A/N: It's time for the protest, some drama and maybe - just maybe - a little bit of dueling. Are you ready?

Disclaimer: I'm sorry but I still only own the storyline and nothing else.

Chapter Ten

Dorcas and Lily bumped into Alice on their way out of the shop. The Hogwarts Head girl looked rather harried, but she smiled when she saw them, stopping to chat. She was clutching a cauldron piled high with books and there was a little sweat on her forehead.

'Frank's mum wanted me to return these for her.' she explained, taking in their questioning glances. 'Apparently, she disagrees with all the authors. I thought I'd offer seeing as I was going shopping already.'

'Staying for the protest?' Dorcas inquired, waving over Alice's shoulder at some Hufflepuffs in their year.

'Wouldn't miss it for the world.' she replied, beaming. 'I don't even need to ask you two. Such typical Gryffindors.'

'I'm glad we're so predictable.' Lily joked, grinning back. 'I'd be offended if you didn't think we were staying. Is Frank here?'

Alice grimaced.

'He's taking his mum to St Mungo's for an appointment.' she said, rolling her eyes at the thought of Augusta Longbottom. 'Frank thinks she's getting Vanishing Sickness, so he wants to get her checked out – she's furious about the whole thing. According to herself, she's never been ill in her life. Frank's with her to make sure she actually goes.'

'Sounds fun.' Lily observed, mimicking Alice's expression.

'I think I'll go find the others.' Dorcas said. 'Bye, Alice.'

'Hey, Lily, are you free tomorrow?' Alice asked, changing topic as Dorcas left.

'Probably.'

'Can I come round to yours?' Lily nodded. 'I would invite you but I'm staying with Frank and I don't want you to have to put up with Augusta. She's wonderful when you get to know her but…'

'Thanks.' Lily chuckled. 'I'd love to have you. We need to a proper catch up. I don't think we've had a decent chat in ages.'

'That's what I was thinking.'

They smiled at each other. From a little way down the shopping street, Lily heard her friends calling her.

'I'd better go.' She hugged Alice briefly. 'See you tomorrow then!'

Hurrying off down the street, Lily reached the others and was handed her placard. Protesters where starting to arrive in droves now, all of them with placards or posters to carry. Some where excited, others nervous, but everyone shared the same determination. They were all of the same opinion of course; the Ministry needed to provided greater protection for Muggles in the face of the Death Eater threat.

Mary squealed excitedly as the start of the protest drew closer, making Hestia and Emmeline wince as one. Then, exactly one minute later, a grand witch with deep red robes Apparated into existence right at the front of the crowd. It became apparent at once, that she was the leader. She smiled graciously at the mill of people, an aura of authority radiating off her. Lily's heart swelled slightly, instantly impressed by this woman despite her having said nothing as of yet. But when she did, Lily was not disappointed.

Pointed her wand at her throat, the woman magically amplified her voice and beamed at all those before her.

'My friends,' she began, her voice wonderfully rich, perfectly suiting the splendour of her robes. 'Today we campaign for the safety of our neighbours, of our fellows, of our friends and family. We are united as one and together we shall fight for what it right. Who are we to allow Muggles to suffer at the hands of other wizards? We have a duty to protect the innocent and tonight we do exactly that.'

Lily found herself clapping, and she wasn't the only one. All through the crowd there were people applauding the witch, cheering, waving at her.

'Let us march!' the witch cried, and they did just that.

Picking up their placards, posters, leaflets and lighting their wands in homage the protestors moved forwards. The red-clad witch led them in a chant and then another. As they moved down the street, Lily glanced about them. Shoppers where stopping to watch, as where those working in the cafes and shops. She saw old Mr Ollivander pause in emptying a cupboard in his shop to watch the procession pass by.

From somewhere in the crowd, someone started singing. Another voice joined in. Then another. And another! Soon the whole group seemed to hum with an old folk song, the wand light casting a beautiful blue cloak over the whole brigade. Lily couldn't help it; a huge grin broke across her face as she listened to her fellows sing a mellifluous tune. She didn't know any of the words, it seemed to be of Wizarding origin, but she couldn't stop beaming.

Her insides were filling with a warm, wonderful balloon. Here she was, protesting, actually doing something. She was fighting. She was making a difference. Raising her placard, a little higher, a little prouder, Lily grinned around at her friends, most of whom had joined in singing.

People were joining them, the harmonious song growing louder and louder as they neared Gringotts. The witch at the front was gliding gracefully, her magnified voice the loudest of the lot, a beautifully laughing note to the way she sang, like that of Alma Cogen. Her own joy was infectious and the balloon inside Lily swelled further.

'Wow…' she breathed, staring around her in wonder, swept along by the protest.

A loud crack distracted her.

A single figure dressed all in black was standing a little way ahead, watching the protest unblinkingly. Then she caught sight of another one; they too were just watching the crowd, almost frozen so still were their movements. But then the procession moved further, bringing them out of sight and Lily stopped thinking about them.

They reached Gringotts just as the Ministry officials. Clearly, judging by the alarmed looks on several of their faces, they hadn't expected so many to arrive and protest. Most rushed into the bank, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

But the Minister of Magic didn't. As the song turned back to chants, Millicent Bagnold appeared, flanked by two Aurors. She waved to several in the crowd and took a detour to converse with the witch who had led the protestors there. The two witches exchanged words, clasping hands and laughing before the Minister's Aurors coughed pointedly, indicating that she was late. With a final wave, Millicent Bagnold disappeared into the bank and the doors slammed shut behind her.

'What're we supposed to do now?' Lily heard Mary ask those around her. 'I mean, if the Minister's gone in…'

'We wait.' Dorcas told her, adjusting her cloak. 'It's when that lot come back out again that matters.'

There was a crackling sound and Nellie gestured that the girls gather around her. She held a jar of bluebell flames, offering it to them.

'Girls come close.' she instructed, beckoning them. 'I don't want you catching a chill. Your parents'll never forgive me.'

Emmeline produced a bulging bag out of nowhere and started handing everyone chocolate frogs. Unwrapping hers, Lily glanced down at the card of the famous witch or wizard. Dumbledore. She smiled and took a bite of the chocolate, relishing its taste. Her eyes wandered to the scene around her, hungry to absorb as much of this experience as possible.

Then her stomach lurched. She could see them lurking in the shadows surrounding the protestors. Wizards and witches, all in hooded cloaks of black, waited, watching the crowd. Lily dropped the remainder of her chocolate frog, the action accompanied by the feeling that the balloon inside her had just burst violently. She was going to be sick.

The cry of recognition that they had company rang through the crowd like wild fire and quick to follow was the sound of cracks as people Disapparated left, right and centre. The cracks were disorientating; they came from every direction.

'Girls!' Nellie was urgent now. 'Hold on tightly to me. I'll get you out of here.'

But before any of them could oblige, the running started. Chaos. A whole band of people trampled through their cluster, throwing the flames Nellie had conjured into the air. Lily leapt away as they landed inches from her feet, starting to set alight to the moss that grew between the street cobbles.

She was jostled into another collection of people, who were all heading in the opposite direction. Unable to resist the throng, Lily was pulled along with them, her head darting about as she kept an eye out for any black-robed individuals. With her injury, she was unable to maintain the speed of her fellows so, gradually, she was left behind, lost in a whole haze of people running in all directions.

'Shit,' Lily said to herself, as she looked wildly around for any sign of her friends. The crowd had brought her right to the wall of Gringotts, preventing any retreat should anyone advance on her.

And luck was not with her as a Death Eater spotted her fighting her way forwards. He leered at her and, as those around her Apparated away, sent a jinx in her direction. She ducked, flinching away from where the stone wall behind her was blasted.

'Stupefy.'

Lily sent a Stunning Spell at her opponent as she edged sideways, trying to get away from the wall. It missed him by inches, but this seemed to excite him for he leapt forwards, a strange, animal-like quality to his movements.

With a laugh, he slashed his wand through the air like a whip and gigantic pulse resonated through the air, sending anything in the vicinity flying. Lily dived to the ground just in time, landing on her injured leg with a dull thud. The pulse missed her by less than a centimetre; her entire hair flew up in its wake.

'Jesus Christ!' she cursed as pain flooded through her leg, but she had no choice but to scramble to her feet if she wanted to escape.

There were bodies and debris everywhere. Thinking fast, Lily spotted a vague route through the mess that might get her past this Death Eater. She needed to distract him. Somehow.

A jet of green light came whizzing towards her before she had any chance to hatch a plan. Another Death Eater had joined her opponent. Together they advanced forwards, sprinting in her direction.

'Impedimenta!' she cried, pointing her wand at the new comer. It missed. She tried again, 'impedimenta!'

This time it hit them, and she was left with one opponent while the other struggled against the resistive force bearing down on their movements. Her mind racing, Lily spied bits of broken stone wall on the ground. An idea formed in her mind.

'Oppugno.' she muttered, directing her wand at the pieces of wall and sending them at her quarry.

Distracted, the Death Eater was forced to blast each bit of stone away and she was able to dart past and through the sea of unconscious bodies. At least she hoped they were only unconscious. If they were dead…

Lily's leg was proving to be problematic. Landing on it seemed to have caused a permanent ache to take up residence so she was limited to a limping run. It was sluggish to move in a different direction so weaving in and out of bodies, other duels, and running wizards and witches was difficult to say the least.

There was no sign of her friends anywhere and Lily could only hope they had got out safely. She herself would have to floo back through The Leaky Cauldron, so she made her aim to reach the end of Diagon Alley. But she forgot about this resolution relatively quickly.

A spell caught her in the midriff; it felt like a punch in the gut, only worse. She doubled over, unable to keep running. Whoever had hit her, had skilled aim. They clearly knew what they were doing.

The fire started by Nellie's bluebell flames had spread and there was smoke in the air. It was making it difficult to see. Lily squinted, staggering forwards – or at least what seemed like the forwards direction; this smoke was making her disorientated. But she had to keep going. Any progress was good progress.

Or so she thought.

'Mmmm…' a voice crooned as she stumbled into something solid. The stench of foul breath clung to the very fibres of her face. They inhaled deeply, as if smelling her. 'Mudblood… Nice and sweet to taste.'

Whoever she had knocked into, shoved her roughly to the ground, their own weight falling with her so that their own face was inches from her own. She came face to face with that of a filthy, hairy man, a face she was all too familiar with. How he managed to look so wolfish even when not transformed had always frightened her, even when he was but a moving picture in the Daily Prophet.

She struggled beneath Fenrir Greyback's inhumanely strong grip. Blood rushed around her body, the adrenalin it brought building her fear in every limb of her body. He grinned, his face so grubby, the dirt seemed woven into his skin.

With one of his claw-like hands, he ripped open the buttons of Lily's coat. She gasped, wanting to cry out for help but he slammed the fist of his other hand into her eye. She barely managed to scrunch up her eyes before the collision. Returning his attention to her clothes, Greyback thrust up her jumper to reveal where the spell had hit her midriff.

What had felt like a punch had turned out to be a cut, one that bled bright crimson blood. Bending down, he ran his tongue along the wound, tasting every molecule of blood there was to be found on it. Lily's body contorted away from him, but his nails dragged their way through her cheek to keep her where she was.

Her fingers tightened around her wand in agony. The wand in return sent a jolt of heat through her hand, which spread up her arm. She had to get out of this. She had to cast a spell and save herself.

'Flipendo,' she whispered, barely managing to form the word at all. The jinx that left her wand was weak, but it was enough to get Greyback off her. He let out a furious roar.

Scrambling to her feet, Lily hurried to her left, limping as fast as she could, hoping to lose Greyback in the smoke. In the corner of her eye, she spied a glimmer of light, likely from a shop window. With nothing to lose, Lily decided to risk it, changing course and wrenching the door open when she reached it.

Mr Ollivander started as she burst into his shop, shaking and likely covered in grime and blood. She coughed, the soot from the air outside making its presence in her lungs known.

'Miss… er – Evans…' he said, startled.

'Please, please, sir,' she begged, limping further into the shop. 'Can I hide in here – I'm being chased?'

'I – of course.' he muttered, ushering her over to the cupboard she had seen him empty earlier.

With a great effort, Lily clambered inside, and Mr Ollivander shut the cupboard doors behind her. She clung to her legs, every part of her body aching with pain and fear. Her cheek was stinging where Greyback had dragged his claws and her eye throbbed from his punch.

She prayed he wouldn't find her here. If he did, then it would surely be her end. There was no escaping this cupboard.

The shop bell tinkled, and Lily's heart leapt into her throat. She could hear Mr Ollivander stammering something. Her insides clenched.

'I'm looking for a Mudblood girl.' Another cough was starting to bubble up inside of Lily's throat. 'She tastes nice. You'd better not be hiding her from me.'

'I – I don't know what you're talking about…' Mr Ollivander tried weakly.

'Go on,' Greyback crooned. 'Tell me where she is… Or I'll make you my dessert.'

'I – I… Please…' Mr Ollivander stuttered. 'She… No…'

There was a thud as Greyback roughly pushed the old wandmaker to the floor. He began to prowl about the room, inhaling a deep breath with each step, almost as if he was trying to taste his way to her hiding place.

The cough was still building in Lily's chest, but she swallowed it down. The tickle at the back of her throat remained as she clutched at her legs, hugging them close to her. Here, in the pitch-black inside of the cupboard, she could see nothing, only hear the great breaths and sniffs coming from Greyback.

'Come out, Mudblood…' he purred. He was so close. His voice had burst easily through the crack between the two cupboard doors, ringing in Lily's ears. 'I'm getting hungry.'

There was silence for a moment. No one moved; not Mr Ollivander still lying on the floor; not Lily holding her breath in the cupboard; not Greyback standing a mere metre from Lily's hiding place. Then, without warning, he pounced, shaking the whole cupboard and her with it.

Lily choked on her own breath. This was it. She was going to die. Professor Acranum's prediction meant nothing.

Cliffhanger! Yay! I'm just keeping up my daily dose of cruelness. Sorry. Or am I?

So what did you think? Any guesses as to who the grand witch is? And what about poor Lily? Will she make it out of the cupboard without being Greyback's snack? We'll see...

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