…" A male voice from the other room rang out loud and evenly. Lily's panic and fear peaked even higher heights, she blindly moved around the table further into the kitchen and farther from the living room.
"Mother, Briony; red hair, gray eyes, 43. Owns a stationary shop in the village of Cokeworth… sister, Petunia; blonde hair, gray eyes, 17. Final year of secondary school. Father, Clarke…oh pity, he's dead…died in a accident at a Mill two years ago…good news for us, one less to get at!" The man finished, laughing along with another man, he sounded closer to the kitchen and with that realization, Lily backed into the dining room, her eyes locked on the kitchen entry until it was out of view.
Lily tried to keep her mind from racing and to think clearly, to think of a plan that would save her and her family's life.
"Lily Evans, I know you're in there…" The voice sung to her and a knocking sound on the doorframe of the kitchen.
"Lily, Lily, Lily…hiding from me?" He finished with a roar and a crash of the kitchen table being flipped over. Lily was now in the corner of the dining room, her hand around the doorknob of a sliding connection door that led into the living room. Her hesitation only because she couldn't tell if the accompanied man had moved into the kitchen as well.
"Hurry up in there! Once the Dark Mark is spotted, this lot will being crawling with Ministry goons." A third voice said, clearly from the outside of the house. Lily looked briefly out the window and saw a green hue above her house. She shut her eyes and covered her mouth with her hands as though to stop herself from sobbing. I'm going to die tonight, she thought.
"You shouldn't have casted it until they were dead! This is exactly what happened at the last house…" The man in the kitchen said, his voice further and his tread moved towards the living room.
"…Barely escaped before the idiots showed up.."
Lily couldn't make out more of the conversation, the men must have been standing next to each other speaking. The Dark Mark had been cast and she was mere feet from Death Eaters, death itself looming in her presence, only a spell away.
"'Heritage and magic are not one and the same. Just because I'm muggleborn doesn't mean the magic that runs through my veins is any less that a pureblood's." Lily cringed as the man read her quote her, in a loud, mocking voice. Dumbledore's letter should have been warning enough that this day was coming.
Dumbledore's letter.
'Undoubtedly brave and defiant, Miss Evans, but I now must recommend you to be on guard from those who do not share your strong opinions.'
Brave and defiant. She was brave and defiant. Lily slowly began to slide the door to the living room open, preparing to meet her attackers.
"Bet you regret your words now, don't you, dirty mudblood bitch?" said the man, hatred soaking through his words and filling Lily with rage.
She would never regret the truth, even the in the face of death.
If Lily was going to die, her murderer must prepare to fight for their own life. If someone would have the audacity to try to claim hers, she had every right to try and take theirs. To whom it may concern, Lily Evans was no sitting duck or easy target, and she may, quite really, most definitely, be completely and royally screwed— but if she was going down, she wasn't going down alone or easily.
She opened the sliding door so forcefully it hit the wall with a resounding slam. "Stupefy!" she shouted at a lone, masked man standing in her living room, red light hitting him in the head and dropping him to the floor.
Two other masked men rounded upon her seconds later; two versus one was never fair and Lily, although quick, could only do so much as relentless spells were thrown at her. Moving backwards she continued to repel and cast but when a pause allowed her to, she moved behind the staircase. Hearing the footsteps and curses of the men in masks she moved forward, surprising the men and allowing her to disarm and body bind the man at the front of her attack.
Then she ran.
Through the dining room and into the kitchen, dodging the kitchen table, her socks slipped on glass and she fell to the ground. She recovered milliseconds later, not really being able to feel the glass that had pierced her skin at that moment, and ran into the living room once more. Lily could hear the last attacker following her, which she needed. She needed him to follow her, away from her family. She threw open the front door and bounded down the steps, running into the brush of her father's overgrown garden, through the twinkling garden lights.
"I'm not here to play cat and mouse!" the masked man shouted after Lily, his rage echoing into the night sky.
Lily formulated a plan as she ran through the garden, dodging garden decorations. There was a short distance until she reached the woods, then she could dodge behind a tree, maybe, just maybe it would it would give her the upperhand.
Quite suddenly, the heat of a thousand stabbing knives surged through her body, causing her to collapse to the ground in agony.
"Cruciatus hurts doesn't it?" the man said, his voice barely distinguishable as Lily tried to recover from the most intense pain she had ever felt. "Maybe another for good measure, eh?"
Minutes or hours later, Lily was unsure, but soon she was face to face with the masked man once again. Pain radiating through every joint in her body, which was aching so terribly. She was overcome with weakness; an exhaustion she had never known to exist. The Death Eater held Lily's head back, his hands pulling on her hair into his fist, forcing her to look into the soulless eyes of his steel mask.
"I really hate staining my robes with dirty blood, but, fuck, I love watching life leave eyes. Especially in a pretty little bitch." Said the Death Eater in a gruff voice as he raised his wand to her neck.
It was as if a hot knife began to gouge at the side of her throat, a searing pain that made Lily wish for the killing curse. She felt her mouth fill with blood and she spluttered, choking on it while trying to gasp for air. The man held her hair tighter in his fist.
It wasn't fair, she thought, she was good, it wasn't fair.
She forced her eyes open, staring at the dark mark that floated above her house. It was harder for her to breathe and she found herself gasping for air as the pain in her throat grew unbearable. Lily couldn't look at the Death Eater's mask nor at her house and so she closed her eyes. Waiting for her agony to subside or praying for death to come quickly, she didn't know but she couldn't help but cry.
As the tears slid down her face, the masked man laughed. He was laughing at her pain, he enjoyed murdering for sport and it made Lily feel sorry for him. Not only did she feel sorrow, but she felt fury. A fury she never had felt before or knew was possible. Fury that he thought he could take her life. Fury at herself for letting him think that.
Listening to his laugh reverberate through her, she knew death was not her destiny; not tonight at least.
Her knee made contact with his groin half a second later. Doubled over by the unexpected assault, the man doubled over in pain. Lily stumbled to her feet, her hand covering her bleeding throat as she looked for her wand. Unable to find it, and with only seconds before he relaunched his attack, Lily picked up the closet object she could find and slammed it on his head.
The ceramic pieces of the garden gnome fell to the ground with the unconscious Death Eater. Lily fell to her knees as well, searching for a wand. Sifting the garden ground, she found her wand, tangled in the grass.
"Episky" gargled Lily as she pointed her wand to her throat, feeling it heal within seconds. Relief soared through her; it hurt to breathe and it hurt to move but it felt good to be alive.
She couldn't remember walking back into the house, or walking upstairs but the next thing Lily knew, she was in Petunia's bedroom and in her mother's arms.
Three muggleborn's and their families were attacked during the night and when Frank responded to the second house that had the Dark Mark above it, he wanted to cry. A family killed sleeping in their beds, the lot of them, including his former classmate Lyle Atkins. Atkins was a 5th year Hufflepuff prefect when Frank was Head Boy. Judging from the badge on his nightstand, Lyle himself became Head Boy too.
Within hours it was obvious there was a planned attack that night, apparently every other scene was just has gruesome as Frank's.
"A journalist, a Hufflepuff prefect, a witch living in Diagon Alley…it makes no sense…" Crispin Rejic, a senior Auror stated, rubbbing his forehead in frustration after getting the news of the third attack. They were outside of the second house, Frank leaning against the side while waiting for the Investigation officers to move through the scene.
"It never makes sense, Rejic. Poor Atkins, I figured he would be Head Boy." said junior Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, in his deep voice. Kingsley Shacklebolt was one of the newest recruits, only graduating from Hogwarts the year prior but his talent and perseverance allowed him to quickly grow in ranks. Shacklebolt arrived with the news of the witch in Diagon Alley. Her name currently unknown, she lived in a two room flat over the shops. She was found in her tiny kitchen slumped against a cabinet. She had quick death compared to her children.
"The way this family was killed… it was reminiscent of the Turnblade House deaths and the Seabert murder. It's making me think that Goyle—Garrison Goyle is back in England." said Frank. He had been tracking Goyle since his early days as an Auror. Goyle had the tendency to flee the country every few months; he wasn't as brave as his fellow Death Eaters against the Ministry. Frank had almost caught him a few times as well, for some reason the idiot cast a Dark Mark before he killed.
"Lucky you, Frank. Nothing aligned on my cases, other than a Dark Mark over their houses and quick death." said Crispin, pacing in front of Frank, stopping momentarily to see if Investigations had completed their walk through.
"Quick Death? Crispin, Nadine Parker was slaughtered!" Frank stated in disbelief, annoyed at the senior Auror's comment. The journalist, Nadine Parker, was quite famous for her articles of defiance against You-Know-Who. It had driven her into hiding, rather, half hearted hiding for she was still writing and had been seen in public often. According to an Investigations officer who had stopped photographing the bodies to talk to Frank and Crispin her death was "horrific, I've seen things in my career but this…it was as if killing her wasn't enough, they had to rip her and her kin to pieces."
A small, faint popping noise intruded upon the group, signaling the arrival of a person. Shacklebolt had immediately turned, "If it's a reporter again, I swear…" he began.
Frank snorted in agreement at his unfinished statement. A half hour earlier he had to chase away a reporter who had been tipped off of the events. "No shame, no respect, not even for one of their own." said Frank, standing upright from his leaning position. Frank heard a noise on the other side of the house. Not alone hearing this apparently, all men readied their wands in preparation for the unknown person, only for them to put them down a moment later as junior Auror Polka Jones revealed herself at the edge of the home.
"Sorry, sorry! I accidentally apparated to the wrong side!" Polka said breathlessly, waving her hands at the men as she ran towards them. "Alice—sorry, Auror Harding, figured it out! The journalist, Parker? Parker! Wrote an article about muggleborn attacks and Lyle Atkins and what we assume is the unknown witch, were quoted! But—" She said stopped, placing a hand over her heart as if that would calm her heartbeat, "but, there's one more person quoted in the article, it's unknown if she was attacked, I'm not sure…Al-Auror Harding told me to report her theory…so here I am…" Polka finished lamely, earning an eyeroll from the group.
Every time Frank encountered Polka he wondered how the idiot managed to pass her Auror qualifications. Family Connections, Frank had always summarized as did the whispers in the department over her inept skills. The Joneses were a well-to-do wizarding family, infamous in wizarding and inadvertently the muggle world. The saying 'keeping up with the Joneses' had caught on with the muggles in recent years.
"So…a woman is the last to be attacked?" prompted Crispin.
"Hmm…woman?" Polka said looking out into the distance, her attention lost during the brief silence between the group of Aurors. "Oh…right! Right…" She started patting herself down, a few seconds passed before she pulled out a folded piece of paper. "She had only given her initials but, Auror Harding thinks it's Lily Evans, a muggleborn witch of Hogwarts…apparently Alice knew her.." She ended once more on an uneven note.
Frank wasn't listening. Lily Evans, little Lily Evans from Gryffindor could be dead. Frank had an odd relationship with Lily; he had never cared to know her before his final year, although sharing a common room let him know of her and had given him the ability to recognize her loud laugh. Only when he was Head Boy and he was asked by Dumbledore to keep an eye on her, did he strike up a genuine friendship with her.
At first, he found her to be exasperating; she laughed too easily and he had to say her name a few times before she would look up from her book. Soon enough he found himself enjoying Lily's presence, more often then not stopping to chat with her in the corridors and in the common room. Although Frank wasn't informed by Dumbledore on why he should befriend the little fourth year, he soon realized himself when he noticed her close relationship with Severus Snape of Slytherin. They were an odd pair, Lily, who was warm and charismatic was friends with Severus, who was quiet and sullen looking. When Frank asked her about it one day, she immediately became defensive and simply said, "We're friends from home". Frank accepted her explanation without questioning, but he remained suspicious of Severus, who he had more than once caught in a group of known supporters of You-Know-Who.
"Mind if I go? I knew her from school." Frank said, failing to keep his voice impassive of the situation.
"No, you have to remain at your scene. I'm not assigned, I'll go." Kingsley said after a pause, nodding to Crispin and Frank before leaving with Polka, who was following close behind. Kingsley had to have known Frank's friendship with Lily, which is why he volunteered to go instead. Kingsley had known Lily in school as well, but Frank was unsure if they were friends or not. If only Frank wasn't assigned to a scene he could've gone to see, well, to see if Lily was alive or not. Unease tore through Frank, little Lily Evans couldn't be dead. She couldn't.
It was well agreed upon that the worst part of being an Auror was the responsibility of the crime scene. Hit Wizards were able to come and go after securing the area or culprits, but when the Auror arrived to a crime scene it was his crime scene. After a walk through, Investigations were brought in to collect evidence and take photographs. Then when their job was complete, the Remediation team arrived to begin clean up and they were accompanied by the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol, who kept watch before clearing the scene thus allowing the Auror to leave. Much to every Auror's dismay, the Patrolmen were vindictive over their position and tended to take advantage, and their sweet time, when relieving an Auror from a crime scene.
It was mid-morning when Frank was able to leave for Lily Evan's house, the Patrolman who arrived to take his place was unknowledgeable of any new information. When Frank arrived at his destination, he landed in a bush. As he fought free, he saw that the tiny house was in the middle of a massive garden. Stumbling to find a path he began a short journey up to the house, he was wrought with anxiety. As he got closer to the house he saw a red horizontal circle near the woods, which was known as a marker for a fallen body. Frank braced himself for the worst as he entered the Evans' house.
Only to see Lily Evans alive, sitting in a chair and talking animatedly to Auror Alice Harding. Ignoring his fellow Aurors, Frank headed towards Lily, gaining her attention by his quick and heavy steps. She jumped up to hug him and as they embraced, Frank was sure he had never been so happy to see someone alive. Little Lily Evans would live to see another day, and Frank was ecstatic.
Recounting the story she had already told four times over, she recited the events to Frank. She was lucky she was reading, she was lucky of the odd layout of her house and she was lucky her final attacker susceptible to garden gnome decorations. Frank was further elated when he heard the news of three notorious Death Eaters captured, including Garrison Goyle.
Lucky little Lily Evans he couldn't help but think.
His happiness faltered when he had learned a reporter from the Daily Prophet had come and gone. Instead of securing the perimeter, Polka had moved closer listen to Lily's harrowing ordeal, inadvertently allowing a reporter to as well. It was only when Lily agreed to go to St. Mungo's to get heal her cuts, have her throat scene by a professional and fix her rib had the reporter revealed himself. Unable to resist a photograph of the teenager who took down three Death Eaters, the reporter ran in to snap a photo. Kingsley and Alice reacted immediately hitting the reporter with a stunning spell at the same time the reporter had disapparated. Kingsley had followed and by using the threat of Azkaban for intruding upon an open investigation he had names and locations withheld but try as he might he could not prevent the photo from being published. "I only got the side of her face! She's so bloody mate, no one would recognize her!" argued the reporter, "We have to publish this, she'll be the face of resilience against the dark side!"
When Frank saw the photo he had to agree; if one didn't know Lily Evans, she was unrecognizable. The reporter had captured her in mid-movement, her pursed lips and hard expression visible from the side profile before a split second look at the camera before turning again. Cuts covered her face and body, lines of blood dried or smeared into her skin. The blood that cascaded from her throat and onto her shirt made him a bit queasy though.
The black and white photograph not only hid her distinguishing features but made the photo itself more dramatic. Frank had no doubt that the photo would go down in history. He also had no doubt that her name would be attached to that photo the next time it was published.
After the Remediations team moved through the house, senior Auror Harding reviewed the precautions and security which would now be in place for the Evans family. Ministry protection was guaranteed to those who had survived attack; unbreakable charms and defenses that were impossible to infiltrate to those outside of Ministry. If one tried to, a Hit Wizard would arrive within seconds. Although it was recommended for the family to keep a low profile, a Patrolmen would be sent to accompany excursions past the Evans property.
Frank and Lily moved outside, her talking animatedly and laughing, apparently forgetting that hours before her life was at threat. They had been talking for quite a bit when at the end of the dirt path leading to her house, a pale boy with dark hair had appeared. The boy hesitated before continuing forward, a paper clutched in his hand. "That must be the paper…I wonder… we had a falling out this past year, a few months ago. We're not friends anymore…we're too…too different…" Lily murmured, her eyes fixed on the lone figure as it moved towards them.
"I'll be right back." said Lily, moving down the steps.
A sigh of relief had gone through her body when Euphemia saw the boys walking in the distance towards the house. Much to her annoyance, days prior, her son and his friends decided to embark on a camping trip.
"Camping, mum, is not just muggle nonsense!" laughed James as he threw a round object at Sirius' head, only for it to miss him and hit the wall, unrolling itself to reveal a sleeping bag.
"Yeah Mrs. P, it's a chance, nay, an opportunity! An opportunity to find oneself amongst nature!" said Sirius in a robust voice, as he backed up to grab the sleeping bag. Peter snorted in laughter while James bit his lip, smiling at his mother.
"Oh no, I know you boys! Camping is synonymous with drinking, drugs and mucking about. I don't approve, not in the least!" said Euphemia, wagging her finger at her son and his friends.
"Mum…" James looked thoughtful for a moment, "didn't you and dad camp for most of your honeymoon?" James finished immediately ducking out of his mother's reach as she swatted at him.
"Different times, James. I read the paper, I listen to the radio, I know how young men act." Euphemia's words elicited a cringing response from the boys, James muttering "Gross".
"Honestly! I didn't mean it like that…though in my day I was quite a catch." said Euphemia, raising her eyebrows at the three boys.
"Still are, Mrs. P!" Sirius responded, smiling at her and winking before throwing the rerolled sleeping bag at the back of James' head, knocking off his glasses. Peter and Sirius snickered at James as he kneeled down to blindly looked for his glasses on the ground.
"Colder!" laughed Peter as James' searching hands moved in the wrong direction of his glasses. Sighing, Euphemia picked up her son's glasses for him.
"Be careful. If anything goes wrong, try not to die." She said as he placed the glasses back on his face.
"Mum, we're wizards," said James to his mother, placing an arm around her shoulder, "If anything goes wrong we have our wands."
"Or we'll just apparate!" added Peter, eating toast from the couch, his feet up on the table in front of him, his rucksack packed and ready on the cushion next to him.
"Apparate, Wormtail?" Sirius questioned from the ground, eating toast as well, apparently given up on packing as items were scattered around his empty bag. "Since when could you apparate?"
"Can't. I reckon the worst that could happen is splinching and I've always wanted a scar, so really, it's a win both ways." Peter stated, producing laughter from both Sirius and James and a groan from Euphemia.
"Ah, we now have our goal for the outcome of the trip! We have to go now mum, we have to fulfill Pete's dream!" James said leaning over the table to high five Peter.
Twenty minutes later the boys had left, and Euphemia was watching them from the back door as they got smaller in the distance. The figure in the middle turned around and yelled, "Stop worrying mum! Love you!" her son's voice echoing from the distance. She waved and he waved back, but she couldn't help but be tearful. It was a scene she had experienced many times over with her husband, he himself was on an expedition.
Euphemia had no intention of marriage or children much to her mother's contempt. She had always cherished independence and singularity, both of which, Euphemia believed, would lead her to a happy and trouble free life. Luckily, her brother married immediately out of school and had children soon thereafter, so Euphemia had no guilt in not continuing the bloodline. Avoidance and excuses led Euphemia to be the only single pureblood girl at the ripe age of 25. "An embarrassment to the family!" Her mother wept when the topic of Euphemia's marital status was discussed. Her father, however, adored his daughter's stubborn streak and supported her in every endeavor. After she became a professional Quidditch player, he became a staple at matches for his perfect attendance and colorful insults against the visiting teams.
At a party celebrating the birthday of Newt Scamander, the popular author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Euphemia's life became troublesome.
"He's quite handsome, isn't he?" Euphemia's friend Abigail said, pointing towards a blonde haired bloke. Euphemia grimaced in response. Euphemia couldn't understand why she agreed to be at social events with Abigail, who was always intent on matchmaking. "Or him? Oh my!" laughed Abigail, pointing once more in another direction. Rolling her eyes, Euphemia turned to view the man her friend pointed at, and in that moment, Euphemia knew her life would never be the same.
He was exquisite. Sleek black hair and tan features, he wasn't dressed like the others, wearing high brown boots and a vest rather than dress robes. A large imprint of, what Euphemia could only assume, a tentacle mark was wrapped around the length of his forearm. He looked older, crinkles by his eyes from laughter and age. He was laughing now in fact, for the same reason Abigail laughed at him as well. It seemed he had spilled his drink on his shirt and rather than clean up with his wand, he was using his mouth instead. What an exquisite idiot, she had thought, unable to take her eyes off of him. When his eyes met hers, she felt a swoop in her stomach and suddenly couldn't remember the importance of singularity anymore.
Euphemia married the exquisite idiot within the same week they had met. His name was Fleamont Potter and he was an adventurer; a magizoologist that was helping write the next edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He took her traveling with him, Fleamont had already travelled the world twice over but went once more just to show Euphemia, only coming back to England during Quidditch seasons.
Already well off, luck struck for the couple when Fleamont branded and sold the hair potion he had created for his perpetually disarrayed hair. Originally lost in a bet; Fleamont's hair potion gained a small but popular following. Only when counterfeit products cropped up, Fleamont felt the need to produce it so no more would lose their hair from counterfeits. Sleekeazy's Hair Potion became the fastest selling hair product in the wizarding world. Bought for the cause of good-looking, tame hair, consumers were initially confused by the product; the models on the bottles were magical beasts with majestic manes.
Their combined popularity and fame drove Fleamont and Euphemia out of the country for longer periods and after many years abroad they finally settled in the countryside of Western England. Their house was a large, country estate where they had too many animals, magical and nonmagical, roaming on their grounds. Euphemia had never felt the wanton need for children and Fleamont tended to agree, so their lives continued to center around each other.
One day, in her late forties, a few years into retirement, she had stood laughing at Fleamont as he chased chickens out of the house. It was then she realized that it would be a crime against humanity if all of his stupid, perfect qualities weren't passed on. Soon thereafter and against all odds, James Fleamont Potter was born into the world. James took after her exquisite idiot, black hair and tan features, an exact replica of his father. Although James had Euphemia's brown eyes accompanied by her hereditary bad vision, which Fleamont and Euphemia found out when he learned to walk and beelined for the wall.
James had become Euphemia and Fleamont's exquisite little idiot. Euphemia taught him how to fly and how to play Quidditch. Fleamont taught him how to swim, climb and how to correctly chokehold a giant squid. They both took James traveling with them, spending summers abroad to show their son the wonders of the world. James had become infamous amongst Fleamont's peers for coming up with ridiculous names for beasts and their subspecies, the Haritorpoyarsariowiggletonbumshun was the all around favorite. The house was littered with pictures of tiny James standing next to a massive beast or tiny James racing around on a broom.
James had become a focal point for their lives, so involved that it was only when Fleamont had fallen ill with Dragon Pox, had Euphemia realized their old age. It wasn't the first time he had contracted rare disease or had to be hospitalized; Euphemia was on christmas card status with many Healers who had taken care of Fleamont throughout the years. It was, though, the first time Fleamont hadn't healed right away and because of his weakened immune system, he had quickly fallen ill again.
Fleamont was currently in South America, not allowing his ailing health prevent him from a magizoologist conference. Every time Euphemia watched him leave, she was convinced it would be the last time she saw him; every time he turned and waved, she was convinced it was their last interaction. Her exquisite idiots had ruined her once cherished independence and singularity, but that was alright for they brought a happiness to Euphemia she never knew was possible.
"You wanted a scar Wormy, I got you a scar!" Sirius said shoving into Peter as they walked down the hill towards James' house.
"I know, I just…" Peter stopped to shove back into Sirius, "Wish it wasn't from being pushed in a ditch!" He huffed, causing James and Sirius to laugh at his annoyance.
James was excited to be coming home, even though he was only gone for four days. Camping, in his mind, was muggle nonsense. There was no point in camping without the help of magic to set up camp and being underage, it had taken the boys hours to set up tent. It was miserable but a great excuse to disappear for a few days over the full moon, a time when the fourth and final member of the Marauders gang, Remus, transformed into a werewolf.
James had learned to spot werewolves during his childhood travels. At age 7, when his family was traveling through Eastern Europe, James and his father invented 'Vampire or Werewolf?', an innocent game that grew more and more offensive with age around any shady character.
After befriending Remus, James immediately recognized his conditioned and was affirmed by his monthly disappearances. As the boys grew closer, James couldn't help but share his knowledge during their second year. Even after reassurances that being a werewolf didn't ruin their friendship, Remus was still apprehensive until James, Sirius and Peter began the long process of becoming animagi.
After disappearing from his mother's line of vision four days ago and one day before the full moon; James, Sirius and Peter boarded the Knight Bus to Hogsmeade. That night after setting up camp behind the Shrieking Shack, they had gone to the Three Broomsticks. Sirius kicked open the door of the pub, dramatically declaring, "Rosmerta my love, I have returned!"
The following day they hung about inside the Shrieking Shack, waiting for Remus who was happily surprised to his friends. Even in the summer, Remus returned monthly to transform in the Shrieking Shack and heal in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. James hated the circumstance in which he became an animagus, but he relished in his Stag animal form. It was the ultimate sense of freedom and in his mind, the greatest act of rebellion against nature, being able to transform into an animal at will. The full moon went without hitch and later that night Remus returned to join them camping which allowed the Marauders, to be together once again. It was so much fun being around each other, they stayed another day even though camping itself was a bit miserable.
James could see his mother waiting for them at the back door and he felt a twinge of happiness to see her. Him and his mother, Euphemia, were exceptionally close, he didn't think he had gone one day in his childhood without seeing her. Euphemia was his first teacher, first flying instructor, friend and playmate. His mother couldn't fly often anymore, her hands hurt after flying, writing letters or playing chess and she went to sleep earlier and earlier. It worried him; he was as worried for her and her health as much as he was for his constantly sick and ever aging father. Although his parents forgot their age most days, he always reminded himself that as he got older, so did they.
"How was it?" His mother asked when they were feet away. She looked frail, cold and tired, almost as if she hadn't moved since the boys had left on their trip.
"Is it possible for something so unmagical to be described as magical?" responded James, bounding up the steps to the back door and kissing her on the cheek. He dropped his bag on the kitchen floor and picked up a sandwich from the table.
"Magical for you as well Peter? Did you accomplish your goal?" Euphemia asked as Peter followed. He dropped his bag and pulled up his sleeve to show her the deep cut on his shoulder, happy to show off the gash.
"Oh no, you're mother will have a fit when she sees that…let me fix it, hold on! No—come back!" Euphemia called after Peter as he ran indoors with his hand covering his shoulder.
"Boys." Sirius said simply, smiling at Euphemia and gesturing for her to go inside before him.
The boys recounted the trip for Euphemia, beginning with a dramatic retelling of Peter 'falling' in a ditch, then of Sirius versus the tent and how the tent won and finally, of how James thought a raccoon was stalking them.
"It was mum! You should've seen the look in it's eyes, he was hunting to kill!" James exclaimed as his mother practically falling out of her chair from laughing so hard. James had forced his mother to remain seated while him and his friends cleaned up the kitchen for her.
"I'm so happy you're back, all of you," She said, as she settled down from her laughing fit. "I needed comedic relief, especially after I realized you boys had been camping under a full moon." She said raising her eyebrow, making James wonder if she knew of Remus's condition, a secret he had never informed her of.
"Really and why's that?" asked Sirius, from on top of a counter where he sat drying dishes.
"Oh right, you don't know! The day after the full moon, there was an attack…" Euphemia said, immediately the dynamic of the room shifted and the boys stopped cleaning, pausing to listen.
"It was terrible, ugh thinking about it now, I just—" She fanned her face, her eyes welling up with tears again. She stopped to compose herself.
"Eleven dead and three survivors. The youngest murdered was only a toddler!" She finally said, her voice laced with tears she couldn't stop from flowing.
James' head reeled. How horrific, terrible and thoughtless. Deaths were becoming more frequent and worse, published daily in the paper as if it were sport. He looked at his friends, Peter had his covering his mouth with a vacant expression and Sirius met James' eyes with a grimace. They were gone four days and had missed the shock of the Wizarding World.
"There were four houses attacked, every person killed except in the last house. The family of a muggleborn witch survived, it was a girl your age, only witch in her family and she got the better of them. The Prophet put up a picture of her, you should see her face, oh the blood, I'd of thought she was dead if she wasn't blinking" said Euphemia, shivering at the memory of the photo.
Good for her, thought James, proud of the girl, whoever she was, for not going down without a fight. "Our age? Did it say who, does she go to Hogwarts?" James asked.
"I don't know, they didn't say. They paper thinks it was a revenge killing over the Nadine Parker article that had everyone in a tizzy." His mother responded before getting up from the table and moved over to a messy table by the door that Euphemia threw everything on.
As she shifted through the papers, James thought of the article. He usually didn't read the Daily Prophet, he got the highlights from his mum. One morning, maybe a week ago, she had asked if he knew anyone with the name Lily or Lyle, for they had given quotes for the article and it had been mentioned they attended Hogwarts.
James remembered rush of emotion he had felt when he heard the name Lily and when his mother read Lily's quote, he had known immediately it was Lily Evans, the girl he had been in love with for the past two years.
It was only a moment after, that he realized Lily had been attacked and could quite possibly be dead.
He pictured Lily's pretty face for a second, before remembering their last interaction at school by the beech tree and his face flushed. James then saw her face covered in blood, except he wasn't picturing it in his head, he was staring at it on paper.
Maybe it was because he had stared at Lily so often that James recognized her immediately, for it took Sirius and Peter a minute to realize the girl on the paper was her. Sirius had begun to read the article underneath, but James was staring so intently at Lily's photo, his eyes lingering over her bloody face, that he only caught bits and pieces.
"…unidentified teenage witch…"
"…alleged muggleborn attack…"
"…defended her family…"
"…successfully upperhanded three Death Eaters…"
"…a hero…"
The photograph of Lily briefly made eye contact with him for a moment before turning again. Of course it was Lily Evans who could survive that attack, thought James. Lily's photo made eye contact with him once more and his stomach flipped. Only Lily Evans could.
Fucking Lily Evans, man.
Lily fucking Evans.
Edited for new James Potter information on 9/23
Thanks for reading!