Chapter 3- Dumbledore's Death
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story, they all belong to J.K Rowling.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading this story, your feedback is priceless! I thought I might just tell you the plans I have for the story, which might in turn answer some of your questions in the reviews. I plan on this chapter being about Dumbledore's death, and when Harry breaks up with Ginny. The next chapter will be a little bit about the Horcrux hunt, but mainly about the final battle, and Fred, Tonks and Remus coming to Above, and them talking about what might come in the future. I plan on doing most of the story after the Battle of Hogwarts, as I can take creative license and create my version of what happens after the war. On a side note, I don't plan on Dumbledore being a main character in this story, but he will 'pop by' to give them some answers about what happened. Now, on with the story!
"I can't believe our child is in love, James. It seems like just yesterday Remus and Sirius were over for Harry's first Christmas, and Sirius gave him that toy broomstick. I remember Remus was sitting on the couch with Harry in his arms, and you and Sirius were taking turns transforming in front of Harry's eyes, and I was laughing on the couch next to Remus. I remember when he said 'Dada' for the first time, and you sent a message to Sirius before hugging Harry and me. I remember when he first said 'Moo-y, Pa-oot and Pons' and the three of you started jumping up and down like mad!" Lily said to her husband as they sat together the day after Harry's kiss. James looked over at his wife and saw her eyes were glistening brightly. "It's sad that we were never there for his first friend, his first proper broomstick, his first Hogwarts letter, his first kiss…" Lily trailed off. They had named Harry's crush on Cho the "Chang Fiasco", and Lily dearly hoped that Ginny Weasley would be better than that, and she had a 'mother's inkling', as she called it, that the girl was going to stay. She seemed to understand Harry on a level that not even Ron and Hermione could, and Lily could tell that Harry felt more confident in telling Ginny his worries.
"I know, Lils, I wish we were there too, and I know there will be times after the war when Harry will wish, probably more than ever, that we were there to meet Ginny, or at his wedding, or to meet our grandchildren. But he's got the Weasleys, who have practically adopted him, as well as Remus to look after him. Besides, if this Ginny kid works out, the Weasleys really will be his family." James responded, a lump forming in his throat at the thought of his son starting a family without his own to help him. He swallowed quickly and hoped that his wife didn't notice. He needed to be strong for her. Unluckily for James, however, Lily noticed and shuffled closer to him.
"James, you don't need to hold in your emotions so that I don't see. I am your wife, and I am the one that you should feel confident enough to pour everything out to." Lily reprimanded, and James cursed his wife's ability to tell what he was thinking.
"I just wanted to be strong for you, I guess. But, whilst your here, do you mind listening to my woes?" James asked slowly. Lily looked at him with those gorgeous emerald eyes, which shone with love and care, and nodded. James took in a deep breath and held Lily's hand.
"Ok, there are a lot of things I'm worried about. I'm worried about Remus. We've been gone for 15-odd years, and Sirius has been gone for a year, and he's trying to push through, but I'm scared that something is going to happen, and Harry will lose the last of his father's closest friends. And I can tell that the Nympahdora girl loves Remus, and I know he does as well, but knowing Remus, he will push her away in an attempt not to hurt her, but that will just hurt both of them even more. I just hope Remus realises she loves him for who he is before it's too late." James took a breath, and Lily pulled him into a hug and squeezed his hand. "I'm scared for everyone, really, Harry, Ron, Hermione, the Weasleys, the Order and all the teachers and kids at Hogwarts. I think it's pretty obvious that something is going to happen soon, and we know all too well that a war can't be won without a few casualties. I also think that it's pretty obvious that- that Harry is going to have to face Voldemort to win the war. He knows it, Dumbledore knows it, his friends know it, everyone knows it. When and how? Nobody knows, but it's going to happen. And I don't know who's going to survive." A tear rolled down James' cheek, and Lily brushed it away gently.
"I think some part of us always knew that Harry was going to have to face Voldemort ever since the curse rebounded, and now it's just becoming more realistic as the tension builds. But I know that our son will win. He is 'The Boy Who Lived' after all." Lily reassured her husband. James kissed her cheek lightly.
"If-When the war is over, I think Harry and Ginny are going to get married. She is perfect for him, we both know that. And with marriage comes kids. I know Harry and Ginny have Molly and Arthur, but Harry will probably wish that we were there, to give him advice, and to meet our grandchildren, his children. I just feel so sad at the fact that whilst the Weasleys will be there to dot over them, nothing can replace seeing your parents hold their grandchildren. And at his wedding, in all the family photos, we won't be there in the crowd, crying as we watch our son get married to a wonderful, brave and fierce woman." James was properly crying now, and Lily held him tight. Her heart ached for her husband, who always tried to be strong.
"James, we will be there, right with him throughout everything you just talked about. We will be there in his heart." Lily whispered, and James sat up.
"You're right, as always." James joked, and wiped away the tears on his cheeks.
"Lily, James, come here NOW!" Sirius yelled, and the couple looked at each other in fear of what they were about to see. They stood up, and James gave Lily a final, comforting hug before they bolted over to Sirius.
"Padfoot, what-?" James asked, but Sirius quickly silenced him.
"Prongs, shut up and watch!" He told him, and the three of them looked on nervously. Currently, Harry was forcing Duumbledore to drink the poisonous potion, and Lily could tell how much it was killing Harry to do this. Her heart ached everytime he gave Dumbledore the goblet, and nearly cried when Dumbledore started moaning and talking nonsense. When Harry and Dumbledore finally left the cave, Sirius, James and Lily all breathed a sigh of relief, but they were also worried as to whether or not the kindly old wizard would survive the night. When the pair arrived at Hogsmeade safely, Lily felt her heart rate slow down as she breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. When Madame Rosmerta pointed out the Dark Mark hanging over Hogwarts, the threesome gasped, and James grabbed Lily's hand. After their conversation earlier, Lily's nerves were peaked.
They watched as Harry and Dumbledore flew to the Astronomy Tower, and James could tell that Dumbledore was getting weaker by the second. He willed his son to get help fast, but when they entered the Tower, James knew that help wouldn't be coming for a long time. He gripped his wife's hand tighter when Draco Malfoy stepped out of the shadows, and disarmed Dumbledore. "NO!" Sirius yelled, shaking his fist. He was worried that because Dumbledore didn't have a wand, anyone could kill him. Could kill Harry. And judging by the way Lily's face paled, and James' lips tightened, they were thinking the same thing. But then Sirius noticed something, and he nudged James. "Prongs, look! Harry is under the Invisbilty Cloak, and I think Dumbledore immobilised him!" On closer inspection, James could tell that Sirius was right. He turned to inform Lily, who's face gained a bit more colour when she realised Harry was safe for the time being. James allowed himself a small smile as Dumbledore, clearly in a lot of pain and getting weaker by the second, talked to Draco as calmly as if the two were discussing the weather. "Of course Dumbledore had already figured this out…" he thought to himself. When Snape burst into the room, Sirius and James jumped and yelled loudly, but Lily's grip on James' hand tightened even more, and James hugged her. Lily could only imagine what Harry was thinking right now, and she hoped that he wasn't going to see what was bound to happen. They heard Dumbledore's pleas, and watched as Snape's cold eyes looked directly into Dumbledore's twinkilgn blue ones, and raised his wand.
"Avada Kedavra!" Snape yelled.
"No, no, no!" Lily screamed, and James held her close as she watched her former best friend murder the Headmaster. James and Sirius were shaking with suppressed fury.
"That, that, that-" Sirius growled, so mad he couldn't even form a coherent sentence.
"How could he!" James yelled, but Lily remained silent. She only had eyes for Harry, and she watched as he left the room, overcome with grief and anger. The three didn't remember much fo the fight, looking back on it later, but James clearly remembered when Harry discovered that the Horcrux was a fake. The look on Harry's face sent Lily into tears, and she sobbed along with her son, and James and Sirius had suspiciously shiny eyes watching the scene unfold.
When they saw everyone in the Hospital Wing, Lily felt relieved that there was no more fighting, at least for the time being. James and Sirius groaned at Remus' encounter with Tonks, but were happy that the woman was brave enough to tell Remus her true feelings, and grinned when even Professsor McGonagall agreed with her. Dumbledore's funeral was very hard to watch, and Sirius, Lily and James watched with tears on their cheeks as the funeral proceeded. And then came Harry and Ginny's break-up. James and Lily watched with sadness as their son tired to protect the girl he loved, and were eternally grateful that Ginny understood him, but Lily knew that Harry was still very deeply in love with her, and that they would get back together after the war.
"Noble git." Sirius muttered.
"I don't think this is going to be easy for Harry either, though." Lily told him. "He still loves her." She added, addressing James, who looked upset at what had just happened. "And she still loves Harry." Lily said. "I don't think this break-up is permanent, I think that Harry is just trying to protect the people he loves."
"Ginny understood him, and knew that he had his reasons though, which I think is better that what most other people would do, which would be to turn into a blubbering mess." James added.
"Definitely. I think we are going to be seeing a lot more of them in the future." Sirius said.
A/N: Yay! Another chapter done! Sorry if James seemed a bit out of character in the first part of this chapter, I just really like writing the side of James that he really only shows to Lily, and that Lily was able to comfort him. The next chapter should be up in 4-5 days or so! In the meantime, I always appreciate reviews!
