Chapter 28 The Trouble with Heroes
(The Wire)
There's the saying a fork in the road. That's all Marlene knew from the saying. She didn't read much; Marlene preferred to focus on other things in life.
But sometimes there are events even she couldn't choose. Marlene McKinnon certainly did not choose one of her loves to die. She didn't stand in a road and choose one over the other. But it was inevitable in the last week of May and the first few days of June that Sirius Black or Jason Gastor was going to die.
A lot of innocent people died that week. In a way James Potter died that week. In a way, Lily Gastor was reborn that week. But in the end, no one gained from it. It wasn't the end of the war and the battle did not have a winner.
Before an end, comes the start. But for one of the most beloved boys in Hogwarts the end wasn't an end, it was the start to a life he wasn't ready for.
Marlene McKinnon would never be the same; a lot of people wouldn't be the same. It started in 1977 but the ghost of what happened at Hogwarts that week would haunt them for years, even lifetimes.
Rodolphus Lestrange stood at the Headmaster's podium in the front of the Great Hall. Marlene averted his sneering gaze and looked to where most of the professors were. She'd never seen Professor McGonagall look so weak. Tied up with a cut to the forehead, Minerva McGonagall seemed to symbolize Hogwarts' current situation.
When a leering death eater threw her into the hall, another grabbed her and brought her to the Slytherin table. Looking around, Marlene could tell, with distaste, that the students of Hogwarts were being sorted by blood status.
The bony shoulders of a gangly fourth year jutted into hers and Marlene leaned away from him. She could hear students crying and shuddered as her eyes met the pool of blood that no one bothered to clean.
James Potter was on the ground only minutes ago. His screams were horrific enough and Rodolphus Lestrange had him tied and bound before dragging him to the dungeons.
She wasn't fond of James. But something changed in him. Marlene was fully aware from the stares he and Lily sent each other that there was something going on there. But after Lily disappeared with only a light goodbye and making Marlene promise to look out for Michael, James seemed to deteriorate exponentially every month.
No one, not even James Potter, deserved to have his abdomen sliced open and healed sloppily in a twisted pattern over and over again. Marlene was relieved when he was dragged off.
In the initial hour, students were thrown into the hall in groups as large as five. Now, they were dragged in, unconscious or covered in bruises and cuts. Marlene looked up as the doors opened and death eaters pushed Gideon in. following him, was Fabian who had to be dragged inside.
Her heart let out a pang when she saw that Fabian's arm was limp by his side and Gideon was sporting a rather nasty cut to the forehead. They were shoved down towards the back of the Slytherin table.
" Marlene," a voice whispered. Marlene whipped her head forward and met Jason Gastor's bright gold eyes. He seemed relatively unharmed and Emmeline sat by his side. Emmeline's eyes were filled with tears as they darted around the hall.
" Look away- don't make eye contact," Jason ordered as he looked at Emmeline.
" What's going on?" demanded Marlene. She turned to look at where Sirius and Remus were. They sat in the front of the table and Marlene spotted Frank's unconscious form near them. Alice was further down the table looking over Gideon's cut.
" I don't know- I haven't gone to meetings regularly."
Marlene glanced to the half-blood table and felt her heart shuddered when she saw wide-eyed first years clinging to each other or siblings. Irving Johnson had his little sister sitting in his lap while he looked down at the table with tight eyes.
" How could this happen?"
Jason didn't answer and Marlene whirled around. He was watching her. He was arrogant. He left her in that bedroom on Christmas. He broke her heart. Yet she couldn't meet his eyes without feeling a pang in her heart.
" I don't know," Jason admitted. A scream echoed through the castle and Marlene winced when it was cut off abruptly. She blinked back tears and looked to Emmeline.
Emmeline was regal. With a gaze worthy of royalty and a calculating step, Marlene always thought of Emmeline as akin to Athena. But the girl in front of her wasn't a queen or a goddess. No the girl leaning against Jason's shoulder looked broken and completely doll-like.
Emmeline looked up abruptly and paled when she met Marlene's eyes. Marlene looked around the room quickly and felt dread bubble in her gut. She counted her friends and panicked when she couldn't find Michael or Adam.
The door to the hall opened and a group of seven third year Hufflepuffs were trooped inside. Behind them, a death eater levitated Michael's prone form. He was pale and Marlene could see blood dripping down his wrists.
" Is that the last of them?" Rodolphus asked coldly.
The masked figure holding Michael suspended nodded and Rodolphus grinned. He looked up from the podium and raked his eyes over the tables. Finally his gaze settled on Michael's body.
" Put him with Potter- I still haven't forgotten what Wood did to my sister," Lestrange ordered. Jason's lips pulled down at this and Marlene watched as Michael was carried from the room.
She looked to Jason desperately but his eyes were glued to Emmeline's and his hands were gently brushing Emmeline's loose hair back. Marlene recoiled as he whispered into Emmeline's ears and she nodded.
She knew that look in his eyes. It was the look of a man gone too far. It was the look Sirius gave her when she wasn't looking and the look she gave Jason when he was looking. Jason was in love with Emmeline…
" I'm pleased to say that all 196 students in this room will be witness to the beginning of the end," Lestrange declared. His voice echoed over the room and the death eaters stood alongside him.
" You're probably wondering what's happening here," Lestrange drawled. He met Marlene's gaze and she shivered before he looked away. " The Dark Lord is bringing a new age forward. And he will do this with the youth of our kind. Over the course of the next week you will display your skills in magic to us. We offer a place in our new world to any with clean blood. The rest of you will have to prove your worth."
Marlene narrowed her eyes and whispers broke out across the hall. Lestrange slammed his fist against the podium and growled.
" Silence! Within this week, the Dark Lord will take control of the world, as you know it. He is merciful enough to give you the chance to join his new world."
" And if we choose not to join?" Cedric Diggory demanded from the front of the half-blood table. Marlene noticed purebloods lining that table with lesser blood. She could see Chris Lancet and Penelope Weston there. Both came from blood that held half-blood and muggleborn traces.
Marlene dug her nails into her palms as Lestrange sneered at Bones.
" Then we have ways to convince you to join. Aric Carrow will call the pureblood students attending this school up by order of pureness to join now or endure this next week and be persuaded. Students with siblings must make the decision as a whole," Lestrange explained, Marlene frowned at this statement. " Depending on how cooperative you are we might consider giving the half-bloods with better lineage a choice."
A death eater stepped forward and Marlene could see students leaning away from his large form. He wiped his mask off and dark crazed eyes met the crowds. In his hands was a book, one Marlene was sure a family like Sirius's made their kids memorize.
She recognized the man; he was on the wanted list in the auror office. His poster was pasted to surfaces in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Aric Carrow was one of the worst death eaters. His initial posters described his crimes, but eventually he committed so many that there was no room besides Undesirable No 1.
" Starting with the Holy Seven, I want to note that the Rosier and Malfoy families have already sworn their allegiance to the Dark Lord," Aric purred.
Marlene frowned; she'd seen Jason and Sirius's dark marks. Why hadn't he mentioned their loyalties?
" Longbottom."
Marlene turned to where Frank was and saw the raged expression on his bruised face. It made sense that they'd start with him- he was Head Boy.
" I'd rather eat dung then join your new world," Frank sneered. Aric didn't even look fazed.
" I'm sure you'll be telling the world differently once classes begin," Aric replied.
" Prewitt."
Gideon looked up and Marlene watched him meet Fabian's eyes before seeking out Alice's.
" We're with Frank," he said confidently. Marlene's lips tugged up and Aric merely nodded.
" Black," he said after a moment. Marlene shut her eyes. They could be drawn evenly. This entire matter depended on the verdicts of the seven most powerful wizarding families. With the Rosiers, Malfoys, and James on one side, if Sirius or Jason didn't change their mind then people wouldn't feel safe to make a stance.
" We're with you," Sirius said. Marlene opened her eyes and looked at him. He had an arm over Regulus's shoulder and glared up at the table. Something told her that he didn't want to choose to side with Voldemort. She had to believe that.
Aric Carrow smiled slightly before writing something down and clearing his throat.
" Gastor."
Marlene watched Jason. He was looking at his family ring intently.
" You mentioned something about siblings," Jason finally said. Aric frowned; this wasn't what he was waiting for. No Jason was supposed to show that the majority leaned with the Dark Lord- he was supposed to prove something.
" Yes siblings and families have to agree as a whole on the family's status. But that does not apply to you- Pericles isn't a student at Hogwarts," Aric clarified in a low voice.
" Define student at Hogwarts," Jason answered with a gleam in his eyes.
Marlene had to stop herself from standing. Shock enveloped her; he was going to do it. Jason was about to tell the world the Gastor family's deepest secret.
" Attending Hogwarts this year," Rodolphus interrupted in a growl. His eyes were narrowed at Jason's figure and Jason seemed to glow.
" I'm terribly sorry," Jason started as he stood. His eyes seemed to glow and there was something wild in his stance. " But I can't make a decision without my family agreeing on this."
Aric Carrow growled and tightened his fists. Most death eaters eyed Jason's figure with disbelief.
" Mr. Gastor we've been over this- your broth-"
" Isn't a student at Hogwarts," Jason interrupted. He cleared his throat and licked his lips. His eyes flew to the Gryffindor table and there was something akin to joy in those golden orbs. " But my sister is a student at Hogwarts."
Like that, with glowing eyes and a grin, Jason Gastor brought the sky down.
" You missed your classes," Marcus commented as Lily stormed into the classroom. Connor was only steps behind her and her head spun horribly. All she could see was James's bloody form on the ground. His screams seemed to overpower every thought she could have.
" Take me to Dumbledore- I need to go," Lily blurted. Marcus frowned and she squeezed the ring in her palm so hard that it dug into her skin painfully.
" What's going on?" Connor demanded as he entered the room. Lily didn't even look at him as she tried to take in everything. But whatever was happening in England didn't matter. All that matter was James. And he was in trouble. He needed her…
" Get out Connor," Lily snarled. She whipped around to Marcus and pinned him down with her eyes.
" Death Eaters are attacking Hogwarts- my home's in danger," Lily explained. She swallowed and tried to keep her body from swaying.
" James is there- they're torturing him Marcus," Lily whispered. She could feel something inside of her screaming and writhing. Down to the very bottom of her soul, there was a feeling of complete helplessness.
" You're not ready," Marcus answered. " You need at least a month of training."
Lily stared at him with surprise.
" I don't care about making fire into a weapon," she announced. " I came here to get rid of it not learn how to control it- you and Dumbledore forced this on me. But I haven't forgotten what it's done to my life. I'll get rid of it and go to Hogwarts," Lily vowed.
" And what are you going to do there? You'll be too weak to fight. You can't save James without the fire," scoffed Marcus.
Lily raised her chin and crossed her arms over her chest.
" Take me to Dumbledore. I'll do whatever bloody test he wants and end this. Then I'm going home- and I will stop this because unlike you I don't need to rely on anything but myself."
Marcus watched her with hooded eyes. His eyes didn't go to Connor's completely confused face, simply he watched her. And Lily stared him down with all the courage she'd fought for. She was battling him with a sword of courage and she was clearly winning.
" Why are you afraid of it?" he questioned.
" Because I never pay the price for its power. No it's always been the people I love who feel its wrath. My dueling partner- he's scared because of my power. Every time I look at him I am reminded of how dangerous it is. I know what I want Marcus and living in the shadow of fire isn't it," Lily explained.
The room was silent. It wasn't a good silence. It was the silence of a duel that did not require words or actions. Lily remained still in her statement and Marcus's face slowly collapsed.
" Connor go to your dorm," he crisply ordered. His eyes flew to Connor's figure and Connor met Lily's gaze.
" You're not coming back," he said, already knowing the answer.
Marlene was wrong, Lily thought. Connor thought he loved her and he was right. That look in his eyes wasn't a fake one. So Lily broke his heart.
" If Manhattan was in danger you'd do anything to save it," she said. " My Manhattan's in danger."
Connor nodded but his eyes looked so young.
" At least tell me who you really are," he requested. " I've been more than sure that the Greek heiress story's just a lie for the last two months."
Lily looked to Marcus and saw that he was watching Connor. They were family and it was high time she got hers back.
" Lily, Lily Gastor."
And like that the web began to fall.
Marcus apparated them straight to the building he took her to two months ago. Lily gave him a grateful look as they boarded the elevator. She could see her reflection in the glass of it and knew that the person she'd become was Lily Gastor.
When they reached the auror floor, Marcus walked quickly with a cold expression on his face. Lily could see her mother' ferocity in his eyes and could feel her loyalty as Marcus dragged her to the broom closet.
" Dumbledore may not be here yet- I had to summon him from Albania," Marcus explained as the broom closet opened and revealed a hidden room. Lily nodded and glanced at the clock.
It was nearly an hour since she'd seen James's tortured body. Anything could happen in an hour…
" Did he tell you what the test was?"
Marcus shook his head and looked down to her hand. His eyes flashed at the ring in her red palm.
" Can I?"
Lily handed the ring to him and he rubbed his thumb over the Gastor crest carefully. Maybe in another world, Marcus could have been apart of her family. But in this world he found his own and she had hers.
A spritely witch came up to them. Her eyes scanned Lily's figure and paused on the scars and healing wounds.
" Albus just arrived- he's in the office," she informed Marcus. Marcus muttered a thank you and Lily followed him down the hall to the room she came to months ago.
She was ready to burst into flames to get that location. She was ready to do anything, even hex Dumbledore. But Lily paused when she saw him. Professor Dumbledore looked horrible.
He seemed to age at least ten years and there was a horribly dull look to his eyes as he met her gaze.
" Miss Evans," he greeted.
" It's Gastor."
Dumbledore's eyes seemed to spark at this and he gestured to the seats in front of his desk. Lily remained standing and narrowed her eyes at him.
" Are you aware of what's happening right now in Hogwarts?" she demanded.
" Fabian Prewitt had just enough time to send a Patronus to the Order before he was knocked out. Bishop told me," Dumbledore answered.
" Why are you still here- they need you there," Lily asked desperately.
Dumbledore looked at her morosely and his eyes flew to the stand by his desk. Lily frowned at it- all that was there was a pile of ashes sitting at the bottom of the stand.
" Mr. Clarke informed me that you wanted to get the next location of Zeus's Wrath," Dumbledore answered, averting her gaze and the question.
" Yes. Then I'm going back to England and you should too," Lily replied. " They'll need as many people as possible there."
" Bishop Shacklebolt informed me that you struggled with the Patronus Charm for most of the previous year. Perform a corporeal Patronus for me and then I will give you the location of the lightning," Dumbledore continued.
" What? Nothing fire related?" Lily scoffed. Dumbledore met her gaze and down to the scars on her collarbones.
" Patronus first."
Lily frowned before looking back to Marcus. He watched both her and Dumbledore with the same icy gaze he had the day they met. But when his eyes met hers, there was something warm in his eyes. Something that seemed similar to reassurance.
Sweat clung to her fingers and Lily swallowed as she pulled her wand from her pocket. She raised her wand.
" Expecto Patronum."
A bright silver light shot from her wand and instead of a ball forming, a doe shot out of her wand and its large eyes met hers. A sense of yearning filled Lily at the sight of the delicate creature. She was ready, more than ready to get her happily ever after.
Lily smiled and she could have sworn that it smiled back before fading.
" Now can I have the location?" Lily asked turning back to Dumbledore. His eyes were still when the doe once stood.
" If you don't mind me asking, what was different this time?"
Lily shook her head and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.
" All of my teachers always said you're supposed to think of something that makes you happy. I used to live in a world where the bad overcame the good. But I found someon- I mean thing, that makes my world good and brighter," Lily explained.
Dumbledore's eyes lit up with interest and he smiled serenely before pulling out a piece of parchment and raising his quill. Lily shot Marcus a victorious grin before turning to watch Dumbledore scrawl something down.
" The English Ministry is only discovering what has happened at Hogwarts. Bishop has assembled a group of aurors from the states that will be flooing to England before nightfall. He is contacting wizards around the world to come and aid the Ministry Miss Gastor. I can assure you that we're going to fight back," Dumbledore described as he finished the writing. He dropped his quill into the pot of ink next to a worn book and looked up.
His hand held the parchment and Lily's mouth dried slightly as he extended his arm.
" Remember the risks of this Miss Gastor. Each second more you spend in Zeus's Wrath will increase the odds of death tenfold," Dumbledore warned.
Lily nodded and repressed a shudder. Two times she'd gone under that bolt, and both times she'd come closer to dying than ever before.
She reached out for the parchment and Dumbledore smiled as she pocketed it and turned to the door.
" England needs you Professor- the war is going to end soon and your presence could make a difference to who wins."
" I'm afraid that there are matters I must attend to that come before the situation at Hogwarts," Dumbledore admitted. "Good luck Miss Gastor. I hope you've found what you were looking for."
Lily drew back and knew in that moment that somehow Albus Dumbledore managed to fail her. Maybe he was just a normal wizard, just like her, and he made mistakes and choices that some people wouldn't like. But it hurt like hell to see him choose to ignore a plight that called both of their hearts.
Albus Dumbledore was once her hero. She strived to be kind and fair and just like him. But Lily learned the hard way that heros were flawed just like regular people. Simply a hero was nothing more than an individual concept. Lily's heroes weren't Marcus's heroes. The Wizarding World believed that Albus Dumbledore was their hero. Lily knew better now. He was simply a man.
Turning to Marcus, Lily met his eyes knowing that she'd tell Jason about him the second this entire dilemma faded. She would tell Jason about the brother they had so he could choose for himself if he wanted Marcus or not. But Lily knew in her heart she couldn't afford to let Marcus be her family.
Surprising both herself and Marcus, Lily walked to him and enveloped him in one of her signature awkward embraces. His angular limbs tangled into her thin arms and Lily met his eyes before letting go.
" Thank you."
Marcus's lips twitched but he merely nodded and Lily left the room. She walked out and made it five steps down the hall before turning back. Pausing at the door, Lily heard Dumbledore and Marcus speaking.
" She's planning on walking into a battlefield injured and fatally weak," Marcus hissed. " How could you let Lily do this?"
" I believe that love is the strongest force in our world and Lily Gastor loves like no other. She's doing this for love," Dumbledore answered. Lily moved closer to the edge of the door and listened closely.
" Love's not going to keep her safe. She's a kid who thinks she's in love. I've been panicking since she said James bloody Potter's name when Lily thought she was dying. He's a death eater Albus- one of the worst ones at that too," Marcus groaned.
Lily frowned; Marcus did not know James and he teased her about James…
" They have matching Patronuses," Dumbledore murmured. " I haven't met a pair of people as destroyed by this war as them. I'm not a romantic Mr. Clarke, but Lily and James have something that close to no one finds- they're soul mates."
There was silence as both Lily and Marcus took this in. Professor Dumbledore had never seen her and James interact but for some reason he believed in them. Even if Lily lost faith in the acclaimed wizard, she couldn't help but feel slightly touched by his words.
" I think Lily thinks too much with her heart but she's right about one thing- your quest is pointless. It's been months and all you have are leads or vague ideas. You can act now and make a difference," Marcus said suddenly.
" It sounds like you're the one who can make a difference Marcus."
Lily heard a chair scraping and the sound of footsteps.
" I promised my dad I wouldn't get involved with the war."
" I'm sure your father would understand your interest in the situation. He's well aware of Lily being here. I believe he made some inquiries about her the last time we met," Dumbledore answered.
Marcus chuckled and Lily swallowed, knowing that this was wrong. But there was a burst of butterflies in her gut; the President of Magic had asked about her…
" Connor will follow me- he's not going to stay out of a fight," Marcus reminded.
" It's your decision to make but I think you've known what you were going to do since you met Lily," Dumbledore observed.
" She's a fighter."
" Good luck Mr. Clarke, but I doubt Miss Gastor will be pleased with your decision."
Lily moved from the doorway and squeezed the ring in her hand. She had a mission and Marcus seemed to get his own. That brought her some amount of comfort as she left the building.
And like that, Lily shed the worries of Rose Galen and slipped the ones of another flower on.
Remus was running low on pain relief potion and he knew that there was no way he could get any more from Pomfrey. His fingers were tightly wound around the flask his father had given him for his seventeenth birthday as he surveyed the Slytherin Common Room.
It was louder than usual and students seemed to be in slight distress. Their usual green and silver robes were stained with a color spelled onto the crest. Remus idly looked down to the red circle on his robes with distaste.
After Jason's declaration in the Great Hall, Rodolphus Lestrange dragged him off to interrogate him, and the ceremony ended. Remus was grateful, he didn't know if he could meet Dora's gaze if he stated his alliance.
" This is a load of bullshit," Sirius said as he sat next to him. His eyes flew to the flask in Remus's hands before going back to his face. " They're torturing Prongs."
Remus was quiet but knew why Sirius was so upset. They hadn't been trusted in this attack but Mulciber and Dolohov had. Even one of the newest and most reluctant recruits, Adam McKinnon, was involved in the attack.
" I checked the map… Marlene is in the Gryffindor Common Room. There's death eaters guarding all the common rooms," Sirius muttered. After Jason created so much pandemonium, the death eaters regained control by torturing a muggleborn Hufflepuff. They proceeded to mark each student by blood before the entire student mass was escorted back to their selective houses.
" What about the teachers?" Remus asked.
" They're still in the hall- Rosier told me they're going to threaten the teachers and send some message to the ministry. Moony- they're planning on keeping us trapped here. For Merlin's sake they're going to torture first years," Sirius hissed.
" Was your uncle involved?"
" Maybe, I saw him shoving a couple of Ravenclaws up to their tower," Sirius answered flippantly. But there was something heightened and fearful in Sirius's eyes.
" This is sick," Remus said after a moment. " But we can't do anything. Look what happened to James! The Dark Lord's not here and I think that those in charge are letting emotions overcome this mission."
" So we've got to play their emotions," Sirius mused.
" Precisely," Remus replied as he opened the flask and sipped at the potion. He could see Sirius's fists- they were tense and white.
" Problem?"
" Bellatrix is here."
Remus winced at this. Bellatrix and Sirius had some rough history, a history that even the Marauders didn't know. Remus had a vague idea of what it was though…
" She'll be distracted with Andromeda, I'm sure they'll have some words to exchange."
" More like hexes," scoffed Sirius.
" This is why I'm happy to not have siblings," Remus sighed. " Too much drama."
Sirius smirked and good-naturedly slugged Remus in the shoulder.
" You've got us- I'm sure James's drama is worthy of any hypothetical sibling," teased Sirius.
Remus smiled at this and rubbed his eyes. The full moon was approaching.
" Lily Gastor," he said quietly. Sirius's eyes gleamed at the name and Remus bitterly remembered the girl that crushed his brother and taught him what it meant to be good.
" So those charms she was speaking about," Sirius started.
" Aren't working anymore," Remus finished.
Sirius laughed and leaned towards him. There was something wild like a hurricane to the storm in Sirius's eyes.
" I'm going to make her pay for breaking Prongs- she's going to pay for this," Sirius vowed.
" If she comes back," Remus corrected.
Sirius smiled and leaned back into the couch.
" Jason's kept her secret for over a year. There's no reason he'd say something about her in front of everybody without some assurance that Lily's coming back as the person she's meant to be," Sirius explained.
" Even then, what if James forgives her?"
Sirius frowned and elegantly moved his thick glossy curls from his shoulders.
" He won't," Sirius answered with full heart. " He's willing to forgive her because he can't see her. But I swear the minute James knows that Lily's not off dying, he's going to explode."
Remus hoped Sirius was wrong. He was tired of the losses his friends encountered and if the war was coming to an end, then James deserved some form of happiness aside from the Marauders. Lily made him happy, Remus knew that much.
His lips were dry and he licked them before glancing towards the filled common room.
" Some of us are going to die this week," Remus mused. Sirius's eyes were far away.
" Get some sleep Moony. We'll need to be ready for tomorrow," Sirius answered grimly. But his eyes didn't seem to match his words. Something was off.
Remus didn't like to think that his musings were always right but they usually were. And if this one was right, then he had a feeling that every single one of the Marauders had done the same exact thing- they'd betrayed the Dark Lord.
He did know that he was about to betray the Dark Lord. Remus had James's invisibility cloak stashed under his pillow and he planned on paying the Gryffindor Common Room sometime before the end of this week.
When Michael Wood was brought into the room, James was busy watching his blood pool around the ground under him. Well he was watching a blurry puddle under his form as his glasses were smashed. He looked up with a pale face to see a pair of blurry death eaters shackling a blurry figure by the legs and wrists, similar to James. There was blood falling from his arms.
" His wrists are slit," James drawled. The men turned to him with suspicious looks. Looking closer, James was able to make out Michael Wood's scarred face.
" Look go ahead and leave. But you'll be ending the Wood line if you do. I'm sure the Dark Lord will be pleased with you idiots for ending a pureblood family," James continued.
The death eaters exchanged looks before one shuffled over to Michael and sloppily healed his wrists. A soft groan came out of Michael's mouth and the death eaters left before James could speak or Michael could wake.
Skimming his eyes over Michael's figure, James could tell that he must have done something a lot more useful than screaming at the excuse for a man that Rodolphus Lestrange was.
Licking his lips, James planned exactly how he was going to slowly and painfully kill Lestrange for this.
" What the bloody hell?" Michael groaned. James looked up with a smirk and met those annoying brown eyes. Michael squinted at him and James could tell that his left eye was already swelling.
" Potter."
" Ironic right?" James chuckled. He ignored the pain in his abdomen and the aftershocks of the cruciatus curse. " The Dark Lord's prodigy locked up by his men."
Michael's eyes flashed and he tugged on his chains.
" Not going to work- I've tried everything," James answered. He'd changed into a stag and tried to pull the chains clean off the wall. But they were charmed exceptionally well.
Michael cursed and looked around the room before finally meeting James's gaze.
" Your lot's taken over Hogwarts- what's the plan?"
James snorted.
" I'd never agree to this- I wasn't even aware of the attack on Hogwarts last December. Do you think the Dark Lord would tell me this plan? It's ten times worse," muttered James.
Michael looked skeptical and James wondered why he was trying to explain his beliefs to Michael Wood of all people. A pair of sparkling green eyes flashed in his mind and their memory was more painful than the wounds on his abdomen and the cruciatus combined.
Lily adored Michael. She'd confessed that they planned to be dueling partners and James knew that if he were going to ever have a future with Lily, Michael Wood would certainly be apart of it.
" So what exactly are they doing?" questioned Michael. He was almost at James's height and James studied his blurry figure before speaking.
" They're holding Hogwarts hostage to get the Ministry to surrender. The Dark Lord's smart, bloody intelligent," James explained. " The Death Eaters here are going to try and convert as many youth as possible. Gets easy support for the new society he's building."
Michael's face screwed up and he looked disgusted. James knew the same feeling reflected on his face.
" That's low, even for death eaters," admitted Michael. His eyes scanned James's form and he smirked slightly.
" You're a mess."
James raised an eyebrow loftily.
" Nothing permanent- but you'd know a lot about permanent scars. Those are some lovely scars Wood."
James's gaze was pointed down at Michael's abdomen which was barely covered by the tattered remain of the uniform. He could see thick scars staining Michael's torso.
" You don't know anything about what happened," Michael spat. James met his gaze with a tight stare.
" Lily told me."
Michael's eyes eased up and he looked as though James punched him in the gut.
" Before she died," he breathed in a pained tone. There wasn't love in Michael's eyes only the look of a lost friendship. Whatever happened between Michael and Lily ended and from Michael's gaze their friendship managed to grow from that. So why didn't Lily tell Michael she was alive?
James knew she planned to. Marlene McKinnon convinced him of that much. He smiled wryly; Lily controlled everything in this horrible game she'd forced his world into….
" Look I don't like you Wood," James addressed. " But I'll let you in on a secret- death eaters aren't the brightest bulbs. There's a reason they've separated people and are making them go through classes and trials. They're trying to keep us from planning how to save ourselves. You and I, we're better than the lot of them. And I think it might be up to us to figure out how to save Hogwarts."
" Why would I ever work with you? I can see your Dark Mark," Michael sneered. The mark was dark and writhing against James's arm. He swallowed and looked around the wall his chains were linked to.
There was a loose stone farther up the wall. Maneuvering to it, James grunted as he stretched against the chains and edged up the ones covering his wrists. He sighed with relief as the fingers of his left hand touched the stone and he pulled it out of the wall. The edge was jagged and James eased down, facing Michael.
He brought his arms up and his left hand shook as he brought the stone down to the skin of his right arm. James bit down a scream and he pushed the pointed edge into his flesh and dragged it through the dark mark.
Blood fell down his arm and Michael watched in shock as he repeated the process viciously. James let out a grunt of pain and did it again. Removing the dark mark required a bit of mental capabilities as well and he fought as his arm shook. But James brought the stone back down and placed it into his open wound before dragging it into the nearby skin.
He wiped the blood back and grinned at his ravaged arm- the mark was gone and he was bleeding fast.
" Trust me now Wood?"
James swayed as the stone fell from his hand and landed into a puddle of his own blood. He'd lost enough to pass out, even possibly die. It was stupid and brave but James was done fighting in the shadows.
Michael pulled against the chains and James could hear something snap as he managed to get to his pocket and pull out a wood rod. Michael's eyes were lancing with pain and he held out a wand.
" It's Webber's wand. Hopefully you're good enough at healing charms to clean both of us up," Michael explained in a low voice. James grinned at him as he moved forward and copied Michael's motions.
He reached for the wand and struggled against his chains before his bloody fingers circled around the device and Michael let go.
" So what's our team name?" Michael asked in a hoarse voice as James quickly healed the cuts on his abdomen. James looked up and narrowed his eyes as he worked on his arm.
" We're a team then?"
" Of course, you nearly ripped your arm off Potter. That's Gryffindor-worthy behavior," replied Michael. James swayed as he finished his arm and turned to Michael to fix his dislocated shoulder.
" Team Good," he offered. Michael hissed as James popped his arm back into its socket with a spell.
" Where'd you learn healing spells?"
James smirked. " Let's save the world before sharing secrets."
" Team Good's a shite name," Michael retorted. James made a face.
" Got any better ones?"
Michael was silent and James shrugged.
" Team Good will do," Michael finally answered. " We'll work on a team name after saving the world."
" Sounds like a plan."
" Save the world, team name, then share secrets," Michael assessed. " " Maybe we can braid each other hair too..."
" We can get some firewhiskey and chips before sharing secrets," James offered. " I think we're going to need firewhiskey to drown this out."
" Agreed."
Like that a boy of shadows stepped into the light. And a boy who liked to play with shadows let go of them.
They were trying to mask this monstrosity under the guise of normalcy. Emmeline Vance knew better than to let the Death Eaters win. But she knew better than to fight them outright.
Michael and James Potter fought them outright. They were locked away in some god-forsaken part of the castle.
Emmeline Vance wasn't a leader in any situation. But in this one she was worse than a follower. Numbness settled over her mind as she watched Alice and Frank comfort scared younger students and the other seventh years copy their actions.
There was pain like no other inside of her. It was as though someone took her fairytale and burned it to ashes and Emmeline was terrified of what rose from those ashes. The happily ever after that she and Adam were was gone and in its place was a shadow of a woman and the shade of a man.
" Adam's one of them," Emmeline breathed.
No one heard her.
Emmeline gasped for air and looked around frantically. Gideon and Marlene had set up a makeshift healing station. Emmeline sobbed when she saw Willow Weasley being healed. The girl's nose bled onto her shirt.
" Adam's one of them."
Fabian looked over at her in concern. His wounds hadn't been healed yet and there was a huge bump on his forehead. But he was helping Frank and Alice check on students.
Emmeline could hear a pair of fourth years crying into each other's shoulders. Dora Tonks was trying to make a group of second years laugh but she was a second year and this was so wrong.
" Adam's one of them," she gasped.
" Emmeline what are you saying?" Fabian asked.
He moved to her side and Emmeline met his gaze dully.
Before she could speak, the common room opened. Emmeline looked to the door and met a pair of lightning blue eyes. She flew up and her fists balled out of their own accord.
" Adam's a death eater!"
Silence engulfed the common room and eyes flew to Adam's figure as Emmeline walked to him.
She held her wand out and it hit his throat. He swallowed hard and Emmeline's arm shook.
" Emma," Adam breathed. " Let me explain."
" What's there to explain?" demanded Emmeline. Her nose was stained red and Adam's eyes fell to hers. " You're a death eater."
" They've been targeting my family for a month Emma."
His face was pale and his lips dry.
" Back during Easter they contacted me and I said no. But they were going to kill Marlene and my parents!"
" You don't even like your parents," Emmeline accused.
" They're still my parents," Adam answered.
The common room was quiet and Emmeline narrowed her gaze.
" Pull up your sleeve," she ordered. Adam's eyes flashed with pain.
" Emma," he said in a soft voice. Emmeline's wand pushed into his throat.
" Don't call me that! You're trying to make me weak Adam- but it's not going to work. Now pull up your damn sleeve," retorted Emmeline.
Adam's finger pulled the black sleeve of his cloak up.
Emmeline looked down.
And like that Emmeline's heart shattered as though it had always been whole.
Like that, Adam McKinnon disappeared into shadows and Emmeline Vance stepped into the light.
Emmeline's jaw remained set as she stood next to Amelia and Louis. They were forced into this mask of normalcy and fighting wasn't brave, it was immature.
That was clear for Emmeline to see. If she fought then they would make an example out of her. If she fought then the younger students would have less protection.
Yet that morning Emmeline almost fought. It was only Alice's arm holding her back that kept her from tackling Mulciber to the ground. He tortured a fourth year Ravenclaw in front of the entire hall.
" Put your bags away- we'll be practicing spells," a rough voice ordered. Emmeline looked up to Bellatrix Lestrange entering the room. Her crazed stormy eyes scanned the group.
" Where's Professor Tonks?" Frank demanded. Bellatrix's eyes flew to his figure and she gave him a smirk.
" She'll be along. Get in a line, you'll be demonstrating some spells for me today."
Emmeline reluctantly followed Amelia to the line forming. She wouldn't have if there weren't death eaters standing around the room watching them. Her hand was covered in a layer of sweat and her hair was pulled tightly away.
The door to the room opened, and Emmeline tensed when a set of fifth year Slytherins levitated the bleeding form of Andromeda Tonks inside.
" Drop her here," ordered Bellatrix. Regulus Black's matching grey eyes looked reluctantly as he eased his cousin down. Bile filled Emmeline's mouth as Andromeda let out a groan of pain.
Bellatrix whirled around to face them and frustration engulfed Emmeline. She felt like pulling her hair out. It didn't make sense how the death eaters were able to siege Hogwarts in a matter of a day. It didn't make sense how horrific this entire plan was.
None of this made sense.
A war for blood and so many lives were lost for a war that wasn't even theirs.
Emmeline lost Rick to this war and every single student in this castle lost someone. So why bother fighting? It seemed inevitable that the darkness was going to win.
She thought of Jason who'd lost everything but was willing to gamble with fate. Jason Gastor who loved like no other and put everything in on a girl who wanted nothing more than to run away from her ghosts. Why did he do it? Why did Jason fight?
Emmeline's thoughts were broken by the piercing scream of pain that Alice let out when a death eater hit her with the cruciatus.
" If any of you try to get out of this lesson, Alice Prewitt's punishment will look like a joke," Bellatrix spat. Her eyes danced and Emmeline knew that she was touching victory.
Emmeline was so far away from victory. Loss was on her heels and it was biting her and taunting her.
Why was Jason fighting?
If Emmeline were in his situation she would have given up long ago. How could he find something good in their world of darkness?
The screams in the air were replaced with Andromeda's and Emmeline's breathing became rapid.
None of this made any sense.
She loved Beckett but Jason surrounded her thoughts. He was like the one puzzle Emmeline Vance could not solve. He was a mess of words that she couldn't make sense of.
It hit her harder than Adam kissing Katie Michelson.
Maybe Jason wasn't a puzzle or a code. Maybe he wasn't the sun.
Jason Gastor was the moon. Emmeline could look at him directly; there wasn't anything more than shadows and light.
Her heart ached horribly for a boy who had a smile that looked like the sun but was really the moon. Jason tried so hard to be the sun because he wanted the world to need him. But he wasn't the sun; he was better than the sun.
Looking at him didn't give Emmeline pain, looking at him made Emmeline feel safe. In all this darkness he was the beacon she needed.
Warmth filled her when she knew the truth of what Jason was.
He wasn't safe like Adam and he wasn't dangerous like Beckett. Jason was something else entirely. He made her feel complete. Jason was the missing piece to her icy heart.
The sun would melt her and Emmeline wouldn't be the same. But the moon's light simply brought a glow to her icy heart, making even the most bitter of souls appreciate ice.
Jason snuck up on her and now he was in her sky refusing to leave. Although it didn't matter- Emmeline didn't want him to leave.
She was in love with the wrong boy but he made her feel whole. They were both so broken and gnarled- they were two trees that grew side by side for so long. But when thunder came and the wind whipped at them, their limbs touched. When tress around them fell, their branches entwined. When they were scarred and ruined for the world to see Emmeline still had Jason. And now they didn't want anything but each other.
" Vance it's your turn," Bellatrix said, breaking Emmeline's thoughts. Emmeline looked at Andromeda's broken form and to Bellatrix's. There was something different in her heart as she raised her wand.
No one seemed to notice the two spells racing from her wand, a set of spells Beckett taught her about. Emmeline turned with a soft smile.
She didn't need to look at Andromeda to see the shield charm sticking to her skin or the illusion of a slice running down Andromeda's leg.
It was stupid to fight but it wasn't stupid to do what was right.
" Miss McKinnon stay back," Professor McGonagall requested. Marlene scowled and glanced at the death eaters leading her classmates back to their dorms.
Of course even when they were being held hostage, Professor McGonagall was going to punish her. It wasn't even like Marlene did anything bad, besides confunding one of the guard death eaters when he wasn't looking.
There were dark circles under Minerva McGonagall's eyes and Marlene could even see a stray hair or two peaking out of her severe teacher's bun.
" Five points from Gryffindor- you handed in an incomplete assignment," Professor McGonagall revealed before looking down to a set of essays on her desk
Marlene gaped at her teacher and Professor McGonagall looked up with thin lips.
" We're being held hostage and that's all you can say?"
Professor McGonagall's eyes flashed behind her glasses. Marlene looked down and noticed ink staining her teacher's hands. She'd never seen Minerva McGonagall look so disheveled.
" They gave us a choice, to continue teaching or to be held in the dungeons. I agreed to keep teaching for one reason," McGonagall explained. " To protect my students."
" It's disgusting what they're doing," Marlene answered, crossing her arms over her chest.
" You're no longer a child Miss McKinnon. You're an adult and your classmates need an example. Miss Evans was the top contender for head girl but after…" Professor McGonagall started. There was a flash of pain in her eyes.
Whenever people talked about Lily's death, Marlene felt like she couldn't breathe. Lily roped her into this lie and she was forced to play along while their peers and friends suffered.
Lily wasn't even good at Transfiguration; she wasn't friends with a lot of people. But Lily was nice, nicer and more mature than any of their peers. Marlene used to be jealous of it, Lily was naturally built to look after others, while Marlene was damned to be a damsel in distress.
" Excuse me," Professor McGonagall said. She cleared her throat and Marlene swore she could see the stern matron's eyes glistening.
" After her death, we had to consider other options. You're still there Miss McKinnon but some teachers worry about the dynamics between you and the proposed head boy."
" Who is he?"
Marlene could imagine Davies or Remus being head boy. But Michael and Jason seemed in her mind to be the top contenders.
" Mr. Potter."
" What?" Marlene exclaimed. " Professor he bullies and torments students!"
" Mr. Potter's shown a great deal of growth in the last year. I shouldn't be telling you this but he had both the current heads bids and Professor Slughorn's. Ultimately it's up to the Headmaster and the Board but Mr. Potter will most likely be head boy. If you want to have a chance at head girl, you'll need to start showing some maturity."
Marlene was silent and forced her mouth to not curve into a pout.
" I'll finish the assignment," she settled before slinging her bag over her shoulder and walking out of the room. Her head was tilted up and there was a slight smile on her face.
" Head girl Marlene McKinnon," Marlene mused. She liked how that sounded.
Fate's a funny thing. The second Lily decided to return to England; Marlene McKinnon was cast out of the bidding for head girl. After all there wasn't a better duo than James and Lily.
Lily had taken to speaking to herself. After going an entire day without human contact, the sounds of the jungle seemed to make her jump slightly.
" You couldn't just learn how to apparate," Lily muttered as she raised a curved knife to slash at the thicket before her. She smacked a bug that landed on her bare arm. It was bloody hot in the forest of Venezuela.
Lily's bank account was too low to hire a guide to the inlet where the Catatumbo River met Lake Maracaibo. A plane ticket from New York to Venezuela drained her account save for a meager amount to buy some food and a crowded bus ride to a town near the river.
" What I would give for a bloody broom," sighed Lily.
Her hair was tied back and was greasy from three days of travel. She was wasting time, as it was already Tuesday evening. But this was something more than necessary, as Lily had no plans to ever leave England after she returned.
The sounds of the forest were sharp in her ears and Lily rubbed Cassius's ring as she trekked farther along the river. A good concealment charm helped keep muggles away but the Wizarding Folk of this area warned her to stay far from the storm, the eternal storm.
It was one of the more popular locations of the lightning and Lily wondered why she hadn't come before. She heard of the spot from grubby men at a Black Market in France months ago. But it was dangerous and hard to identify the right bolt.
She'd considered putting the ring back on to see what was happening at Hogwarts… Fear of what could be happening kept Lily from doing it.
She was nearly at the inlet and could make out a storm gathering above the water.
" Right on time," Lily stated, rubbing her arms. She was going to take a bath, a very long bath and scrub the jungle off her skin when she got home. Lily wondered if her old shampoo and conditioner were still in the girls' dorm in Gryffindor Tower. She hadn't taken them with her to James's house, as she stocked the stuff.
The ground was moist under her boots and Lily swallowed when she saw a snake emerge from it nearby. A day trekking through the jungle made her full decide to never return.
How could Cassius and her mum like to travel to places like this? It was disgusting and deadly. Lily shuddered when she remembered having to stun a large cat-like creature that was quite magical. She supposed getting one and unleashing it on the Quidditch team would make excellent conditioning.
The water of the river was brown near the bank. Oddly, the river reminded Lily of the Black Lake.
She groaned realizing how homesick she was. Five entire months away from England and her heart ached horribly. Lily longed for her dorm and the warm and inviting Gryffindor Common Room and her friends. What she would give for Michael's smarmy smirk and Marlene's long fingers braiding her hair.
Lily eyed a nearby tree and raised her wand. After a few minutes of work, she grimaced at the shite attempt at transfiguration she'd done. She'd improved slightly but it was still pretty horrible.
She dragged the makeshift boat over to the edge of water and bit her lip.
" Is this going to float?" Lily wondered aloud.
" Maybe for a second," another voice answered. She whirled around and had her wand aimed into the forest. But a pair of bright green eyes met hers with a grin.
" Marcus?" Lily asked in confusion. Marcus Clarke walked out of the thicket with his wand at his side and looking ten times better than Lily. " What are you doing here?"
Marcus eyed her state of dress before meeting her eyes.
" There's a frog on your pants," he commented. Lily looked down and grimaced at the small creature sticking to her calf. She rubbed it off and shuddered.
" What are you doing here? I thought you were against this," Lily muttered. Marcus shrugged.
" I am…. I'm just not looking forward to having to go to England and tell that James fellow that you're dead, " Marcus explained. He crossed his lithe arms over his chest. " You can't do this alone."
" I have to," Lily answered. " Marcus when I go into that lightening, I'm not coming back."
Marcus frowned and realization dawned on his face before fury settled.
" That's the dumbest thing I've heard- you can't control it," Marcus hissed. " Using it for transportations is like giving fate the middle finger."
Lily nodded grimly.
" I know that."
" I'm coming with you," Marcus answered. Lily turned to him with an outraged expression.
" You're not going anywhere near England. No you're going to go back to New York," she hissed. Marcus smirked at her and she narrowed her eyes at him.
" You can't stop me," he replied. His eyes flashed and Lily scoffed.
" My war isn't yours- this is why we can't be family," Lily explained.
" The war isn't yours. I'm an auror. Dark Wizards are my specialty whereas you're just a kid."
" If you go into that storm, you could lose your fire," Lily said desperately. Marcus merely shrugged.
" Not all of it," Marcus answered. " If you go into that storm you're going to lose everything."
" I have to," Lily justified. She took a ragged breath and wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. " I'm a better person without it, but you're meant to have it."
" It's my life," Marcus protested. " I'm going with you."
He turned to fix the boat and Lily regarded him with narrowed angered eyes. Marcus could control his fire but Lily couldn't. She couldn't risk anything with it. She'd let it destroy so much in her life and it was time for her to finally destroy it.
Thunder trumpeted and the jungle erupted into the sounds of animals. Lily rubbed her bare arms and felt rain land on her head.
Marcus started to stand up and Lily blinked against the downpour.
" I'm sorry," she whispered, pulling her wand out.
" Stupefy."
Marcus didn't have time to duck before the spell hit him and knocked his form back into a tree. She couldn't let him come with her, even if it meant he'd never forgive her for this. Lily could see rain hitting his figure and turned to the raft he made.
She dragged it to the shore of the water and water lapped at her ankles as she walked into the river. The wind howled and thunder and lightning clashed in the air.
Lily was waist-deep in the water before she leaned forward and got onto the raft. She aimed a wind spell behind it and with the water; it shot forward into the tempest.
Rain fell so hard that Lily was soaked as the raft and her spell fought the strong waves. The shoreline faded and took Marcus away with it. Lily hoped to Merlin she would never see him again.
Her wand started to slip from her grip as a wave crashed onto the raft. Lily spat out water and gasped for air as storm clouds surrounded her. Chills filled her down to the bone and she looked up to the flashing sky.
The lightning looked like a strobe light and rain hit her almost painfully. The dried clothing she wore that morning clung to Lily's skin like a second layer. Her hair was wet and stuck to her back as Lily closed her eyes and left the raft.
She dove into the river and tucked her wand into the waistband of her pants. The water was strong and Lily fought against it. Panic and fear surged inside of her but she kept the image of James's bloodied body in her mind as she swam against the current.
She was cold, hellishly cold and her body was tired of fighting the current. The winds and rain shrieked against her form but Lily surged forward.
Lightning flashed again and Lily sped up. She could see the winds dying as she approached the eye of the storm.
The water stilled in this area and Lily looked up to the sky. She heard thunder that made her ears hurt and shut her eyes. The lightning coming towards her figure flashed behind her eyelids and pain engulfed her as it hit her.
But Lily fought against it.
It was incinerating her from the inside and tearing her mind to pieces. She growled and felt magic around her. The sounds of the storm faded and Lily realized that the legends were true. Zeus's Wrath was her Deus Ex Machina- it was taking her home- yet every extra second in its power was killing her.
Wind tore at her and Lily felt the strange sensation of apparation as her body screamed in pain… Just because this was possible didn't mean that it should be done.
" Hogwarts," Lily muttered. " Take me to Hogwarts."
Her mind was engulfed in pain and she screamed as thunder sang and the lightning lashed out. Darkness didn't eat her away- this time light so blinding made Lily's eyes fight to stay open.
She forced them open and her lips pulled up when she saw Hogwarts.
And like that Lily was home.
It was almost midnight but Remus was patrolling. The patrols were reassigned to death eaters and he walked with a large distance between himself and Lucius Malfoy.
" This bloody storm better end before morning," Malfoy muttered. Remus peered outside to the Black Lake and frowned when lightning flashed in the sky.
" Hopefully," he noted. Malfoy looked over at him.
" You're a smart man Lupin, the new world's going to need men like you," Malfoy declared.
Remus ignored the feeling of disgust coming over his mind. Getting a compliment from Lucius Malfoy was a low in his life.
Wind howled and the old windows seemed to shake as thunder echoed across the area.
Remus stopped and felt something horrible inside of his gut. Being a werewolf gave him advanced senses and he could hear a horrific scream tearing through the air.
" What in Merlin's na-"
Before Remus could finish, Lightening spiraled down and the windows shattered around the Entrance Hall. He quickly set up a shield charm but a shard found it's way into his leg.
Remus squinted his eyes and cursed, the tree near the Black Lake was on fire.
" Come on Malfoy, let's put that out," he quickly ordered. Remus stepped out of one of the windows and Lucius followed him with a distasteful look. The rain seemed to die down and Remus ran to the Black Lake.
He was out of breath when he reached the tree and stopped in his tracks.
" Godric's pants," Remus gasped. He wondered if he took too much pain relief potion as he moved closer to the dying fire surrounding the ground where a beech tree once stood.
" What's that?" Malfoy asked. Remus could see more death eaters coming out of the castle and crept forward. His blood pulsed with adrenaline as he batted a sputtering flame back.
" Lily."
Lying in the charred ground where a tree once sat was a bleeding girl. Even with her eyes closed, Remus could identify her from anywhere. Splayed out behind her was a mess of fiery curls, that did not look one bit like the crimson locks she left with.
" What the fuck?" Malfoy declared from behind him. Death Eaters were putting out the flames and one came closer. Remus could see a ring in Lily's relaxed hand and suddenly her eyes ripped open.
She gasped for air and looked around widely. Her eyes landed on someone behind him and she smiled.
" Jason," Lily croaked before letting a gasp of pain out and her eyes rolled back. She fell back into the dirt and someone shoved past Remus.
Rain was still falling and Jason knelt down as death eaters raised their wands at the scene. Remus watched the scene, almost positively sure he'd overdosed.
" Stop," Jason shouted. He turned and raised the ring high enough. Remus supposed it looked like the sun for a moment.
" She's my sister."
And like that Lily Gastor was reborn.
Sorry for the wait! It's horribly hot lately and writing in the heat isn't my favorite thing in the world. I mostly spent this past week mapping stuff out for part 4 and 5 while running those notes by my beta. There's been a few fork at the road situations but luckily, they're capped.
Loving those reviews guys!
R&R
-Rin
