Y6: With a Wand At Your Heart

To say the spell came out of nowhere was a lie. She knew it was coming. Moira watched as the lanky brunette with hollowed cheeks rose his wand, his lips moved in slow motion, her world began to spin. It was silent save for the boy who yelled his curse. It hit her straight in the gut and she flew backwards, her body slamming against the floor. A fire licked up her spine, and all the time she waited. Lily would send off the next light, the light that would let her pull her wand from her pocket. Moira wanted to lay there, to crawl and hide. Instead, she sat back up. A silvery blue light lit across the corridor. Her right cheek boiled and she let out a small wince. Her hand moved to her wand unconsciously. Before she could grab it though, her body was flung upside down. Moira let out a shriek as her wand clattered to the ground. She could hear the boys taunting her, their faces up to hers. Moira helplessly reached for her wand. When she realized it was too far out of grasp, she looked to the corner Remus was hiding in. She wanted to call out to him.

Severus Snape hadn't wanted to mess with the poor girl. Not because he felt bad for her of course, simply because he just did not feel like messing around today. As Artemis Crowley, Finnbar McGraw, and Hephaesteus Bellaire circled around the girl, Bellaire holding her upside down, Severus remained in the background. He looked on but did not participate. The Ravenclaw girl was no fun to him. But watching her was interesting enough. Severus stepped back in thought. Why was she down there? There were classes in this corridor but it was the week's end and no classes would have been let out, not even this late on a week day. Detention was being held out on the grounds tonight, Professor Slughorn had informed him of that. Perhaps she was seeing someone, a Ravenclaw slag. But why didn't she pull out her wand? She didn't even make an attempt until she was hit for the second time. He would guess she was an idiot but she was indeed a Ravenclaw and a prefect at that. He watched as her eyes darted about in a frenzy. Occasionally looking at him, at her wand, and then right behind him. Severus turned around, but there was nothing there. He frowned as he watched her again. The same spot, she always looked to the same spot. And then he realized. She was not alone, she was not there by a mere accident. The mudblood had planned this, they walked in on a plot.

"Bellaire drop her," Snape said quickly whipping out his wand in a panic, he face the general place the girl had looked upon, "we need to go."

"Oi, Snape, but we haven't even had any fun yet," McGraw complained.

"Set. Her. Down," Snape said between gritted teeth, he had only looked back at them for a moment; when he turned back around, he was meant with three familiar faces.

Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew held their wands out, two were aimed at Snape. Remus had his at Bellaire.

Remus breathed darkly, "You heard him, put her down."

Crowley stepped forward, a smile breaking across his face, "You're outnumbered lad."

"Four of us and three of you," McGraw sneered.

"Put her down!" Remus yelled louder.

Bellaire smirked, "Make us."

He then proceeded to wave Moira about in the air, but she did not scream or cry out. She remained quiet perhaps out of fear, perhaps from a strength. Remus cast his curse first, but McGraw blocked the one headed for Bellaire. A battle did not break out though. The three marauders circled the group of Slytherins holding Moira hostage.

"Need I say it again," Crowley's voice was smooth, dangerous, "You lot are outnumbered."

On the other side of the corridor, James held Lily with a firm grip. Her wand was out and she was waiting for him to let her go. When they walked in to this, Lily had planned on calling the shots. But seeing James react the way he did, she waited for him to make the final call. After minutes of the Slytherins taunting Remus, Lily grew impatient.

"We ought to go now," Lily muttered to him.

"No," he said firmly, "Peter and Sirius need to be hit first."

"They- what?" Lily said confused, "We said only Toomey! What do you mean?"

"I changed your plan."

He had said it without looking at her, but now she was demanding his attention, "Potter, what the hell are you talking about?!"

"Sh!" he hushed her, "Sirius and Peter are going to get caught with Moira."

"Why?! That will ruin the plan. They can lie and say it had to do with the Marauders or the Gryffindors! Our plan will not work!"

"Evans!" James whispered fiercely, "Keep it down! We couldn't leave Moira there with no protection waiting for the professors to hear her screams. Those three will keep her safe until the professors come. Remus will flee and any marks left on the Slytherins will be pinned on Si and Pete. They will say they were on their way to pull a prank when they heard her crying out. I planned it all out."

"Without me," she said annoyed and forcing him to release her. She stepped away but not out of the shadows, "You lied to me."

"I never lied, I didn't tell you this part of the plan because I knew you would want to go out and fight."

"I am!" she said, "I am going to fight them, I want to and I have to. They hurt my friend, he hurt my friend! Snape!"

James grabbed her once more, "If you do then you will never be a prefect again. I'm trying to protect you, Evans."

"Then let go," Lily glared at the hand grasping her, James hesitated but released her. She rolled her wand around in her hand as she thought. When she came to a decision, she said, "I'm willing to risk it all if I can get back at him."

With that, Lily backed out of there, her wand held high and pointed at Snape. James ran a hand through his hair and then followed after her. When the Slytherins heard their footsteps, Crowley turned.

"Potter and another mudblood," he sneered.

"Crowley, cousin," James smiled speaking quite loudly, "what a lovely family reunion. How is your Death Eater whore of a mother?"

At the words, Crowley threw a spell. James dodged it with grace and sent one back causing Crowley to crumple to the floor in pain. When he looked back up at James and Lily, his cheeks had swollen in to big balloons.

"Set her down," Lily said and at the sound of her voice, Snape turned.

"Lily," he said quietly but Lily had heard him.

"Snape, how nice to see you," Lily smirked, "and your life dangles at the tip of my wand once again."

Severus Snape took a sharp breath in, "You've been sticking your neck out a lot with these boys recently. Has Potter finally won you over?"

Lily shrugged, "Maybe he has, Snape. But tonight, well, tonight I'm here for you. You see, Snivelly, you really like hurting people I like. My mates particularly. First, you attack Emmeline Vance and then you cut off Marlene McKinnon's fingers in a fight that sent nearly all my mates to the Hospital Wing. Merlin, the more I talk about this, the less of a reason I see there being to not curse you to oblivion. What do you think, James dear, should I take the fingers he owes Marlene? Or what about the heart? He managed to rip out mine, I ought to take his."

James was taken aback my her fierceness, her evil. He was stunned in to silence.

"The fingers will do," she had said calmly, then with a wave of her wand she yelled, "Laceratis!"

The slashing curse came to him quickly, but he had put up a shield in time. He sent back a spell of his own which had sent Lily flying across the corridor slamming into the wall. Sirius stepped forward before James could do anything. Sirius sent a curse that hit Snape in the arm producing boils. McGraw hit Sirius with a curse that tore at the skin of his wand hand. Remus sent a burning curse to Bellaire but was met with a fire charm from Crowley. Peter backed away from the fight. He was never much help in these no matter how hard he tried. So the boys instead trusted him with the map. Hiding behind a statue, he looked at the map. Professor Slughorn was coming from one end of the corridor, and Professors Blackburn and Desmond were rushing from the other side. Peter looked at the few portraits on the wall. All but three had been abandoned when they got there and all of them except Moira were careful to remain hidden. When the professors drew ever closer, Peter sent out a shot of fireworks alerting the others.

Lily hadn't noticed them, but James had. James turned towards Snape who was still fighting with Lily. The former sent a shot of burning fireworks at the latter forcing him to flinch away. James grabbed on to Lily ignoring her protests. He dragged her back into the shadows. Peter grabbed Remus as Sirius covered them. It was not easy dragging Remus back, but Peter had managed soon enough.

"Moony! Moony!" Peter yelled trying to stop the taller lad from going back, "She will be fine, I promise, mate! The Professors are nearly here. Prongs has Evans, now you need to go to. Here take the map!"

"I'm not leaving her," Remus argued.

"Please, Moony, it'll be better if you go. Padfoot is protecting her, you can't get caught Remus! You can't get caught."

Remus knew Peter was right but that didn't make leaving her any easier. He took in a deep breath trying to find his sanity. Peter placed the Marauder's Map in his hand and stepped out of the shadows. Peter rose his wand, his hand shaking. Sirius seemed to be doing fairly well. And when Remus peered at the map, he knew it would not be long until the professors came. It took all of his might to run away.

And it took all of Lily to bat away James Potter.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?!" she yelled at him.

"Evans! Evans," he tried to stop her swatting, "professors are coming you need to get away."

"But he's still out there," Lily said desperately, "we need to stop Snape."

"We will. This will stop him," James promised.

"No," she forced him to stop moving, "They'll expel him. And then he can go out into the real world and do this. We have to... we have to stop him. Please, Potter, please."

Before James could speak, he could hear the footsteps coming closer. There was nowhere to hide so he pulled Lily close to him pulling out his cloak from his pocket. He threw it around himself confusing Lily.

"Potter, what in the-" Lily started but James hushed her.

"It's an invisibility cloak," he whispered.

"These aren't safe," she argued, "they have glitches, they break."

"Not this one," he began quietly moving dragging Lily by his side.

It wasn't long until the saw Slughorn coming towards him, he was moving too quickly to notice them. James slowed down all the same as he passed though. When they were free of him, they went at a sprint. James left the cloak on the whole way to Gryffindor Tower. They waited until someone left the Common Room before jumping through the portrait hole. They went straight to the marauders' room shutting the door behind them. James pulled the cloak off them and Lily gasped for air. James watched as she paced the room frustrated. Her hands were at her eyes pressing them in. He left the cloak on his bed as he made his way towards her.

"You're safe now, Evans," James whispered.

Lily crouched, her hands still pressing, "No, he's still out there. He's still out there."

"The professors will take care of him," he promised.

Lily pulled her hands away but remained in her position, "I should've done it."

James frowned in confusion, "Done what?"

Lily's jaw was set as she stood at her full height which though it was not that tall, she still seemed powerful, "I should've made sure Severus Snape could never hurt anyone again."

James stepped away from her, her eyes clouded and he could sense she was not herself, "What do you mean, Evans?"

"I don't know," she nearly laughed, "isn't that funny? I should have done something but what it was, I don't know. I should have done enough to stop it all. Hurt him enough to end this."

"Evans, you're upset, I understand tha-"

"You don't understand anything," she spat at him, "he was my friend and he betrayed me."

"I know that, Ev-"

"Stop it," she yelled at him, her teeth clenched, "Stop pretending to know what this is like. You don't get it, you don't get to know what it is like to have the person who was supposed to be your best friend stab you in the back. He has done more to me then you can imagine. He meant more to me then you will ever understand."

James nodded, "Okay then."

Lily sat on James' bed running her hands over the cloth trying to distract herself, "This isn't your typical cloak of invisibility."

James gulped and turned from her.

Lily hadn't even noticed, she traced her fingers over the fabric, lost in it, "Those cloaks are just cloaks, normal old cloaks. But they have a spell over them. This one, this is different," her fingers skimmed the collar, "I can feel it, I can feel the magic in it."

When he didn't respond to her, she looked up.

"It didn't bog or anything on our way here, did it? And you knew it wouldn't?" Lily frowned, "Where did you ever find this, Potter?"

She watched as he ran a hand through his untidy hair, he didn't look at her as he replied, "My father gave it to me."

Lily had hoped he would go on, tell her where he had bought it, how he'd found it, "And how did he get it?"

James turned and slowly looked at her, "His father gave it to him... which was passed down from his father's father. One day, I'll give it to my son... or daughter, I guess it doesn't matter so long as it stays in my family."

Lily let go of the cloth as if she were scared to touch it, "That doesn't make sense. They don't work that way."

"This one does," he said quietly and then added quickly, "Evans, you can't speak a word of this cloak to anyone. No one. The knowledge of this cloak can kill someone."

"I just... how? How does it work?" Lily studied him next.

James shrugged, "We don't know. It just does. When my father gave it to me, he told me a story. I always thought it was just a fairy tale for wizard kids, but he said it was true. It was The Tale of the Three Brothers."

"By Beedle the Bard," Lily said quietly nodding, "Ignotus Peverell owned a cloak of invisibility."

"You know it?" James said nearly surprised.

Lily nodded, "When I was a first year, I bought it. I read it in the park with... with Snape."

"Well, I don't know if the story is true," James tried changing the subject, "not all of it at least. I just know this is the only cloak to ever exist in such form."

She was in awe as she dared to touch the cloak again, "I can't believe it exists."

"Evans, you can't tell anyone," he repeated, "this... this cloak," James paused as he tried to find a way to tell her, "That dark lord, Lord Voldemort, he nearly killed Cara and her family over this. That month of torture was because he thought it belonged to Cara's family."

Lily looked at him in shock, "He knows of it."

James shook his head, "He knows of the child's story, of the tales of that wand existing. He doesn't know for sure."

"He knows enough that he's willing to kill for it."

He sighed but nodded.

"I wouldn't dare speak of it, Potter."

"Thank you," he whispered.

Before a silence could fall upon them, Remus came running into the room. His hand let go of the map letting it fall to the ground. Lily went to reach for it but James snatched it away giving her an apologetic smile. He turned away muttering under his breath. When he turned back, Lily watched him take the invisibility cloak and set it with the map just feet away from her. With one look, he ordered her not to even try it.

"Did you go to Ravenclaw Tower?" James asked.

Remus nodded but Lily asked, "Why did he go there?"

"To..." Remus tried to catch his breath, "to develop alibis."

Lily bit her lip in frustration, "You know, you ought to have told me of this plan! I don't understand at all."

"You and Moony could not get caught," James explained to her, "The whole point of this was to stop the ones hurting Muggle borns and get you two back as prefects. So I would take you under my cloak, if anyone asks, you were tutoring me with Muggle Studies. Remus was studying in here but then decided to go meet Moira in the Ravenclaw Tower. He would talk with her friends and when she never showed up, he would leave and come back here. We needed people to see us, to trust us."

"In case the Slytherins say we were there," Lily nodded, "this could've gone badly should any of us have been hurt. We would have had to explain to Pomfrey why there were bruises. Or if we were to heal ourselves, we would have to explain why those spells were used in our wand."

"It was a risk," James shrugged, "but it worked."

Lily nodded.

...

They could hear the footsteps before any of the kids involved saw the professors. It was the first year Herbology professor, Desmond; the Muggle Studies professor, Blackburn; and Potions Master and Slytherin Head of House, Slughorn. When they all caught sight of the students, the group instantly dropped their wands. Moira Toomey crumbled to the ground and she rolled to her side in pain. Sirius Black couldn't hear the hollering of the professors as he examined the corridor. All portraits were filled now, but something was missing. James, Lily, and Remus had all gone; but they were still a person short. Snape.

Sirius cursed himself in frustration when he realized. It was one shot, he had one job. And yet Snape managed to weasel himself out once again. When the professors came around, one grabbed hold of Sirius. They began walking and split somewhere down the corridor. Slughorn taking the Slytherins, Blackburn taking Moira, and Desmond took Sirius and Peter. The entire time Sirius noticed she was speaking fiercely, whatever it was she said though he had not cared to hear. Peter on the other hand nodded and muttered apologies after every accusation.

They arrived at McGonagall's office in minutes. Desmond rapped on the door roughly, after a few moments, McGonagall stepped out in her night cloak and hat. Her eyes were wide until she spotted the two marauders; they then narrowed. Desmond gave a brief description of how she had found them in mid fight with Slytherins; all the while purposely making them look like bad guys. Peter remained quiet out of fear, Sirius out of distraction. He could not believe Snape had escaped.

"Thank you, Antonia," McGonagall said, "give my apologies to Imogen."

Antonia Desmond nodded her head and walked away. When she was far enough down the corridor, McGonagall took a sharp breath and extended her door. Ushering the two boys in, she slammed the door behind her.

"Out in the dark of the night fighting Slytherins? Only weeks after your last duel with them!" her voice boomed snapping Sirius into the present, "What are you thinking?! I CAN expel you! I SHOULD! Is that what you want? Your wands snapped for some stupid silly pranks!"

The two remained silent, Peter shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"You two have so much potential," her voice was no longer booming but it scared them all the same, "and you just throw it away."

Sirius rolled his eyes.

Catching him, she slammed her palms against the table and bellowed, "Do NOT roll your eyes at me, Black! You ARE throwing it all away to play games. Well these games are going to get you expelled and you don't even care."

"I do care," Sirius mumbled.

"Pardon me, Black," she said darkly, "Do you honestly think it wise to talk back?"

"I honestly think you know us, professor," Sirius stood, "I think you know what we would be willing to put our wands on the line for and it isn't pranks. If we hadn't been there, Moira Toomey would've been tortured. The blame of that would have gone on you, the professors. It will go on you. You should be thanking us for showing up when we did."

"Thanking you?" she laughed, "For putting the Gryffindor house in danger?"

"For putting an end to the pureblood attacks on Muggle borns. That is what is happening, not Gryffindors against Slytherins. Toomey, a Ravenclaw, proved that."

McGonagall sucked her teeth.

"Expell me if you want," Sirius sighed, "I did what I had to."

He stepped out of the room leaving Peter behind.

McGonagall sighed, "I will speak with the Headmaster in the morning. You are dismissed Pettigrew."

Standing quickly, Peter rushed from the office shutting the door carefully. He was alone in the corridor, it was quiet and terrifying as he sprinted past all the portraits. He came to the Fat Lady and went in. Sirius waited for him in the Common Room and together they climbed the stairs.

"What the hell was that?" Peter whispered to Sirius.

Sirius simply shrugged and opened the bedroom door. Staged in the room were three anxious Gryffindors: Lily, James, and Remus.

"What happened?" Remus said, "Is Moira okay?"

"They took her to the hospital wing," Peter bit his lip, "we've been in McGonagall's office."

"What did she say?" Lily was worried that the two boys would be in quite a bit of trouble, but she was even more worried that their plan wouldn't work; that she and Remus would not be reinstated as prefects.

"Threaten to expel us," Sirius sighed, "but I wouldn't linger over her words, it'll be Dumbledore who makes the call."

"He won't expel you, will he?" James regretted leaving them but at the same time he knew someone had to convince Lily to get out of there.

"Hope not..." his voice trailed off as he sprawled across his bed slowly closing the hangings around him.

With Remus's nerves overwhelming him, he moved to the cloak stroking the soft fabric to calm himself. He held onto the map knowing it was his key to keeping an eye on Moira.

James leaned against Sirius's bed frame, "Did they get the Slytherins?"

"They got Crowley, McGraw, and Bellaire, but..." Peter didn't finish the sentence.

Quick to realize, Lily impatiently asked, "But?" What about Snape? Where's Snape?"

"He slipped away," Peter looked down to his hands so he wouldn't have to watch the rage that would surely build in Lily and the others.

"Got away?" Lily shrieked.

"What do you mean got away?" Remus hollered, "How did you let that happen?"

"Pete," James said calmer but even he couldn't mask the anger, "What happened?"

Peter took a moment to think back on it but there were no memories, "I dunno, one moment he was there and then... he just wasn't."

"Sirius!" Remus shouted and pulled open the curtains, "what the bloody hell happened? You were supposed to make sure they all got caught! Especially Snape!"

Sirius sat up annoyed more at himself than anyone, but could only force his frustration on the others, "I tried Lupin! We did! It was a shitty situation that Pete and I put our wands on the line for and I'd like it if you'd shove off!"

"Moira put her life on the line for your stupid plan! She could've died!" Remus hollered, "And you let the plan fail!"

"Calm down, Moony," James said placing his hand at Remus's chest shoving him lightly away from Sirius.

"The plan didn't fail!" Lily ran a hand through her hair as she began to pace to contain her own frustration, "Moira is fine and we proved the theory. It is mudbloods they're after, not Gryffindors. Dumbledore will believe us now and we'll be reinstated and-"

"Snape will get away with it and the Slytherins will become Death Eaters and Snape will paint a target on our backs as well as Moira's the minute we graduate!" Remus yelled back at her, "OR EVEN BEFORE THEN! Who knows? They nearly killed Cara Connors! A sixth year, not even a fully trained witch! Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Remus looked to them desperately, some of them dared to even nod but he knew they did not know what he wanted to get across.

"Moira Toomey risked her life and we keep saying that 'we' understand and that it's 'necessary', but it's all a lie. There will be a day where we lose one of us and even then we won't understand the risk. Not until we are looking down the wood of a wand with our own in our pockets and our hands in the air will we understand what she did for us. And you let Snape get away with what he did to her," Remus shook his head as he moved towards the door, "Well, I won't."

He threw open the door. Lily and James were quick to follow after him.

"REMUS!" James called as he came out into the Common Room, but Remus could not be seen.

"Where did he go?" Lily said astonished.

James pointed to the door and a moment later it slammed shut, "He has the cloak."

James ran back to his room to grab the map where he had set it, "Dammit!"

"What is it, Potter?" Lily had followed him in.

"He has the map," it came out as a sigh as James realized all the power Remus currently possessed and the revenge he would surely seek.

"What do you think he will do?" Peter moved towards the two apprehensively as Sirius remained on the bed his head in his hands.

Scenarios flew threw James's mind. Remus was intelligent, a talented wizard. He had the power of invisibility. But above all his anger would serve to be his deciding factor. With no one to track him, Remus could have no opposition and anyone was in danger, but it would be Snape who would surely feel his wrath.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading... sorry that I haven't updated in months. Being in college is super time consuming and unlike high school, I can't update twice a week. I hope to do better and I hope you'll stick with me! Much love! (BY THE WAY IF YOU READ MY LAST A.N. THEN YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHAT MY FUTURE WRITING WILL BE: I want to do a Merlin (TV Series) and Harry Potter (Marauders and Next Gen) crossover. It is still in the early works and won't be posted for a LOONG time as I want to finish this series as well as finish writing my current novel.)