**A/N** Hey guys, we're already at Chapter 4, I can't believe it! This is another action-filled chapter with more Jily than the last. It leads on to some bigger stuff as well. Thank you to everyone who's stuck with the story so far, I hope I'm not disappointing anyone!
Chapter 4 – To Start a War
James and Remus wandered out of the greenhouses five minutes after everyone else had already left; Professor Sprout had held them at trowel-point, forcing them to help her clear up every last speck of soil from the workbenches.
'We don't want the mandrakes getting twitchy over it,' she had warned dangerously 'they're already turning surly, and you know what they're like.'
James did not tell her that he wasn't particularly interested in the behavioural patterns of mandrakes.
Remus rushed ahead slightly, his head bowed against the swirling snow. James caught up with him quickly, 'you alright Moony?' he asked, 'you seem a little bit on edge.'
Remus sighed, 'yeah I'm fine, it's just-'
'Just what?'
'I can feel the full moon creeping up.'
James felt a rush of sympathy for his best friend. Quite honestly, Remus looked like utter shit. He was pale and unshaven; he hadn't bothered to cut his hair in the last few weeks and it was beginning to look unkempt. This combined with his patched, second-hand clothes (Remus' family wasn't the richest) and the small scars that littered his skin, Remus could almost have been mistaken for a younger Mundungus Fletcher.
Moony always began to look like this as the full moon drew nearer. His condition took its toll.
'We'll all be there-' James began to say but Remus cut him off.
'What's going on over there?'
James followed Remus' gaze to where a large group was forming; they all seemed to be watching something, shouting their disapproval.
James raised his eyebrows, 'dunno, mate. Let's go find out.'
Lily jolted her leg upwards as hard as she could, slamming her foot into Wilkes' unprotected groin. With a shriek of agony, he released her and she fell to the floor just in time to avoid the curse that Bellatrix had just aimed her way.
Lily felt fury course through her whole body as she grabbed her wand and straightened up. She was vaguely aware of a large group forming around the two of them. Bellatrix danced backwards slightly; she seemed shocked at her own nerve, like she couldn't believe that she had used the unforgivable curse on another person. Lily had no doubt that the bitch had used it before – probably on harmless puppy dogs. However, this time the spell had simply hit the castle wall, metres away from where Bellatrix had been aiming – Lily's face.
'Looks like you could use some target practice, bitch.' Lily spat, holding her wand out in front of her.
'I'll bear that in mind, mudblood.' Bellatrix snarled in reply.
The two girls wasted no time. 'Stupefy!' Lily screamed at the same moment Bella cried 'Crucio!' once more.
The spells collided in mid-air.
The yelling got much louder as James and Remus approached the group. James could barely see anything over the heads of the many students who had crowded round in a circle. Remus tapped James on the shoulder and pointed wordlessly to the castle doors. He turned round just in time to see Sirius burst through them, Peter at his heels.
James grabbed his best friend by the shoulder. 'Padfoot, what the hell is going on?'
'Fight.' Sirius explained shortly, as they wrestled their way through the crowd of spectators. 'Wormtail and I saw it through the windows upstairs.'
'Excellent,' James grinned but, seeing the look on Sirius' face, his smile died quickly. 'Who is it?'
'My wannabe death eater cousin Bellatrix and-'
But James didn't need to hear the rest of that sentence. They had finally fought their way to the front of the group and had a clear view of exactly what was happening. James watched dumbfounded as the two girls in front of him battled ferociously, their wands flashing like sabres.
'Evans?' James yelled incredulously as the redhead whirled around and aimed a well-placed curse at Bellatrix's chest. Unfortunately, the crazed Slytherin deflected the spell easily and sent a counter curse flying back almost a second later.
Evans was an impressive fighter. She had a unique style; where most wizards would use their wands to protect them, Evans would use her body. She would duck and twist, allowing jinxes to fly harmlessly past her while sending another three shooting out of the end of her wand. Bellatrix's spells could never quite seem to catch her (a fact that seemed to infuriate the bitch). In short, she fought like a wizard and defended herself like a muggle.
James was pleased to see that Evans had already taken out Wilkes, who had fallen to the ground in a crumpled heap clutching his balls. He grinned; she'd kicked the bugger where it hurt. However, Rosier seemed to have recovered from whatever Evans had hit him with and had begun advancing towards the two witches murderously.
James sighed. 'The things I do for love.' He thought, drawing his wand from his robes.
Lily was beginning to tire. Bellatrix was a strong witch; she knew more spells than Lily and was much more ruthless in her attacks. However, Lily was angrier.
'I'm tired of being called a mublood!' She thought.
She threw a jinx at Bellatrix
'I'm tired of them thinking they're better than me!'
A hex.
'I'm tired of constantly having to prove I'm worth something!'
A curse.
The final spell hit Bellatrix in the face and gouged a deep mark into one of her high cheekbones but she barely seemed to notice. Lily ducked low and, out of the corner of her eye, saw Rosier straighten up. He raised his wand. Lily knew then that she was going to lose.
Suddenly a flash of light erupted from behind Lily and Rosier fell to the floor, his limbs locked in a full body-bind curse. James appeared instantly beside her, firing spells at the Slytherins.
'Alright Evans.' He grinned.
She laughed disbelievingly.
However, her laughter was short lived. Taking advantage of her momentary lack of concentration, Bellatrix sent a hex flying through Lily's arms, hitting her squarely in the chest.
James yelled out as Evans' feet were lifted from the floor; she flew backwards alarmingly fast, smashing into the castle wall before falling to the ground motionless.
Whipping round, James saw that Sirius was already beside him, duelling fiercely with Bellatrix. Remus was working on binding a dazed Wilkes to a still recumbent Rosier and Peter was… cowering.
'Best friends with mudbloods and blood traitor scum are we now, Sirius?' Bellatrix shrieked. 'If you mix with the scum, don't expect to turn out any better than them!'
'I'd rather stick with them than you and your death eater pals, Bella!' Sirius retorted angrily.
'Is that meant to offend me?' she replied incredulously 'I'd be honoured to call myself one of them, and so should-'
'Shut up!' Sirius roared, brandishing his wand furiously.
'What are you gonna do, Sirius? You don't have the-'
'STOP THIS NONSENSE AT ONCE!' a booming voice swept towards them, seeming to silence even the howling wind.
The tall, slender figure of Albus Dumbledore advanced towards them. He carved a path through the students, who scurried out of his way as fast as they could. Behind him came Professor McGonagall, looking absolutely livid, and the tiny figure of the young Professor Flitwick.
Sirius quickly dropped his wand but Bella kept hers out, pointed straight at her cousin.
'Put your wand away immediately, Miss Black!' Professor McGonagall snapped.
Dumbledore said nothing at first, surveying the scene with a sweep of his ice-blue eyes.
'Professor Flitwick,' he said quietly, 'please go up to the hospital wing and inform Madam Pomfrey that she is needed.' The Professor nodded shortly and sped off without a word.
Turning back towards them, Dumbledore spoke simply: 'All those included in this event, you know who you are, will go up to my office and wait for me there.'
James glanced over to where Evans was still lying in a crumpled heap. 'P-Professor?' he murmered, 'I'm worried – I mean I think that Evans – Lily might be badly hurt.'
Dumbledore peered kindly at James over his half-moon spectacles. 'Why do you think I called for Madam Pomfrey, Mr Potter?'
'Oh I- I thought maybe Wilkes…' he trailed off.
'Mr Wilkes may also be in need of medical attention.' With this, Dumbledore turned away, ending the conversation. However, James had the distinct feeling that he had seem a small smile playing around the mouth of the strange, old professor.
