A/N: Thanks for everyone that reviewed...it really did help me write this chapter. Someone asked me a few chapters back what the point of this whole story was because the only thing that's different is that Lily and James are alive (sorry, but i don't remember who it was). When the idea for this story came to me, I was originally thinking of the last few chapters (what will be chapter 15 and after) and I've had to basically go backward from there. Now that I've gone on enough...here's chapter 14. Please review!!

Chapter 14

Unbearable Sacrifice

Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus were, once again, at Grimmauld Place. They were in the drawing room; James was playing – and losing – wizarding chess with Remus, though Sirius was trying, yet failing, to help. Lily was going over the notes she had taken from the last Order meeting, occasionally looking up to see one of Remus's players wrestling one of James's off the board. Nothing truly significant had happened since Dumbledore had left the school. She was about to put her notes away when something caught her eye.

No one was on duty tonight.

That's odd, she thought. "Hey guys, do you know why no one's on duty at the Ministry tonight?"

"No idea." James said. "But Mad–Eye, Tonks, and Kingsley are suppose to be here soon. Maybe one of them will know. And if they don't, Dumbledore's coming later...you can ask him."

That satisfied her. In the meantime, she watched James loose spectacularly to Remus and began a game with him herself. Kingsley and Tonks showed up with in a few minutes of each other; neither knew why no one was at the Ministry tonight. Just after Remus had narrowly defeated Lily, Moody came rushing up the stairs, the sound of his wooden leg creating a dull clunk with every other step.

"I just got a message from Snape," he said without preamble, "asking if James was here."

"Why does he care?" James replied.

Moody sent his Patronus out of the window.

"What was that all about?" Lily asked.

"More importantly," Sirius said, "Since when did Snape even care where James is?"

"I have no idea," James said. He turned to Moody. "Did he say why?"

"No, just asked if you where here."

000

Nearly an hour and a half later, they received another message from Snape.

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger went into the forest with Dolores Umbridge. I have been watching for a while, but they have yet to return. Earlier, while under Umbridge's eye, Harry said, "They've got Prongs at the place where it's hidden." It seems as though He–Who–Must–Not–Be–Named has planted a vision in his head to lead him to the Department of Mysteries. I'm sure you will all go, but someone needs to stay and tell Dumbledore.

Silence rang as Snape's Patronus faded.

"So who's staying behind." Sirius asked, not even bothering to question Snape's directions.

James looked at Lily, but before he could even say it, she said, "Oh, no, I'm going."

"Lil–"

"I don't want to hear it, James. I'm going, end of discussion."

"Well then who's going to stay?"

They looked around at each other for a moment before Sirius noticed Keacher poking his ugly head around the corner to listen.

"Kreacher, tell Dumbledore everything that has happened and that we went to the Department of Mysteries." Sirius commanded.

"Yes, Master." Kreacher croaked unwillingly.

"There, problem solved. Let's go."

000

Seven members of the Order of the Phoenix hurried off the lift and ran down the dark, windowless corridor. James pushed the door open to reveal a circular room, lined with twelve black doors, filled with blue flamed candles. Before everyone was even in, Lily ran across the small room and opened the door directly in front of her.

They rushed into another, much larger room with a green tank in the center filled with – what were unmistakably – brains. On the floor, lying unconscious, was Hermione and a blonde girl that Lily didn't recognized. There was Ginny as well, who appeared to have something wrong with her ankle. But worst of all was Ron, who had a brain and its tentacles suffocating him. Lily rushed over to him, and after a few spells, was able to get the brain off. Ron passed out.

After making sure he'd be alright, she went to Ginny, who was still alert.

"Ginny, where's Harry?"

"Him and Neville went through that door." She pointed, her face grimacing in pain.

"I'll fix your ankle only if you promise to stay here."

"But–"

"I mean it, Ginny."

"Okay, I promise."

Lily healed her broken ankle with a wave of her wand and said, "Stay here and make sure that they others are still breathing and have a pulse. If they don't, only then can you come and get me, okay?"

"Alright," Ginny nodded.

Lily turned to see the other Order members either securing the room or checking on the unconscious teens. "They're in here!" she called as they followed her.

James pushed in the door.

There was Harry, standing on the stone dais in the middle of the sunken room, behind him a tattered black veil. In his hand was a small glass orb. He was surrounded by Death Eaters.

One of them –Lucius Malfoy – turned and raised his wand, but Tonks hit him with a stunning spell.

After that, all hell broke loose. Spells and hexes flew across the room. Lily began dueling with none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. Lily was dodging one of her jets of green light when Bellatrix called out, "Is that all you've got, Mudblood?"

"Not even close," Lily retaliated as she fired a hex at her, missing by an inch.

After sometime, Sirius was beside her, dueling with Bellatrix as well.

"Lily, get Harry and Neville out of here!" he said as he and Bellatrix continued toward the stone dais.

She turned to find Harry – he and Neville were staring up at something. She followed their gaze and saw something that actually let her breath for the first time since they had entered the Ministry.

Dumbledore was there, speeding down the stone steps and began rounding up most of the Death Eaters. She made her way towards Harry and Neville and said, "I need you two to get the others." she said.

Harry looked as though he were going to say something, but was now looking in shock somewhere behind her.

She turned to see Sirius, curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hangs from the stone arch. Tears welled inn her eyes, but when she felt something brush past her, she was pulled back to reality.

Harry was running toward the veil – she quickly grabbed him around his chest.

"Th–there's nothing you can do, Harry–"

"Get him, save him–" Harry looked wildly around. To their left, James and Remus stood with looks of pure horror and grief. "–he's only just gone through!"

"It's too late, Harry–"

"We can still reach him–"

He was still struggling against his mother, but Lily would not let him go.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry...n–nothing...he's dead."

Lily dragged Harry back as the meaningless noise of spells surrounded them. By the time Harry stopped fighting against her grasp, they were back by James and Remus.

"We need to find the others," said Remus painfully.

There was a loud bang and a yell from the dais. Kingsley, who had picked up the duel with Bellatrix, yelled in pain and hit the ground.

Bellatrix turned tail and ran as Dumbledore whipped around. He aimed a spell at her but she deflected it. She was halfway up the stone steps when–"

"Harry – no!" James yelled, but Harry had already slipped past them.

Lily and James ran after him, but Dumbledore sent a spell at them. Before she knew it, she and James were on the ground, and by the time they had gotten back up, Dumbledore had rushed out of the room and magically closed it behind him.

Harry was no where in sight.

They ran to the top of the stone steps, but the door was sealed. James kicking the door in frustration. They tried every unlocking spell they could think of before they found one that finally worked.

But instead of being back in the Brain Room, they were in the blue–flamed, circular room. The door they had just went through slammed shut and the walls began to spin.

"Damn it!" James cursed. "Where's the way out?"

As if the room where listening, a door to the left opened. They exchanged looks of astonishment stopping when they got to they lift.

000

Finally, the lift clattered up to the Atrium. James and Lily were rushing out of it before the grills had fully opened.

The Atrium was full of people, mainly Aurors, most still in their pajamas. Wands drawn, James and Lily pushed their way through the crowd. While Lily was determined to get to their son, she heard parts of things from the crowd, stuff like "he was here, I saw him!" and "he grabbed the woman and Disapparated–"

When they finally reached the front of the crowd and could see the Fountain of Magical Brethren – or rather, what was left of it – Dumbledore was speaking with a very flustered and confused Fudge. Lily hesitated for a moment, but only that, before she strode up to them, James right behind her. She put her hand on Fudge's shoulder, pushed him out of the way, and asked Dumbledore, "Where is Harry?"

"I just sent him back to Hogwarts. If you will excuse us, Cornelius," he said as he led James and Lily aside.

"First of all," he began remorsefully, "let me say who very sorry I am about the death of Sirius. Second, Harry has, for the fourth time unless I have lost track, escaped from Voldemort."

"So it's true," James said, "Voldemort was here."

"Yes, he and Bellatrix Lestrange have fled. But what I truly need to speak with you about is not an unfamiliar topic. In fact, I do not believe we can avoid it an longer."

James and Lily nodded.

"I was planning on talking with him when I return to the castle, unless you object."

The Potters glanced at each other. "No," James answered. "It would probably be better coming from you."

Dumbledore nodded. "I believe that the Aurors are on their way down to the Department of Mysteries. You have done more than I could ever ask; go home and rest...and grieve."