A/N: It's been a while! I haven't updated this story in forever, so I feel like it's about time. This is my first time writing a comprehensive action scene, so bear with me :)

I own nothing! It's all Jo's intellectual property.

The day that James had walked into that ward was the worst in his life. He had approached the bed cautiously, scanning the Muggle IV machines that pumped fluids and blood into his brother's body. Albus was completely still, and showed no signs of life. If he wasn't the only patient in the ward, James wouldn't have recognized him. A grisly trail of scars ran down the middle of his face, one of his eyes was bandaged shut, and his hair that remained was ashy and charred. The Healers has cleaned off the bits of brain matter that clung to his clothes, but couldn't do anything about the hole that had burned through his hand, directly through his palm. They had left it heavily bandaged, and were furiously working on a stronger flesh wound potion in the corner near the window.

James was stunned into shock. He touched his own chest lightly, the space where his broom handle had nearly splintered into his heart in his sixth year, and felt a shudder throughout his body. That was nothing compared to what lay in front of him. He fought the urge to touch his brother's cheek, the only thing that remained relatively unharmed and pale. Unable to take it, James ran out of the room and threw up.

He continued doing so for the next three days, until his mum stormed over to his flat and forced him to take a potion for it. He now lay on his bed, shaking from another nightmare. The scenario had haunted him for the week since Albus's coma; while his brother had almost died, he was partying. Fucking partying. Frank Longbottom always laughed at how much of a douche James was, but the true reality hit him harder than ever.

He... was tired.

Auror training was doing little to help his self-esteem, as one could hardly consider the rigorous simulations easy. Kingsley had held the MLE at knifepoint to sharpen them up, and Aunt Hermione did no different. James suffered through it everyday and stuck his head up high through the accusations of nepotism. Holding his head up was hard to do now, as he held it in his hands instead.

His bed frame vibrated and he pulled the map out of it as quickly as possible. He had enchanted the thing to notify him of danger with some assistance from Uncle George, and he hoped nothing serious was going on. His hopes were dashed, as he stared at the place where the Astronomy Tower used to be. It was gone. Wiped off the map.

Cursing loudly, he conjured a robe and threw himself into the Floo, using the red emergency powder Aunt Hermione had provided for Ministry members: a direct line to Hogwarts. The fireplace sent him into the Headmistress's office, where the door lay blasted off his hinges. James jumped down the moving staircase and passed a groaning gargoyle. He looked around frantically as he made his way to the site of the wreckage. The suits of armor were gone from their posts, presumably taking up assailants on the grounds.

James coasted along the halls and out of the back entrance, onto the dawn streaked grounds, where he found a terrifying sight. The tower lay in ruins, layers of cobblestone collapsed upon the grass that marked the spot of Dumbledore's death. A full fledged battle was occurring a ways down, on the Quidditch pitch, where the stands blazed and tore in a maelstrom of magic. A mass of some fifty hooded men were attacking the near two hundred Ministry workers who had responded, and they were winning. Some of the workers already lay on the ground, dead or worse. James wasted no time and ran down the slippery grass, using his wand to propel him into the air.

He landed behind the Ministry forces and bolted to their left, wanting to try and flank the terrorists. Too late, one of them spotted him and tried to call out. James struck him down with a silent stunner and cast a shield to cover his exposed back. He leapt over the downed man and deflected an unknown spell that slipped through the barrier to land a few feet in front of him. He brought the shield into his body and wrapped it around him like a cocoon, piercing his wand through it afterwards. James conjured lead balls and fired them like he was holding a rifle, gunning down three more. Two employees ran to his either side and assisted him with stunners. James saw no point in trying to remain subtle now; he ran out into the middle of the field and cast an Incendio maxima. A wall of flame poured out of his wand and pushed the attackers back.

He heard a cry from behind him and maintained the wall while looking over his shoulder. He snarled in annoyance. Twenty students had ran out of the castle, their eyes brimming with tears and determination. "Not now!" James roared. "Get your arses back inside or I swear I will have the Minister expel you!" They turned heel and ran back inside without missing a beat after hearing the tone in his voice.

Before he could turn his head back, James was sent flying backwards towards the other end of the pitch. He smashed against the metal frame of a stand, bouncing off and landing a foot in front of it. He screamed in pain as his back cracked and a searing pain shot up it. He was sure his spine was broken. His vision started going fuzzy. Shaking, he brought his hand back to feel for blood, but was stopped halfway by a gentle hand on the back of his head. "Hold still. Put your wand down and lay your head back."

He was in no shape to argue, but he recognized the voice and therefore didn't attempt to. His savior cast a spell and mended the bones in his back, bringing the last to vertebrae together with a sharp snap. James gasped and sat up, sweat dripping from his forehead as the person cleaned up the blood around the wound. "Now, lets get back out there."

James whipped his head around. "Thanks Dad."

His dad smiled weakly and held his wand back out to him, clutching his own tighter. James looked at his dad's wand. "Is that—"

"Yes," Harry cut him off. "I had no choice. Not after what happened to Albus." There were no tears, no stutter in his voice. Harry Potter was out for revenge. And James was with him.

The two jumped back into the fray, side by side. Harry conjured a platform that James hopped off of, sending a Rictumsempra into the crowd of enemies and eliciting a peal of raucous laughter. He landed hard on the ground, feeling a sharp pain shoot through his knee, but kept battling as it disappeared a second later. Harry backed him up, spouting bouts of scalding water at those who tried to approach them from behind. Many more Aurors joined them, forming a tight circle and advancing to the front of the pitch in an attempt to push the malicious forces to the side. Suits of armor were waiting there, forces which McGonagall had called back in fear of the close quarters friendly fire that could occur. The witch in question was raining sharply placed stunners from the teacher's box onto the enemy, never letting up. Soon, the tide shifted as the terrorists had more trouble countering the frenzied wave of spells coming their way. They began trying to disapparate out of fear, but failed due to the Hogwarts barrier, leaving them to be picked off. Everything was finally looking up.

Then the stands exploded. McGonagall swiftly jumped from the box and cushioned herself, joining the Ministry forces on the ground. The remaining wood stands cracked and imploded, while the metal ones creaked and fell to the side, sending dangerous shards of hot steel into the fray. The Aurors put up their personal shields and helped as many others as the could. Cries could be heard from some of the less fortunate, who fell to the grass clutching burnt limbs. The circle dismantled as people ran out to help others, and James and Harry were soon left alone again. Harry sent a wide eyed glance at James. "D'you think you can handle yourself?"

James nodded sharply. "I'm fine. Go help."

Harry ran off to help others, leaving James as he was before. James smiled. Even now, his dad still trusted him.

His smile faded as a man approached him and began firing suspiciously wicked curses. He couldn't her their words exactly, but was able to make out a crack of a Crucio. His left hand curled into a fist and his right hand gripped onto his wand tighter as the two became locked in a fierce duel. The man sent a red bolt towards James, who reflected it with a well placed shield. The man transfigured the spell, something that James has only seen the most talented casters do. His palms became sweaty as an anaconda now raced towards him. James sent a Reducto down its body and its entrails exploded back into the man's face. The man spat in disgust and drew another wand from his robe.

"Fuck." James snarled. He was screwed. He ran for cover as the man fired a purple spell right past his ear. He bolted into the mess that used to be the stands and picked up a fallen enemy's wand he found nearby. It wouldn't do well, but he'd make do. James thought back to a conversation he had with Ollivander's granddaughter. A ghost of a smile flickered on his face; he had a plan.

The man was hot on his tail, but he didn't expect James to suddenly stop. The young Auror sent an object in his direction, and the man had no time to think before it exploded in a flash and a bang.

James his behind some flaming debris as the wand lost its composition from being snapped and expelled it contents outward, sending a ring through his ears and splinters into his assailant. He would be badly hurt, but not dead. He got up and rolled his head. "You're not done yet." He ran past the groaning man on the floor and back into they fray, intending to help finish off the remaining terrorists.

The battle, for once had gone as predicted. James now sat in the bustling Hospital Wing, getting his back and knee checked on by a frazzled mediwitch. His dad walked over from checking on the battlefield and remains of the tower, making sure everyone who needed to be was properly incarcerated. He sat down next to James as the mediwitch hobbled away to another wizard and clapped his son on the back. James immediately had questions for him. "What the hell happened out there?"

"We don't know." Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "We assume that the terrorists apparated to Hogsmeade and gathered in the Forest, since there's a smattering of downed trees pretty deep in. We're investigating now." He looked at James. "You did great. I'm proud of you."

James smiled toothily. "Thanks, Dad. Can I get a full promotion now?"

Harry laughed. "As if Hermione would allow me. No, kiddo, you're still stuck in training for a while.

"Fuck."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

The mood turned sombre as the two recognized the gravity of the situation. Father and son sat quietly together until James asked him a question. "Dad?"

Harry looked over quizzically. "Yes?"

James whispered softly. "Is it wrong? To be vengeful like this?"

Harry stroked his son's hair. "I dunno James. I think... we all have our weak moments. We just need to be able to move past him."

James bit his lip. "Then you know what you did."

Harry sighed and drew the Elder Wand from his pocket, holding it close to his body. "I know. And I'm not proud of it." He passed the wand from hand to hand absentmindedly. "I need to destroy it. It has... this pull. Like a dark object. I dunno how Dumbledore ever used it. But I know it isn't good for me."

His son shrugged. "Try talking to Aurora."

"Ollivander's granddaughter? I might do that." He looked out the window behind the bed. "It would be better for all of us."

"Check on Lily, please." James's eyes pleaded.

His dad nodded and ruffled his hair. Harry stood up and dusted his robe of, not wanting to seem vulnerable in front of his youngest child. "Be right back."

James bit his lip and turned away to the window Harry was looking out earlier as the latter left the Hospital Wing. The sun was up now, and it seemed to be midday. The blue sky contrasted starkly to the remains of the Astronomy Tower, which had been reduced to a pile of indistinguishable rubble. He fingered his Gryffindor ring that Albus gave him for his eighteenth birthday. His brother had worked two months at that Muggle coffee shop to pay for the trinket. James sniffled.

"I'll save you Al. I promise."