Juneaua: Yes! I am writing this one! I'm back from San Fran, which was amazing. And Lauren's chapter was so good (even though she went a lot farther than I planned…) it inspired me! So enjoy! Please review! Your lack of input is slightly disheartening…

James's whole body had gone cold. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe.

This is all my fault…

He stepped protectively in front of Lily. "Go, Evans…" he hissed frantically. "Run! I'll hold him off!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

James shoved her towards the green fire. "Go!"

Voldermort flicked his wand as Lily staggered into the fireplace, and the flames vanished. James reached for another handful of flu powder, but the jar shattered with another brandish of Voldermort's wand, slicing James' hand with its shards. He yelped in pain and pulled away quickly.

Voldermort laughed softly. "None of that now, Mr. Potter. You've only just arrived. And while you're here, I think we should have a little chat. Expeliarmus!" James's and Lily's wands flew from their hands and Voldermort caught them, stowing them inside his black, billowing robes. He flicked his wand lazily, and ropes exploded forth, wrapping themselves around James's and Lily's wrists. "I must say, Mr. Potter, I'm quite impressed. I didn't think even Dumbledore himself would be able to find Sirius Black. Yet here you are." His thin lips drew back in a leering smile.

James's hands were shaking, but he willed his voice to remain steady. "Let Lily go. She's got nothing to do with this."

"How very noble," Voldermort sneered. He was stroking the tip of his wand with a long bony finger. James felt something like a small gust of wind whoosh by him, but was too fixated on Voldermort to pay it any mind.

"Let her go," James repeated, a little more firmly.

"James…"

James was so cold with fear he didn't even register her use of his first name as he turned. Lily's face was white with fear, and she was staring at the rope around her wrist. James looked as well and saw that it was no longer a rope: the thick cord had morphed into a long, black serpent, which was now slithering in circles around Lily's wrists.

"Careful, Miss Evans," Voldermort said softly, his smile widening. "If she bites you, I'm afraid there will be no hope of survival. I wouldn't make any sudden movements—better yet, no movement at all." Voldermort turned from Lily back to James, his lips still curled in that icy smile that chilled James's blood. "You know, James Potter, I was going to kill Black—kill him because he was a blood traitor and a disgrace to his family name. But now that you have rescued him, I think it only fair that your life now belongs to me in his stead." He raised his wand, pointing it at James. with a malevolent sneer playing around his mouth. "How very noble, to lay down your life for a friend." James' heart leapt into his throat, panic gripping every inch of his body as he braced himself for the inevitable. "Crucio!"

James collapsed to the ground, a scream of agony tearing itself from his throat. Lily gasped, biting back her own cry for fear of stirring the snake around her wrists.

Voldermort left his wand on James for what seemed like an eternity, a cruel sneer teasing his lips.

Finally, he raised it and released James, who remained crumpled on the floor, moaning.

Voldermort chuckled softly. "Your first Cruciatus Curse, James Potter?"

James pulled himself laboriously onto his knees, his hands balled into fists, pressed against the stone floor, breathing like he had just run miles. Voldermort studied him for a long moment, the tip of his wand resting against his chin. "You are strong, James Potter. Stronger than many men I have killed. And you are no more than a boy. But at the same time, you are weak—you refuse to face the inevitable, which is a world free of Muggles and Muggle-borns. You are a weak, pitiful, weak boy."

"I am not weak!" James spat without looking up.

"Then prove it." Voldermort flicked his wand and James was dragged to his feet, then thrown against the wall behind him with a sickening crunch of bone. "Fight me, James Potter. Show me what Albus Dumbledore has taught you. Crucio!"

Again, James was on the floor, screaming in agony. Tears were burning's Lily's eyes. As much as she hated James Potter, watching anyone suffer like this was unbearable. He probably deserved a year's worth of detentions, but he did not deserve this.

"Let him go!" she said suddenly, intending to sound strong, but coming off terrified.

Voldermort surveyed her for a moment, then removed his wand from James. "You, Miss Evans? Are you willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for your friend?"

"He's not my friend," Lily snapped automatically.

Voldermort raised his eyebrows. "If you think that, you have never seen the way he looks at you." Voldermort pointed his want at Lily's wrists, and the snake tightened its hold. Lily gave an involuntary shudder. "He was going to give his life for you. Didn't you hear him? 'Go Lily, I'll hold him off,'" he mimicked derisively, then laughed, high and cold, sending new tremors of terror down Lily's spine.

"He's stronger than you!" Lily said, surprising herself with her own daring. "You're a wizard, a powerful wizard, but you just go picking on everybody weaker than you, everybody who gets in your way. You thrive off hatred and greed and lust, basking in your own glory. James would give his life for me, or Sirius, or anybody. His strength comes from love, not hatred. He hasn't even finished school, and he's twice the wizard, and a hundred times the man you could ever hope to be."

James looked up at Lily through his dark, untidy locks falling in front of his eyes, a sheen of sweat coating his face and she caught a mixture of surprise and gratitude in his expression, mixed with something more, an emotion she dared not place.

Voldermort crossed the room in two strides, cupping Lily's face in one long, bony hand with unnecessary force. She cried out in fear, his snake like face mere inches from hers. "Brave words for one in such a precarious position." He pointed his wand over his shoulder at James again. "Crucio!" James collapsed again, screaming in agony.

Lily cried out involuntarily, and she felt the snake slide its head against her thumb, it forked tongue dancing across the back of her hand. "Let him go!"

Voldermort's hand slid down from Lily's face to her throat, tightening his grip, closing off her windpipe. Lily choked for breath, struggling to fill her lungs. Voldermort laughed derisively. "Double the pleasure: to kill you both at the same time."

"Cognatus!"

Voldermort staggered backwards, releasing Lily, who stumbled backwards against the stone wall.

James was weak and wandless, but there was enough sustenance to his spell to cause a shower of blood to erupt from Voldermort's face. The Dark Lord reached a long fingered hand up to his face, wiping a trail of blood from his eyes, his expression livid as he advanced on James, who dragged himself arduously to his feet and moved in front of Lily protectively.

"You dare to defy me, James Potter," Voldermort's voice was pure ice now, a cold bite like the lash of a whip. "You dare to fight me? What power do you posses to use magic against I, The Dark Lord? What kind of fool are you?"

James did not respond, simply glared defiantly up at the Dark Lord.

Lily felt a sudden surge of admiration for James Potter. This boy, who had always played the class clown, the jock, the bully, was suddenly replaced by a man, daring and loyal, a true Gryffindor, ready to lay down his life for the girl who had treated him like dirt through all their years of school.

Voldermort pointed his wand at James' chest and hissed venomously, "Let me show you how it's done. Let me show you pain. Sectumsempra!"

James fell backwards against the wall, and the scream that had been itching Lily's throat tore itself free. The snake around her wrists raised its head, hissing angrily, but Lily had forgotten it. Blood was pouring from his face, his chest, as though slashed by an invisible blade. He collapsed to the ground, trembling in a pool of his own blood.

"NO! Stop!" Lily dropped to her knees beside James in horror. She wanted to reach out to him, to help him, to save him, but feared to touch him because of the snake around her wrists that was growing angrier every moment. It began to curl up her arm, slithering in circles until it reached her neck and brushed its forked tongue against it.

Voldermort raised his wand. "You have tasted no pain until death."

Lily closed her eyes, bracing herself, feeling the snake's fangs brush her neck.

"Avada—"

"I think, Tom, that that will be quite enough."

Lily opened her eyes, afraid that this was all a dream, and that the only man she knew could save them had not arrived.

But there he was, a serene, pleasant expression on his face, one long-fingered hand stroking his long white beard.

Dumbledore had arrived.

Lily gave a little gasp as the snake twirled around her neck. "Professor," she breathed.

Dumbledore glanced in her direction, then flicked his wand. The snake was suddenly gone, no more than the strand of rope it had been moments ago.

Voldermort was looking livid, his thin lips tight with fury as he whirled to face Dumbledore. "You!"

Dumbledore smiled placidly. "Yes, me. Once again, I have turned up again and spoiled your plans, Tom. I have a nasty habit of doing that, wouldn't you agree?"

Lily wasn't listening anymore. She couldn't care less what transpired between Dumbledore and Voldermort. They were safe. Dumbledore would protect them.

She reached out to James and drew his head into her lap. He was barely breathing. "You fool," she whispered quietly, wiping the blood from his face with her sleeve, even though it was replaced moments later by a fresh spasm. "You damn fool, James Potter. You had to be the hero, didn't you? You had to go and stick your neck out for me." She laughed quietly, but it turned into more of a sob. "I used to think you were the stupidest boy I'd ever met. But if it weren't for you—you and your stupid ego—I'd be dead." She closed her eyes.

Everything was cold, but nothing hurt anymore.

Somehow, in the midst of so much darkness, there was light.