AN: Remember when I posted every week?
I don't.
Also, this is our new longest chapter. Rejoice.
Another also, about the last part of this chapter. I don't know what to say. I hope it makes sense and that it isn't too sloppy. The logistic of it don't really work for me either, but it was the only way to get this done with.
Look forward to next chapter.
Chapter 29: Slug Club
I squinted my eyes at the parchment I held in my hand, trying with difficulty to decipher Peter's scrambled writing. Light was fading gingerly with the ending of the afternoon, being a nuisance in my mission of correcting my friend's work. But the coming of the night meant dinner was also coming, and I was starving enough to look forward to the special food Slughorn served to his club members.
The food, Lily and the Professor were the only good things I found enjoyable about the social meetings. Slug Club, after all was like eighty percent Slytherin, most of whom were the people responsible for making my life miserable.
Crossing out two horribly formulated sentences, I tried hard to keep the sounds flying brooms made as they traversed the skies at maximum speeds, and the yells over them barked by James Potter. With the beginning of April, the days and nights were becoming more pleasant. It had been a sunny day, wonderful really, with no need for extra layer of clothes, so sitting on the stalls of the Quidditch Pitch wasn't as much of a hassle. Captain Potter had driven his team in practice for little more than two hours, as a match against the Hufflepuff team approached. And for the most of it, I had sat with Peter and Remus watching. Well, I wasn't really.
Watching the Quidditch practice wasn't really exciting for me; I would definitely rather watch the actual match. So I would occasionally look up to see the team perform their drills and plays, amazed at their level of skill, but not really interested. I was way more interested in the essays I had to get done for the school week. There was so much for me to write and read, that looking at Peter' work turned out to be a relaxed distraction from the tension of mine. It was a nice break from the anxiety inducing assignments I wrote down. As I scribbled possible corrections for Peter to write, he did his normal commentary of the practice, or talked of whatever he had on his mind.
I gave him half of my attention, the other half on his work, but his conversation was mostly answered by Remus. He started out doing his homework with me, but once that was done, and I moved on to one of my other classes, he laid down on the stall behind us. He rested his back against it, his eyes mirroring the exhaustion of his body, but not giving in to the sleep that called him in order to stay in the conversation.
As I did with the practice, I would occasionally look back to him, to check if he was alright. The full moon came too soon for Remus Lupin, and yet again he was suffering the effects of it.
"Mum says I should take the test next year." Peter said making me turn to him. I saw as he pulled his eyes from a letter he held over his lap. He received it that very day and he had carried it along since then, peaking at it whenever he could. I knew it was from his mother, I had seen him read many of hers, and by now I could recognize her hand writing from sitting next to Peter. I didn't really have any idea of what it said, he hadn't told me yet, but if it dealt with his inability to Apparate yet, then I'm sure it must've not been very encouraging.
"And do what? Repeat the course so you'll have more experience? We still have plenty of classes left. You'll manage it." Remus said at the same time as I opened my mouth to reply to Peter. His voice rumbled with the pain cursing through his veins, but other than that his words were laced with a kindhearted mentor-like tone that only he could do.
Slouching next to me, Peter didn't seem to find his friends words to be encouraging. His mouth set in a tight pout; he appeared to be looking at nothing when he spoke, dishearten. "I haven't even flickered in t-the same spot. I'll never do it."
His defeated sounding words made me feel sad for him, not because he hadn't been able to do it, but because he had already deemed himself incapable of doing it. While we practiced under the Ministry teacher, my attention would go to him, and how he would desperately seek around him for help. I wanted to help him, to have him stop looking to Remus or Sirius or James in desperation, and help him better himself, but my abilities to Apparate were as skillful as his. It was that thought the one I decided to speak up. "Neither have I."
Peter turned to me as if he just realized my words to be true. That or he remembered I was sitting next to him, which I'm sure wasn't the case. It amused me a bit, that he hadn't noticed my complete lack of Apparating. Even more considering that during the special classes he stood a in the line next to mine, and that he tended to be more conscious about what everyone else managed to do, instead that on his own abilities. "A-aren't you worried?"
I shrugged at him, mildly picking up a slight decrease of anxiety in his squeaky voice tone. "Not as worried as I am about Potions." I said, rolling the parchment I had finished correcting. With a grimace directed at no one but my life, I handed the roll to Peter. "It'll be a shame though, wasting galleons."
Peter agreed to that with a nod of his head, raising it to look at the Quidditch practice, my words apparently enough to calm him down. Though it was true that I was way more worried about my Potions class than I was about being able to magically transport myself at will, it didn't feel good that I was failing at it. Matter of fact it was frightening, and the only reason I wasn't being consumed on the inside by that too was because my life depended more on my academics. Sure, apparating might save my life or make my future easier, but failing Transfiguration, or Potions or Defense kept me up at night and gave me nightmares. My sanity at the moment was more important than my transportation. The Ministry teacher said that I would be able to do it, if I worked more on the Determination part of his Three D's of Apparition, and in my mind I guessed that Peter had trouble in the same part of the process.
"You'll both manage it." Remus said dismissively, the same as he had before and it did make me feel a bit better. Enough to push the matter to the back of my head and concentrate on the next work I needed to get done.
With his face downcast, and not a very promising expression, Peter then took his attention back to the Quidditch practice taking place. I on the other hand, went fishing in my bag for another paper to write. I had been up since an ungodly hour, reading an ancient tome of extinct plants for a special essay I was writing for Herbology. The normal headaches of the blood knowledge had racked my brain for long enough to cause my nose to ooze a couple droplets of blood. If Madam Pomfrey got wind of it, she would tie me up to a bed and make me take a three days' rest. But I powered through it, and went on with my day, and as I put my bag down, I realized I had done all the work I had brought out of the dorm with me.
Content with not having to produce any new material, I grabbed a roll of parchment filled with notes, starting to read them with a smile on my face.
"Prongs is really drilling them today." I heard Peter say after a while, his words I'm sure, not really directed at anyone. Looking up from the parchment I probably could already recite by heart, Peter didn't notice my stare. His attention was on James, who it turned out, once I looked, was waving his arms around yelling out something to his attentive team.
Remus rumbled again, his voice making him sound more half asleep than anything. "Doesn't he always?"
I watched as James darted, doing a nerve-racking dive that he had down to perfection, hovering in front of his two beaters. His mouth moved intensely, whatever he was saying being lost to the wind between us. Dorcas Fisher nodded feverishly, loyally accepting every word of her Captain, while Sirius merely crossed his arms. Holding on to his broom with just his legs with expertise, I could see how his shoulders tensed as his mouth began to move too. James and Sirius seemed to be talking head to head, whatever matter discussed clearly putting both boys on edge as they hovered high in the sky.
"Must be because of Smith." Remus remarked, this time sounding more lucid than before.
I tried to recall who they were talking about, but I couldn't. A second later it occurred to me that I, in no way possible, knew most of the people the Marauders knew around school. I felt kind of stupid, assuming I would know who Remus mentioned; when I didn't really know what other people any of the Gryffindor boys associated themselves with on a daily basis. "Who's Smith?"
Peter wasted no time in answering me. He was already opening his mouth when I turned to him, holding my roll of notes on my lap. "Bridget Smith, Hufflepuff chaser."
Grunting with the effort, and making me and Peter turn back at him, Remus sat up. The wooden seat under him creaked as he sat on the edge to lean forward to us as he stretched an arm back. "Sirius' current fling."
"Oh," I said not really amazed. It wasn't really surprising; Sirius Black was a common piece of gossip around the school, one that even my roommates loved to debate on an almost alarming rate. And I had already heard about the fling he was currently having. I just had no clue as to who it was, and with the name came the logic to my head that she must either be a year over us or under. I looked up once more, watching the exchange between Captain and beater. "I'm sure that keeping James' good graces is more important to Sirius than some girl he's snogging."
"You already understand Padfoot so well." Remus leaned between Peter and me, where had so happened to leave his school bag when we sat down earlier. He took out a few boxes of chocolate frogs.
I smiled as he handed me a frog, and then one to Peter. My stomach lurched with the beginning of starvation, and I wasted no time in opening the package once I accepted it. Though, I replied to him before I devoured the chocolate. "I understand that James can be the most obnoxious person in this world."
"That's not true, Prongs i-is not. . ." Peter spoke up, trailing away as he went. I turned to stare at him, grimacing in a cynical way. A side glance at Remus made me see that he had the same look on his face. Under our united gaze, Peter's face reached a delightful pink tinge as he squirmed in his seat. I patted his arm as I watched him, sorry that he was embarrassed, but too amused to hold myself back. "Okay, h-he is, but only a little bit."
Remus and I laughed, as Peter joined us awkwardly to hide away his blush.
The practice ended before it was completely dark, and my insides rumbled as I followed the Marauders back to the castle.
I had half the mind on deciding to continue following them to the Great Hall, to stuff my face, but I couldn't. Slug Club was in a couple of hours and I couldn't go to it already full. Professor Slughorn took great pride in the plates he served us during the meetings, and anything else from absolute gluttony, he would take as an insult. Therefore it was best to go with an empty stomach.
Like it or not, I would have to wait a bit more and that made me drag my feet inside the castle. James, who had been trailing behind from the group since we left the Quidditch Pitch, caught up with me. He fell in stride with me, though he looked more cheerful than I did when we acknowledged each other's lack of energy with a glance. I didn't feel like telling him anything, or commenting on his moves from earlier, like I would do in other occasions, so I just continued walking. Peter, Sirius and Remus walked in front of us, talking about something I decided to ignore.
As we made our way through the castle, my absent-minded stare landed on a particular someone, and the shock of that random presence was enough to make me stop walking.
Many students inside the castle were also making their way to the Great Hall, but even with the normal commotion of school life, there was no evading catching sight of Lorcan Mulciber. My eyes went to him immediately, stopping my pace with the Marauders and filling my body with a sort of dread that brought disgust to my whole being. His figure leaned a shoulder against a stone pillar, his expression relaxed and cordial, much too jovial for me to be genuine. He was talking to a Hufflepuff Prefect, standing close to her. I did not remember her name, however, it didn't get pass me that they were standing closer than one would think two people needed to be to discuss Prefect duties.
Their proximity brought forth in me a strange feeling, one that I had no recollection of ever feeling to such a degree. I could feel every drop of warmth in my body leave me, numbing every inch, and for a moment I felt completely alone, ensnared to stare forever at the atrociousness that was taking place. For a second, all I wanted to do was to go to that Hufflepuff girl to tell her to run as I saw her smile at whatever Mulciber was telling her. The expression she had made me desperate for her. She was playing with a disease in par with the Black Death plague, and should she survive it, she would be disfigured for life. I had to help her, I knew I had to.
But then he felt my stare, and whatever brave feeling I might have thought of fulfilling, disappeared. Our eyes met for a fraction of a second, and should I be closer, I would have seen nothing but smug pestilence in his green eyes.
Lorcan smiled wickedly at me, and that was the moment where I viciously ripped away my stare.
I remembered where I was, and who were around me, and though it made warmth return to me, it was to the extent were I felt my cheeks and ears burn horribly. I couldn't help the Hufflepuff girl, and that felt as awful as any other humiliation I had suffered before.
My first instinct was to wish for the safety under the covers of my bed, my sanctuary since September.
The freedom of the ensnaring stare didn't feel as good as it should have, for the Gryffindor boys were now looking at Mulciber. Whether they had noticed the perversion Lorcan was sending my way, or my complete dread of it, I don't know. Either way, the four boys had stopped walking to turn back and glare at who had gotten my attention.
"He's looking for a good beating," James said. He was the only one of the Marauders that was standing next to me, as the others were facing me a few steps forward. I had not noticed when they stopped walking. James' statement made me quiver, and it was really hard to get my gently shaking arms to stop. The last thing I would want in life was anyone having to face Lorcan Mulciber, even less if it was for me. Whatever personal beef the Gryffindor boys might have against him, I was very glad I hadn't told any of them about my problems with the Slytherin Prefect. Hell, I didn't even tell Lily, and it was primary for the fact that she would gladly accept the confrontation I so desperately ran away from. As it turned out, I knew all my Gryffindor friends would fight, if not they would encourage me into doing it myself. However, I knew I didn't have the backbone for it, and I buried those thoughts away as James continued speaking. "What's wrong with him?"
Sirius took a step forward, the move making him the closest to Mulciber, even considering that we were a considerable distance away. Pulling his wand out from a pocket within his school robes, he began to twirl it in his hand. "Perpetual constipation, if you ask me."
My eyes didn't leave the wand, as Sirius made it do circles in the air with his fingers. It was a declaration, one that everyone, should they look, would see that he wasn't afraid to fight. That he only needed a motive to start shooting spells and hexes. Before I realized, he stopped the movements, and I looked up to see that he had his eyes on me. When they left Mulciber I don't know, but Sirius attention was on me for a moment. I didn't say anything, though a part of me was screaming at him to stop; to get the rest of the Marauders moving again, and to take me with them. If he could tell I was uncomfortable, I couldn't tell, he looked back a Mulciber with an intense glare I didn't know what caused. He didn't put his wand away.
With a cautionary hand placed on Sirius' shoulder, I saw Remus smile at him. I marveled at how the Gryffindor Prefect managed to keep his cool, when I was beginning to shake again. "Is that what it's called?"
"Someone should really invent a cure for that, don't you think Moony?" Sirius remarked slyly, ignoring the question and looking at his friend full in the face. Something passed between them, much as many other secrets that I could never understand. At that moment, as the two looked at each other, I felt an arm snake around one of mine, and I turned to see it was Peter. When he moved to my side pushing pass James, I don't know, but the touch calmed my agitated heart a bit.
"You'll singlehandedly save the world if you come up with it, Padfoot." This was said by James, who sported a face that looked like it was ready for business as he stood with his arms crossed. I cursed myself, as I held tighter to Peter's arm watching the Quidditch Captain. This was all my fault. Everything was my fault. If I hadn't stopped, if I hadn't been trapped by the horrible sight that was Lorcan Mulciber, the Gryffindor guys would had never seen the exchanged passed between us two. They would have never seen the pure evil Lorcan radiated toward me, or how it affected me if I hadn't been stupid enough to look at him.
Now we stood there, in a tense atmosphere I had caused, that wanted no other thing but to be culminated with a wizard duel. For if Sirius intended to do something, then he would do it and the only one capable of truly stopping him would be James. And as I stood there, clutching to Peter, and staring at the other three boys, I knew James would do no such thing. He looked willing to fight with his friend.
"I think it's i-impossible." Peter piped up, appearing to not want to be left out of the conversation, and his input broke the tense ambience. At least for me it did. The other boys didn't acknowledge his words; they were still passing looks around each other. I looked away. That was something I wasn't part of, and I would be an idiot if I tried to figure out what they were sending to one another. When I gathered the bravado to look up again to the bane of my existence, Mulciber and the Hufflepuff girl had already walked away, heading for the Great Hall. I watched their backs move away from us, and it made me release a much needed sigh of release.
That I would see him again in short hours didn't make me feel any better, so I ignored the hell of it in favor of a relaxed moment.
"I-I don't think you can cure purebloods." Peter said struggling to put himself in the conversation with his friends, though they weren't talking anymore.
But it did manage to get Sirius' attention, and he tucked his wand into a pocket as he looked away from his friends. "Don't be so sure, Wormtail. Prongs' beating idea seems like a promising start. I'm sure even Snivellus would benefit from it."
"Cure or no cure, I'm sure it wouldn't have any effect on him." I said feeling more valiant than before, though of course there was little point to it now. I looked at each at the boys, and though there was nothing in Remus and James' face that threatened to make the atmosphere tense again, looking at Sirius' eyes didn't ease me. He gazed at me, half bored, but with a sort of vigilance I didn't like. For a split second, his stare reminded me of the one Mulciber often sent me, and the thought of running away came back to my mind. I patted Peter's arm away from mine as I took a step away from them, trying not to be bothered by the sad face he gave me as I moved. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"
"Won't you eat with us?" James pointed toward the double doors of the Great Hall, just as a small group of students went in. They were the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team; wearing their practice robes like James and Sirius, they were walking a little away from us earlier.
"I have Slug Club."
"So soon already?" He messed his hair as he spoke. My news lit up his face like only Lily Evans or good mischief could, and all my ill feelings from before deflated a tad. James sure had a knack of emulating happiness. It was clear by how I felt with the sight of his smile, and the one it cause on Remus by his side that even with his sickness, he looked captivated by it too. "Can't be helped. I'll see you later then."
I nodded before hurrying away to my House.
Elves came to scurry away with the dessert plates, and I leaned back on my chair. I had taken care of my starvation, and the bloated sensation it left me with was the greatest feeling in the world. Beside me, Professor Slughorn was doing the same, his round belly pressing slightly against the edge of the table, as he rested heavily on the back of his chair. On my other side sat Lily. I could hear her respectful chatter. As I turn to look at her, I watched as she smiled at Nina Bagnold, who giggled at something the Gryffindor said.
There was more talk around the table, all conscious on the social etiquette that was required of the club, and how smug it made the Professor look as he gazed around the table. Whenever Slughorn spoke, most polite conversations would end as his booming voice demanded attention, and his chest puffed in a pompous way. "Regulus, how is your father doing? Has his condition gotten better?"
"Yes, Professor. Mother said in her last letter that he's back to his normal self." I saw as Regulus spoke. He had his normal air aristocracy around him, graciously courteous as always, but at the mention of his father he seemed even more so.
"Mumblemumps, annoying piece of work." Slughorn said to me, as he leaned a bit closer. I nodded my head as I sign that I agreed with him. He had insisted I sit to his left for dinner, and though I wasn't sure if his reasons had anything to do with favoritism or whatever, I had jumped at the invitation. The furthest away I was from my Housemates during the club meeting the better, and right now, most of them sat on the other side of the table to me. Slughorn went to speak over the table again, leaning forward with a smile to Regulus, and to grab his goblet. "Wonderful news. Send my regards to Orion and to your mother, of course."
I looked up at Regulus, as he had been the center of attention for the moment, receiving respectful wishes for the well being of his father. He had nodded gracefully at Slughorn and to all else, and when all the wishes were uttered, he turned to the person sitting next to him. Between Regulus and Snape was Lorcan Mulciber, his shoulders impossibly straight and his head held high as he sat there, basking in the eternal glory of being a pureblood. It made me sick to admit that he looked very charismatic, as he whispered something at Snape. His blonde hair was pulled back, and opposite reflection to the two boys that sat to each side of him, both of which let their dark tresses roam free against their cheeks.
My look lasted only a second, but it was enough to get Lorcan's attention on me like it did a mere couple hours ago.
I could feel his eyes boring into me, harsh and demanding, as malicious as always. I tried desperately to resist it, the urge to look up and see him, but it became unbearable. Looking up with what I thought was an inconspicuously small glance, I saw I had his unwavering attention again. From the other side of the table, I felt the coldness of his green eyes, as they assaulted me with their malevolent intentions.I felt trapped, like earlier, like always.
Slightly squirming in my seat, I pressed my hand over a pocket of my robes, the one where I always liked to carry my wand. The connection made me feel slightly better, and I wondered why I didn't normally do that. Sirius had done it before. Though his motive was more to show off his daring nature than to give himself strength, he had by instinct reached out for his wand. I should do the same always, if it appeared to work as it had done.
At that moment, Slughorn pulled his chair back and stood, inviting us all to join him by the fireplace for profound conversation, as he liked to refer to it.
Lily and I were the very last to leave, as per usual.
We always tended to stay back, for my benefit and to avoid having any of my Slytherin housemates standing behind me and so the hallway would be bare of anyone and we could talk in privacy. Slughorn didn't mind, got him leisure time to speak to his two favorites about any matter he pleased, without the possibility of any of us getting in trouble. Lily was a Prefect and I was a stairway away from Merlin's door. A win-win for our social interactions.
Passing through the door of the professor's office after copious goodnight wishes, Lily and I walked a bit further unto the hallway to our normal talking spot. The corridor empty of any of the Slug Club member, we stood there pleasantly.
"Did you finish the Charms essay?" I asked as soon as it popped into my mind.
Not really surprised with my topic of conversation, since it was mostly what I droned on and on in my daily day to day, Lily nodded. "Do you need help with yours?"
"I just need someone to revise it before turning it in." I was getting comfortably more accustomed to my school work, and the teachers had apparently noticed. They had given me special treatment since I arrived at Hogwarts with the promise that I would stride toward achieving the normal NEWT student status, and be treated like everyone else. I was getting there, and with it came more expectant professors, that demanded nothing but perfection from me. And though I liked the idea of it, the stress was still overwhelming most of the time. The only one to not put me in such stress was Slughorn. Hence the reason he was still my favorite teacher, and I went to his meeting when I could be doing something more productive with that time. "Flitwick is getting very stern with my writing."
"I'm sure it must be fine." Lily pressed her back against the wall, and rolled her shoulders against it. What her real motives for the actions were, I'm not sure, but I guessed it had to do with the same thing that kept me awake till the wee hours of the night. I felt bad for adding to her workload, but in my head I told myself that we had already agreed months ago to help each other as much as possible. "Sit with me tomorrow for breakfast and I'll have a look at it."
Having Lily take a look at my assignments was always a matter that gave me happiness, but the invitation to sit with her, made me profoundly happy. Especially when she knew that most times for meals, I was a package deal with a certain group of boys.
Speaking of which, that thought made me suddenly look to each end of the hallway. "Where is James? He's really late."
"What does that matter?" The annoyance in Lily's voice was clearly the one specific brand she saved for James. I often wondered if it had always been like that since they met or if it had evolved as they grew.
"He always comes to walk you to your House." I explained, seriously concern that she had completely forgotten about it. James never missed a night of Slug Club to appear out of nowhere in a flourish of mysterious arrogance. And now that I knew of his secret cloak, his radiant appearances made more sense to me. I wondered what Lily thought of it, and if she had an inclining of his resources. Probably not, if she did she would have already managed to get the cloak taken from him, somehow.
"So?"
"It's kind of sweet."
Lily contorted her face into an expression that led me to believe that she thought that very unlikely. Though not amused, she gave a lazy shrug, whether it was for her lack of caring or refusal to admit that I had a point, she didn't let me see it. "I guess it is."
I looked at each end of the hallway again, waiting to see James coming. I wondered if maybe he was under his invisibility cloak, and I felt stupid trying to see the air move in a dark corridor lighted by a couple of yellow candles. Expecting to be able to see that was too much, especially if I had no idea if he was around. The only reason I could tell about the cloak that one time was because I knew I was being followed. I felt no such thing then, but I did see something strange. It wasn't strange, really; it was however out of the ordinary.
There was light coming from the end of the hallway behind Lily and it made me stare at it. I wondered at it, at the peculiarity of the moment. There was a second where I racked my brain for an answer to the strangeness. It wasn't until I noticed that there were various lights of different colors that I understood what was happening over there.
"Eh, Lily," With the more flashing, I really did wonder how she hadn't noticed. I took a step to be next to her, and then I pulled her arm to make her face the lights. I was sure she would instantly know what was happening.
She didn't spare a second to walk toward the light, gritting her teeth as she went, taking her arm away from my hold. "That better not be what I think it is."
"Wait! Don't go Lily." I said, immediately conscious of a heavy weight settling in the pit of my stomach. It pulled down on my insides horribly, and I cursed myself for showing Lily the spectacle at the end of the hallway. The lights at that time of the night meant only trouble, something I desperately knew I had to avoid. But Lily would do no such thing. She was a Prefect and a Gryffindor, and trouble didn't frighten her the way it did me. I watched her go with no other choice than to follow her.
Her steps were faster and longer than mine, as my unconscious intention was to drag the moment. I did not want to see what was happening, and I had half the mind to turn around to run off to my dorm. However, the flourish of Lily's red hair as she reached the hallways bend, made me a little braver. Every part of her was so majestically strong that even in that moment I marveled at it. The lights were getting more vibrant and blinding with every step I took behind my friend, and it was only her tenacity, the wand she had already drawn, what kept me walking. The last thing I wanted was for her to get hurt. And I wouldn't be able to help her should she get in trouble from the comfort of Slytherin House.
I saw her stare agape at what was happening, holding her wand tightly as she prepared herself ready to shoot whatever spell to end what was most probably a forbidden duel. I pulled my wand out as well, just for the safety of it, not because I planned to do anything with it. There were more jets of scarlet light shooting around and what I could precisely recognize as Sirius Black's barking laugh.
Yes, it was definitely an illegal duel.
Lily's mouth moved to yell something out, but it was overshadowed by an exclamation of pure anger. "I'll make you pay, Black!"
I reached Lily's side, as her yells of cease fire fell on deaf ears.
It took me a moment to get accustomed to the intensity of what was taking place to actually make sense of it. And even then I could barely process it beyond seeing things as they happened. But my first analysis of the situation left me with my heart palpitating at awful speeds. There was wreckage on the ground, dust lingered in the air, and more than one wall of the hallway was damaged with the strength of a poorly aimed or conveniently dodged curse. There were four duelists, though there was one unconscious body sprawled behind one of the opposing parties.
The duel, and the state of those that were fighting was abysmal, there were sweaty brows and clothes, and thin slivers of blood oozing from cuts.
On one side I saw James and Sirius. My eyes went initially to them, for they still wore their red and gold Quidditch practice robes. Their clothes stuck to their bodies with sweat and grime, clear evidence of the intensity of their duel. They panted for air, though it took me second to realize it was not because of the battle. James was doubled over in laughter, adjusting his glasses as they had slipped down his nose. Next to him, Sirius' shoulders shook with his previous laugh, as his arm remained up with his wand.
At that very moment, a yellow jet of light was sent their way, and Sirius, though still sporting a mocking smirk on his face, deflected it with a spell of his own. James controlled himself also, going to help his friend as more curses were thrown their way.
And that brought my attention to their opponents.
Fighting the Gryffindors were Severus Snape and Lorcan Mulciber. As battered down and filthy as James and Sirius, my housemates pointed their wands at my friends, a different array of angry contortions forming in each of their faces. Sweat clung to them as well, and I needed no more indication that they had been fighting for a while. In the absurdity of all that happened in only one moment, I had the thought that they must have started the duel, as soon as the Slytherins had come out of Slug Club. The thought that it wasn't that much time circled around my head, but then I noticed what Sirius and James had been laughing about.
Snape kept shooting at both the Gryffindor boys, even when he was wearing ducks for shoes. From where I stood petrified, and unnoticed by Lily's side, they looked like real live ducks. Brown, white and green feathered, the two ducks had Severus' feet stuck into their backs, and they quacked their desperation with every step they were forced to take.
The hallway echoed with the horrible sounds of the duck shoes, joining the eruptions the jets of light made when they collided and James and Sirius' laughter.
Mulciber, who had been sending his own spells on the side, stumbled into Adrian Flint who I then recognized as the person unconscious on the floor. The thought that at some point before Lily and I got there the fight had been uneven angered me a tad. But then Lorcan darted forward, and pointed at Severus shoes. With one last quack, they went back to normal. And so with a look, both Slytherins turned to their opponents, shouting curses with renew determination.
"Impedimeta!' Lorcan wheeled around and screamed, though his spell missed as he was forced to dodge what looked to me to be a Body-Bind Curse sent his way by James.
In retaliation, Snape sent James flying to the other side of the hallway, with what I could only assume was an Expulso curse. I watched as James soared back, barely missing hitting the archways of the ceiling to land in a painful manner on the floor. He struggled to find the balance to get up, and should it had been me I don't think I would have been able to do it immediately after falling. But James Potter did, and once he was up, he fired jet after jet of light, each aiming to any of his two opponents.
"Alright Prongs?" Sirius yelled back, not being able to look back to his friend's state or even follow his fall as he had soared. Snape and Mulciber had taken all of his attention.
"You know it." James shouted back.
"It's rude to ignore your opponent." Lorcan sneered after casting a Stunning Spell that collided against a stone wall. No one had noticed me or Lily standing by, staring transfixed at what was happening, but the sound of Mulciber's voice, and his darting around made me hold my wand tighter.
Snape couldn't resist joining in with a jab. "Need a break, Black?"
"I was about to ask you that, Snivellus." Sirius had been holding both Slytherins during the time it took James to get up and return to his side. And I found that truly amazing, as I watched him pant for air. In that time, Sirius had ducked and darted around; evading each fast hex Lorcan sent his way.
As James neared his friend, deflecting spells Snape sent him, Lorcan managed to hit Sirius with a Stinging Jinx. Sirius fell on his back clutching his shoulder where it had hit them, earning a perverse smirk from the Slytherin. The Quidditch practice robes were lose to allow more fluid movements, but as Sirius clutched at it, I could see show his shoulder swelled under it, stretching the fabric. If the jinx had left a scorch mark, as it was known to do, it couldn't be seen through the Gryffindor red of the robes.
Trying to protect his friend as he was down, James fought of the two Slytherins, but his attack wasn't strong enough to keep Lorcan from nearing Sirius. My eyes got stuck on Mulciber. He was an imposing figure, with his blond hair in a majestic tangled mess and a broken lip. I couldn't look away, and my heart froze when I saw his lips move with the curse he uttered. He would never say it aloud, it was forbidden, but I saw as his lips formed the word Crucio.
Sirius yelled his pain out as soon as the curse hit mark, just as James reached him. He anguished in his spot on the stone floor, contorting his body in a pale reflection of the inner pain he was feeling.
A part of me screamed at myself to do something then as I stared. I should help, I could do. But instead of moving, I looked up to Lorcan. I don't know what I expected to see, however I sure as hell did not expect to recognize an expression in him I had only seen back in September. His eyes were mad with the power of pain, as he pointed his wand at one of my friends again.
I'm not sure what had gotten over Lily when her eyes had landed on the fight. She had been as transfixed as me of the occurrence, and though only a matter of minutes had gone by since we got there from our spot in front of Slughorn's office, she had done nothing. The flaring of her hair and the hold on her wand earlier had let me to believe that she had been prepared to jump into the fray as soon as she could. Yet she had not. She had watched, her eyes darting around the same as mine, abysmally surprised. However, Mulciber's previous curse, and Sirius' grunts of pain brought out her commando self.
My eyes went instantly to her, and I saw as Lily took a better hold of her wand, pointed it and then shouted. "Baubillious!"
In a second a bright, yellow-white bolt of lightning erupted from her wand. It flew from the tip of her wand as she pointed it away. Her spell broke the space between the two bands of duelists as she threw it against the opposing wall. The light broke against it with a fury of sound, deafening to the ears and engulfing every corner with blinding white light.
For me, it took a moment to realize that her spell was more of a diversion than anything else, as I shielded my eyes from the hurting light. There were grunts and exclamations of pain suspended in the air. Lily's plan had seemed to work. The fighting had stop, there were no more clashing of spells. After the light began to fade and I could slowly begin to see, I noticed Lily moving as she yelled four Full Body-Bind curses in a row, each meant for a different boy. The same way my sight had returned, so did the duelists, and all of them managed to miss her intended spell. Using the momentum of Lily's tries to get the situation under control, Lorcan Mulciber continued his attack on the Gryffindor boys.
Severus and James were taken back, I saw, as their vision returned and they turned to the fiery goddess that had joined the fight.
But Lily, or my presence didn't bother the other two, and it was evident as Sirius retaliated to Mulciber's attack. The hex bounced off the one Sirius threw to counter it, and it collided against a stone pillar, shattering half of it and sending rock debris through the hallway.
I shielded myself with my arms, taking a step back out of sheer preservation. Small rocks hit me all over, and I had to put a hand over my nose and mouth to not inhale the dirk cloud that rose from the smash. When I looked up to the battle again, I saw as Sirius scrambled to his feet, wand held tightly in his hand. James yelled after him, something I couldn't quite understand, as Lily once more casted spells close to me. I watched as Sirius ran in the direction of Lorcan, missing one of Lily's Body-Bind curses by an ear. Mulciber tried to direct his wand to the coming Gryffindor, but was unable to do so as Sirius' full body smashed against his.
I heard an out of breath groan, as the force behind Sirius' run sent both he and Lorcan back a couple steps. They evaded losing their footing somehow, as the Gryffindor pulled away to land a punch on the Slytherin's face.
Caught off guard by the physical attack, Mulciber could do nothing, not even push Sirius Black away, as he was assaulted for a second time, straight on his jaw.
"Expulso!" Snape yelled again, standing behind his fellow housemate, this time directing at Sirius. I hadn't noticed when he rejoined the duel, but he didn't appear to be fazed anymore by Lily's presence. If anything, his resolve was more set as he pushed his hair out of his face. Just as Sirius was thrown back to where James was darting around to not be hit, Severus had to throw himself to the floor to evade one of Lily's spells.
James helped Sirius get back on his feet, clutching at his robes and arm to pull him up. In the span of a second, as they balanced each other out, something passed between them. Like always, I had no idea what went between them, I wasn't too close to even try to understand, if ever I could, but I watched the two boys as they nodded at one another. In a fluid, natural movement, James and Sirius retaliated to their opponent, both firing their own spells like expert duelist.
At that very moment, first Sirius and then James were hit by Lily's petrification spells. In almost a comedic way, both Gryffindors' arms and legs snapped together, and then fell on their backs to the ground, looking as stiff as a board.
I turned to watch Lily's face, as she resisted the urge to let a smile be born in her face. I didn't know how to feel about that, but I didn't feel any sort of good when she ran forward to face Snape and Mulciber on her own. She was as brave as ever, true to the House she had been destined to be placed in, but all that bravado died, as soon as the situation took a turn none would had imagined.
When I looked, I was shocked too.
I had received many shocks in my life, all the ten months of it I could remember; my first experience in the world of magic, the reveal of my extraordinary heritage and all the burdens that came with it, everything about Hogwarts, my two-faced housemates, and the secrets of the Marauders, but nothing was as shocking as watching Lorcan Mulciber's head growing out off its normal proportions.
It had been either James' or Sirius' spell; I couldn't recalled for I was not even sure if I had seen, but one of the Gryffindors' attack had reached its mark. Mulciber clutched at it with his hands, being dwarfed by the alarmingly fast growing of his head. As my stare remained on him only, I saw what I could only assumed was desperation, as he pressed his hands against both sides of his temple, as if the pressure would help stop the growth.
When it was four times its normal size, Lorcan let out a concern sounding moan as he began to stumble on his feet. He moved from side to side, holding his head in what appeared to be a dance. It wasn't until I saw Severus Snape dart forward that I realized the severity of the situation. Snape grabbed hold of the enormous head by putting a hand under each cheek, giving his strength to keep it up, as Mulciber tried hard to keep his balance.
"Help me!" Lorcan yelled to his fellow Slytherin, allowing his true feelings to shine through on what was happening. He was as worried as I was beginning to be. As comedic as the situation looked for a second, it didn't change the fact that the weight of the huge head could cause horrible, irreplaceable damage.
As atrocious as Mulciber had been to me, he didn't deserved to die like that.
I went to Lily, making her turn to me. What I saw in her worried me even more and the words she spoke to me chilled me to the bones. "I should do something."
Her dry whisper didn't make me feel any better, nor did it show any confidence in her. What was there left for us to do if Lily Evans wasn't confident that she could manage to do anything at all? Raising her wand, I watched her grip on it tighten as her arm had begun to shake. Instantly she threw a counter curse, the jet of light making way to Mulciber, but it bounced off the colossal nose.
Feeling the spell, two giant eyes were directed to the caster's direction, and by association as I was standing right next to Lily, they landed on me.
I didn't need any petrification curse to render me immobile. As once more in the same day I was trapped in those particular green eyes of his, I had a different feeling than before. There was no maliciousness or any sort of other bad intent in his eyes. For the very first time since before the fateful night in September, Lorcan looked at me with a less frightful emotion, one that for a second had me wishing that I could help him.
Then I watched Snape wobble, and it was only then that I noticed that he, like Mulciber, was straining under the weight of the ever growing bigger head.
Something hit my arm, making me stumble, and it took me a moment to figure out it had been Lily as she hurried away, tucking her wand into her robes as she went. I saw as she stood next to Severus, and with uncertain shaky hands, she held on to a side or Lorcan's head.
Lily turned to me, her eyes wide with panic. "Get a teacher!"
I scrambled away immediately.
. . .
