***PLEASE READ. THIS IS IMPORTANT***
Disclaimer: Well, Harry Potter isn't mine, so… Mind if I borrow them for a bit? I promise that I'll give them back when I'm done! *crosses fingers behind back*
Remember: Prongs … Lily
Also, for people who are squeamish, this gets a little bit graphic near the end. As in gory. Just so you're forewarned.
And I apologize in advance. Some of you might hate me for the beginning of this chapter. Sorry!
.o.O.o.
Chapter 21
Hey. You there?
Lily, its four o'clock in the morning.
Yeah, but this is urgent.
Alright. What is it?
Lily took a deep breath and wrote, Are you James Potter?
James sat bolt upright, staring at the page in front of him. He nervously picked up his quill and wrote, What makes you say that?
Well, I was talking with him and he mentioned some stuff about his parents and about the full moon and it all seemed to fit exactly with what you were saying about your family.
James felt like hitting himself very hard on the head for ever being stupid enough to bring up his parents with Lily.
But what does the full moon have to do with anything?
Well, I overheard a conversation that he had at the end of last year about the marauders and he was telling this story about you all being animagus and about how you explore on the full moon and stuff, and then, tonight, James was talking about this tradition that he, Sirius, Remus, and Peter have of exploring the castle on the full moon. It would provide an explanation as to how you managed to find all the secret passages and how you're able to know everything, and how you actually manage to pull the pranks without getting caught.
So, are you James?
Shit. How could he have been such an idiot?... Wait a minute…
If I really were James Potter and I were trying to conceal the fact that I was Prongs, do you think that I would stupid enough to talk about the same stuff that you and I talk about?
Well, probably not. It all just seemed to fit rather well.
Come on, Lily. Give me a bit of credit. And anyways, didn't you already guess James?
True. Lily wrote, sighing, although she wasn't completely convinced. And we had agreed that this was a Potter-free zone.
Sorry to bother you.
It's fine. James wrote back sadly. You can bother me anytime you want.
.o.O.o.
May, 1976
Lily knocked quietly on McGonagall's office door.
"Come in. Ah, Miss Evans," the professor said when Lily entered, "You have an appointment, don't you? Sit down, sit down. Well," McGonagall said after Lily had seated herself in the indicated chair. "Do you have any thoughts about what you would like to do after Hogwarts?"
"Um, I rather liked the sound of that St. Mungo's apprenticeship program." Lily replied.
McGonagall smiled. "I thought you might. It will be extremely difficult to get a spot, and even harder to keep it, but I think with some hard work, you might be able to pull it off." McGonagall hesitated for a moment before pulling a pamphlet out of her desk. "I think that this might also suit you. Take a look at it and let me know. I think that this could really capture your interest and that they could use your insight. I won't sign you up for any classes yet. We'll make another appointment for next Monday and we will decide your classes then."
Lily nodded and rose to leave, but stopped as McGonagall said, "Lily. This is a very serious job. If you decide that you would like to peruse it, there is no going back. If you decide on this career path, then that is it. There will be no second option. But the things that you could learn…" McGonagall left the sentence dangling, hinting at all the wonderful possibilities and the experiences that Lily could have if she chose the path outlined in the pamphlet in her hand.
.o.O.o.
"Hey, Lily." James said as he slid onto the bench across from her at dinner that night. "How're you doing?"
"Better." Lily replied, smiling at him. She had fallen into a bit of a depression when they returned to Hogwarts, but Mme Grafton had begun treating it right away with a mixture of counselling sessions with Professor Frosch, the divinations professor, and a small, but regular dosage of the Draught of Peace to smooth out her emotions and keep them steady.
"Good." James said, reaching for the plate of chicken and helping himself to a large portion. He had just come back from quidditch practice and he was starving. "Hey, you had your meeting with McGonagall today, didn't you? How'd that go?"
"Pretty good I think." Lily replied, pushing her alphabet soup around her bowl with her spoon. "We're meeting again in a week."
"Why?"
"She gave me another pamphlet for this really cool job and wanted to give me some time to think over the option."
"What job?"
"It's just this Ministry thing. But it's sort of a big deal."
"What's a big deal?" Alice asked, coming over and sliding onto the bench on one side of Lily. Frank sat down on Alice's other side.
"This job thing." Lily said vaguely, "But it's one of those jobs where you're in it for life. So it's a big decision."
"Can you tell us anything more concrete about this marvellous opportunity?" James asked curiously.
"Not much."
"Can't you at least tell us what department it's with?" Frank asked curiously.
"Um, the Department of Mysteries." Lily mumbled.
"An Unspeakable?" James asked, stunned, "You have the option to become an Unspeakable?"
"I have the option to apply to become an Unspeakable. There would be tones of stuff that I'd have to go through first to actually get the job. You know, screenings and things. And then there are all these oaths to make to prevent me from talking about anything that I see down there and all sorts of other things."
"But that would be so cool!" Alice exclaimed.
"But you wanted to work at St. Mungo's." James pointed out.
"I know." Lily said, "But this would be amazing as well."
"Okay, yeah, I know, but you also need to consider how this would affect your life." James reminded her, leaning forwards. "There would be this whole part of your life that you would have to keep secret and could never tell anyone. Imagine how that would affect your relationships with your friends and your husband and things."
"You're assuming that I'm getting married." Lily pointed out.
"Fine, your partner then. I doubt that you'll go through the rest of your life without dating anyone."
"I suppose." Lily said as Black and Peter came to sit down, Remus limping painfully behind them. His leg had started to bother him again, but he adamantly refused to use the cane.
"And there's the whole 'in it for life' thing." James continued, "What if you get in there and realize that you don't actually want to know all these marvellous secrets? Knowledge can be a bad thing. You would be bound by spells to prevent you from backing out and would have to work for the rest of your life in a job that you hated."
"But," Alice interjected, "I'm sure that we could all get over the fact that you couldn't talk about your job, and anyone who can't accept that you're and Unspeakable really shouldn't be dating or marrying one, and I'm sure that there are ways to get out of the job if you really hate it, although it would probably involve something to do with you losing the memories. But all that aside, how many students do you think are even offered this option? Unspeakables never retire and they can only higher so many people. This is really a one in a million situation."
"I'll think it over." Lily promised. James sighed. He really hoped that Lily didn't become an Unspeakable. Nothing good could happen in a division of the Ministry that wrapped in secrets and lies.
"Well, I'm confused." Black said, looking from James to Lily to Alice and back. "What's happened?"
"Nothing sirius." James said with a small smile.
"Original." Sirius replied, rolling his eyes, as Mary walked into the Entrance Hall with Amos Diggory.
"Oh, look." Alice said, pointing at the pair's entwined hands. "Aww, that's adorable."
"They'll make a cute couple." Lily agreed as Mary gave Diggory a quick kiss before she came over to join their table while Diggory went to sit with his fellow Hufflepuffs.
"Hello." Mary said, sliding onto the bench and casually reaching for the shepherd's pie.
"So." Alice said casually, "What's new?"
"Oh, nothing much." Mary replied coolly.
"Nothing?" Lily asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Nothing much." Alice corrected with a smirk. "Nothing much is still something, Mary. Spill."
"Oh, fine. I decided to apply to St. Mungo's to become a healer."
"Mary."
"Does the name, Amos Diggory, mean anything to you?" Alice asked, smirk widening.
"No, not really." Mary replied innocently.
"Stop being coy and spill the beans."
"Well," Mary said with a look of fake contemplation, "Now that you mention it, he did ask me to study today and, well…" She trailed off with a suggestive smirk.
"You didn't!" Lily gasped. Mary shrugged.
"You did it?" Alice asked incredulously.
"Jeez, Payne, how much of a whore do you think I am?" Mary said incredulously. "We kissed." Alice raised an eyebrow skeptically until Mary added, "A lot."
"Are you two together then?" Lily inquired.
"Mh-hm." Mary affirmed and Alice let out a whoop.
"What's the big deal?" Sirius asked. "It's just a relationship."
"But it's a sirius relationship." James said with a grin.
"Well, aren't you punny." Sirius replied. Suddenly, his expression darkened as his gaze fell on five figures that were making their way from the Slytherin table and out into the Entrance Hall. Sirius grabbed his bag and stormed after them.
"What just happened?" Remus asked raising his head from his dinner. He looked over towards the doors and caught sight of what had caused Sirius to leave. "Oh, shit."
"Shit." James echoed as he also spotted them.
"Go after him?" Remus inquired.
"Yup." James replied standing and grabbing his bag.
"But I'm eating!" Peter complained.
"Come on." He grabbed Peter's arm and dragged him out of the Great Hall.
"What?" Lily asked Remus, "What's going on?" Remus just sighed and shook his head, picking up both his and Peter's bags and limping after James.
.o.O.o.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sirius demanded, storming over to Franzen Scabior, Gaspar Selwyn, Brice Travers, Godfry Wilkes, and Regulus Black.
"What do you want, blood traitor?" Wilkes demanded, crossing his arms and glowering at Sirius.
"I wasn't talking to you, arsehole."
"Imaginative." Travers jeered.
"You want imaginative?" Sirius demanded with a nasty smirk, "How's this one, you flaccid miniature pork-sworded flid?"
It took the giant Slytherin a moment to figure the insult out, but once he did he flushed scarlet, drawing his wand. "Why you mangy little-"
"Little?" Sirius asked with fake horror. "That certainly wasn't your mother's opinion."
"Cr-"
"Stupefy!"
"I don't need your help." Sirius said without turning to face James or to thank him for knocking Travers out.
"Who said I did it for you?" James asked calmly, coming up beside his friend and training his wand on Wilkes. Remus pointed his wand at Selwyn, while Peter shakily threatened Scabior. "Tiny Travers was polluting the air with his foul mouth breathing. I was doing the school a public service. You had nothing to do with it."
"Come on." Sirius growled to Regulus, grabbing his brother's arm and dragging him into the relative privacy of the courtyard outside.
"Oh, no you don't." James said as Wilkes made to follow. "You three can take Tiny Travers here up to the hospital wing. Don't mention that we were the ones who knocked him out or Professor Slughorn might just find out about that Unforgivable curse you just used on Peter." Peter did his best impression of looking terrified and helpless, the expression that he normally wore around Slytherins anyhow.
"What curse?" Selwyn demanded angrily.
"Why, the Cruciatus curse, of course." James replied, raising an eyebrow.
"But we didn't-" Scabior began to protest hotly before Remus cut him off.
"I saw you do it. And given that I'm a prefect and an honest student who would never lie to a teacher, I'm rather inclined to believe that Old Sluggy will take my word for it." Remus smirked. "Aren't you?"
"You'll pay for this." Wilkes spat as Scabior and Selwyn scooped up their tall friend.
"Drop the threats and move along." James scoffed. "We all know you're too scared of us to actually do anything, Wilkes. Even for your precious 'Dark Lord.'"
Wilkes glared, but didn't even attempt to deny the accusation.
.o.O.o.
"What are you doing, Reg?" Sirius asked as the school doors shut behind them.
"Why should I tell you, blood traitor?" Regulus spat venomously.
"Because I'm your brother." Sirius replied calmly. "Those boys are aiming to join the Death Eaters."
"Do you have a point?" Regulus asked with a smirk identical to the one that so often adorned Sirius's face.
"They're dangerous."
"Maybe I'm dangerous."
"You have difficulty killing a dust bunny." Sirius felt obliged to point out. "You are the epitome of wussiness. How the hell do you expect to become a Death Eater?"
"All you need are the right credentials." Regulus said.
"Yes." Sirius agreed, "And then you have to kill someone. Slowly. The ministry finally found three bodies from Death Eater initiation ceremonies. Did you know that? Ones was cutting open, and when I say open, I don't mean a few shallow slices along their arms and legs. The initiate had taken the knife and plunged it into the victims neck, drawing it down their sternum all the way to their belly button," Sirius said, miming the knife's movement. "Slicing through the intestines. Then, they cut the arms open down the bones. And the legs." Regulus began to look a little pale. "Have you ever smelt the smell of pierced intestines? Trust me, it isn't pleasant. Just imagine if you were that Death Eater, suffused in the smell of these intestines and coated in blood from spurting arteries and listening to the screaming of the witch as you dug the knife into her flesh over and over again. Because she was still screaming. They found residual spells that had been keeping the witch alive. Imagine if she was just staring at you with her bright blue eyes as you sliced through her muscles, right down to the bones."
"Stop." Regulus muttered thickly. But Sirius was relentless.
"That was one body. Another one was mutilated. They dug the eyes out of the wizard's skull and cut off their ears and nose. They cut out the tongue. At first, the Mediwizards were extremely confused about the third witch. Her body was in fine condition, but considering the other two bodies, there was no way that this one was just killed with the Killing Curse." Sirius's lip was curling in disgust from what he was describing. "But then they looked in her mouth. Do you want to guess what they found, Regulus, or should I tell you?" Regulus just pressed his lips tightly together as though trying to prevent himself from throwing up. "The found two tongues in her mouth, Reg. Hers, and the other wizards. And then they found an ear, and an eye, and piece of a nose. Shall I go on?" Regulus just stared at Sirius. "They choked her with the other victims mutilated body parts, Regulus. Is that something that you really want to be a part of?"
Regulus whispered something in reply.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Sirius asked.
"It's not like I had a choice." Regulus said more clearly, pulling up his left sleeve and showing Sirius his arm.
.o.O.o.
"Hey." Remus said as Sirius stumbled into the dorm room. "What's wrong?" He immediately asked as Sirius slumped to the floor, his head in his hands.
"He…" Sirius trailed off, not even able to put into words what his brother had done.
"Sirius?" James asked walking over and squatting beside his friend. "What happened?"
Sirius took a deep breath. "Remember that autopsy report that St. Mungo's released about those three bodies from the Death Eater initiation ceremony?"
"Yes." James said.
"I told him about it, to… to try to scare him off. Do you know what he said?" Sirius gave a hysterical laugh. "He said, 'It's not like I had a choice.'"
"What!?" Remus cried, staring at Sirius in shock.
"'It's not like I had a choice.'" Sirius repeated.
"You mean…?"
"He did it." Sirius nodded. "Regulus did it, all of it. All three bodies."
"Oh my god." James breathed, feeling sick. Remus was too shocked to speak and Peter, little Peter, just sat on his bed and didn't react at all.
.o.O.o.
A/N: Ahh, you guys are amazing! 140 reviews! But I'm greedy (as I fully admit) so… can I have more?
Tapi