Chapter 3: The Article
Lily woke up refreshed. The rain was still coming down, but not as hard. She looked down from her bed and saw Spica kissing her pillow and Melissa murmuring Remus' name.
Lily rolled her eyes and left the room quietly.
When she got downstairs, she heard bacon sizzling in a pan and smelt toast in the toaster.
"That smells good." Lily said as she walked in expecting to see her mother cooking breakfast.
She was shocked to see James Potter taking the bacon out of the frying pan and laying the pieces on a plate that was covered in paper towels.
"Potter?"
James turned at the sound of her voice and they just starred at each other.
After what seemed like forever,
"Ah. Look Mel. They're gazing into each others eyes. I hear wedding bells." Spica said as she and Melissa joined the other two.
That snapped Lily out of it as she whacked Spica upside the head. HARD.
"What are you doing here, Potter?" Lily asked.
"I was going to ask you the same thing." James said in a really confused tone.
"I live here." Lily told him.
Suddenly the screech of an owl sounded as a Great Horned Owl came swooping into the kitchen and dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet on the table. James' heart stopped as he grabbed it when he saw the headlines.
PURE BLOODS ARE NO LONGER SAFE
He opened the paper and read part of the article.
Around midnight this morning, the Dark Mark was seen hovering in the village of Arundel. When explored, the bodies of Auror Charles Harold Potter and Healer Elizabeth Diane Potter were found dead. Mr. Potter was found on the stairs while Mrs. Potter was found in her son's room. Their only son, James Andrew Potter, was nowhere to be found. If anyone has seen the missing Potter, dead or alive, please contact Albus Dumbledore immediately.
James dropped the paper as he ran to the guest room.
"He's fast." Lily observed.
"OMG!" Melissa screamed as she read the article.
"What is it Mel?" Spica asked.
"Read for yourself." Melissa said handing the paper to Spica.
Lily read it over Spica's shoulder.
"OMG!" they repeated.
"What's going on?" Rose asked. "Who made breakfast?"
"Potter." Lily said looking at the doorway he left from.
"Potter? That boy you have a crush on?"
"I do NO…You let him in the house. Didn't you Mum?"
"I didn't know he was the same boy you are constantly talking about." Rose defended. "I just know that he was alone on the streets and it had started raining. When he came in, we figured he was a wizard and he told us that his mother sent him away because his house was being attacked."
Lily grabbed the paper from Spica and handed it to her mother.
"His parents were killed." Lily told her mother.
"The poor thing!" Rose exclaimed as she started to go to the guest room.
"Let me." Lily said.
0000
Meanwhile,
"Thanks." Sirius said to the owl who just delivered the Prophet.
PURE BLOODS ARE NO LONGER SAFE
"What?" Sirius asked before he read the article.
"WHAT!?" he exclaimed after he read the article.
"Okay. Don't panic Sirius. James is fine. No new is good news. No body, no death. Oh who am I kidding?" he told himself
He was about to apparate when Remus appeared in his living room.
"Where is James?" Remus asked.
"I was about to go look." Sirius admitted. "Did you read the article?"
"Would I be asking you all this if I didn't?" Remus asked.
CRACK
Peter had appeared.
"I JUST read the Daily Prophet. Is Prongs here?"
"No." Sirius said as he started to panic.
CRACK
"Have you gentlemen seen Mr. Potter?"
The boys turned to see the Headmaster.
"Why does everyone assume he's here?" Sirius asked.
"You're his best friend." Remus explained.
"So are you two." Sirius argued. "We HAVE to find him."
"Before Voldemort does." Dumbledore added.
0000
KNOCK KNOCK
"Go away." James said into his pillow.
The door opened.
"Potter?" Lily asked. "I'm sorry about my tone earlier this morning. I didn't know what had happened."
"I could have saved them." James said. "Just leave me alone."
TBC
