Chapter 6: A Trip through Memory Lane pt. 2

Once in the bathroom, he collapsed against the door. He didn't cry, no, he wouldn't have wanted Sirius to cry over him. All James could think about was how Sirius managed to survive Azkaban, but be killed by a veil; the amazing Sirius Black was killed by a piece of drapery. He sat there, against the bathroom door, for what seemed like an hour until he finally got up and turned on the tap. Stepping into the shower, he let the hot water rush over him, through his hair and down his back.

James came out of the bathroom and sat back on the couch next to his sister. They sat quietly for another few minutes, each letting their own thoughts cover their consciousness.

"The ministry now knew that You-Know-Who was back and they started sending out leaflets like they did the first time. Only now they were more in depth, like how to recognize an Inferi or something like that." Alana spoke softly, determined to finish the story of what had happened. She took a deep breath and continued. "Professor Dumbledore began giving Harry private lessons…on what, I haven't a clue. Harry still hasn't told me what they were about. But at the end of that school year, there was a Battle at the castle. Death Eaters managed to get into the school and the Order was quickly summoned to help fight.

"I was fighting somewhere with Moony, I can't remember where. All I remember is the afterward. The two of us went up to the hospital wing to see Bill Weasley; he had been bitten by Greyback. Thankfully it wasn't a full moon, so Bill won't be a full werewolf. Harry was there too, he… he told us that Professor Dumbledore… Snape killed him. He… he was gone."

Again, James was speechless. He stared at his sister. "Snivellius? Snivellius killed Professor Dumbledore? Wasn't he a Death Eater? What was he doing around Hogwarts anyway?"

"Professor Dumbledore believed that he had changed. So he gave him a job as Potions Master up until that very year. That year, he took over the Defence against the Dark Arts position. Snape had been working there for fifteen years." She paused, thinking her next words carefully. "I tend to agree with Dumbledore. I just don't believe he was that evil."

James gave her a look and she shrugged her shoulders. It was hard to imagine Severus Snape as anything but a Death Eater.

"Moony got married," she said a smile slowly forming on her face. James stared at her, his mouth hanging open. "He married Sirius' cousin Nymphadora Tonks. You remember her. Pink hair, always knocking things over. They umm… they have… had a son." She smiled again, a mere upturning of her lips, a smile that never quite reached her eyes.

"After Professor Dumbledore's death, well, everything just broke. I mean, Sirius was gone and now Dumbledore too. After Bill Weasley's wedding, Harry and his two friends disappeared." Alana stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. "He was okay, but…" she stopped again, silently debating whether or not to tell him. "You-Know-Who claimed power. He murdered the Minister and put one of his puppets into place. They were rounding up muggleborns and claiming that they stole their magic from a witch or wizard. Everyone who wasn't at least a half-blood was in danger.

"Harry told me that Professor Dumbledore left him a mission that he had to take care of. Hermione and Ron his two best friends, knew about it and decided to come with him. I didn't hear from him until a couple days ago. We had no idea where he was. Moony and I were so worried." Alana paused, wiping the tears away that had begun to fill her eyes.

"Alana," James said softly. Alana snapped her head up; she hadn't heard him speak for at least a half an hour. "What happened to Moony?"

She gazed at her brother, total sadness crossed her face. "We… there was a huge battle at Hogwarts the other day. I mentioned that. The entire order, the professors and all the students who were over age against You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. Harry had come back to Hogwarts and he was looking for something. By going through the chain, the Order was alerted and Moony came to get me. We raced to Hogsmeade and into Hog's Head." She smiled again at the look on James' face. "There was a passageway into the school. It just… appeared I guess.

"We raced into the school and immediately started fighting. Moony started duelling Dolohov and I found someone, I don't remember his name. Everything after that is a blur. I don't remember much. All I remember is turning around and seeing Dora come running at Moony. He had told her to stay at home with their son but she didn't. Never listens, that one." Alana's voice broke and she rose from her seat and walked quickly to the bathroom. She grabbed a handful of tissues and walked back. Blowing her nose, she felt James reach over and place his hand on her leg. It was the most comforting feeling and she hadn't realized how much she missed it.

"I turned around and Dora was running towards him. She… she didn't see the spell. Neither of them did. They… they hugged and by the time I screamed for them to move, they were hit by two different killing curses." Alana's voice wavered, cracking with emotion.

"I… I saw them fall. They… they still had the smiles on their faces. After they fell, I tried to run over to them, but I couldn't. Dolohov… I had to get revenge. But as I started to move towards him, to fight him, You-Know-Who called a ceasefire. I… I helped some students carry them into the Great Hall. We were setting that up as a… morgue and recovery room. There were so many dead."

James looked into his younger sister's face. He never wanted to see what he saw in her eyes again. She was haunted, haunted by the images of her friends dying in front of her. "Alana…" he trailed off, unable to put into words what he wanted to say.

She wiped the tears from her eyes again. "I know. I know." She sniffled, blew her nose into a tissue again, and smiled sadly. "And now you're caught up. That's everything that's happened in the past sixteen years."

James stared. "Well, that's everything except what Harry has to tell me." He ran his hand through his hair.

"Are… are you okay?" Alana asked quietly, still trying to dry her eyes.

He shrugged. "How can I be okay when I've just been told almost everyone I care about is gone? I think I'm just still in shock."

Alana glanced at the blue clock on her wall. "Oh dear. I hate to leave you James, but…" she paused. "We're having a memorial service for Dora and Moony today. I… You…"

He frowned. "I know, I can't come. No one would know what to make of me. I'll just stay here and… sort through everything I guess."

Alana smiled sadly at her brother. "I'll give Teddy a kiss for you."

James looked at her quizzically. "Who's Teddy?"

"Oh! I forgot. Moony and Dora's son. They named his Teddy Remus Lupin, after her father, Ted Tonks and Moony."

James smiled. "We have a new generation of Marauders. It's too bad Padfoot didn't have any kids or…" he trailed off and Alana knew who he was thinking of.

She tried to play it off. "No, I haven't had any children either. So no Marauders from my end either."

Alana rose from the couch and stood in front of her brother. She bent down slightly and kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry for overwhelming you, but once I got started, I had to get it out or I would never have finished."

James nodded. "It's all right. Go get freshened up. I'll sit here and wait I suppose."

Alana left James alone in the living room. She slowly climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Upon arriving, she quietly shut the door and collapsed against it. She kept seeing flashes of Moony and Dora; watching them running towards each other, get hit with the spell then fall to the ground. She could still picture the smiles that were on their faces.

She remembered screaming. She screamed his name and then hers. Her final remaining friend. The last one in their group was gone. He was the one person she always expected to be around, to always be there for her. And now his son, tiny infant Teddy was an orphan. The war started and ended the same way, with an orphan. It began with Harry and ended with Teddy.


AN: Again, I'm awfully stressed out right now with work and finishing the plans for my wedding. I'll try and have another chapter up soon, but I can't promise anything. we finish school next Thursday (my 1st year teaching is almost over!).

I know, everything came out fast in this chapter. But I figured, Alana would try to get everything out as fast as possible rather than reliving the experience in slow motion. Thanks for reading and please click the little button below! Criticism always accepted!