Disclaimer: Guess what! I didn't create these people! Go figure! I do however own the plot, so read on, children, read on.
Chapter Three
In another part of England, at about the same time that James was racing across school grounds, a tall, thin, man dressed in robes, entered a house in Little Hangleton. He went unnoticed by the entirety of the town, walking in through the front door as though he had owned the place. No one in that town noticed anything unusual about the manor on the hill overlooking the town, save for the gardener who lived in a run-down cottage on the grounds of the house. He only happened to be looking outside his window at the manor and noticed that the whole house had lit up with a green light. He thought nothing of it, however, due to the fact that he had always thought anyone with as much money to burn as the Riddles, had to be at least a bit peculiar. It wasn't until the next morning that the cries of a maid that entered into the drawing room that the villagers of the small town found something unusual. All three remaining Riddles had died suddenly without cause, apparently at the same time.
* * * * * * * * * * *
James raced down the stairs, *Where should I go first? To a professor? Should I just run to the Shrieking Shack? Snape's got about a twenty minute head start on me, I only wished that Christina were here. She'd know what to do!* With those thoughts in his head, he shoved open the portrait hole, and knocked Christina over. Her eyes were red and streaked with tears. "Christina! I was just thinking about you! Come with me, I need your help!" James grabbed Christina by the sleeve of her robes, and dragged her along while telling her what had happened.
"Come on, I know what to do!" Christina started racing along side James all the while wiping tears from her eyes. They ran through the school, and across the grounds, and before they knew it, they were standing outside of the Whomping Willow. "Ok, James, here's the plan; if we aren't too late, I want you to grab Snape, and hit him over the head as hard as you can. While you drag him out of the shack, I'll do my best to hold Remus off."
"I can't do that, it will leave you defenseless against a full fledged werewolf! I should hold him off, I'm stronger!" James protested. "You wouldn't even be here if I hadn't grabbed you!"
"You have to do it, James. I'm not strong enough to knock Snape out, and I certainly can't drag him that far. Besides, if Remus breaks through you, Snape and I are done for. At least this way, you'll get a far enough head start, and may be able to get through the Whomping Willow before me." As James sputtered and tried to think of another idea, Christina said, "one more thing, as soon as you and Snape get through the Whomping Willow, prod the knot and activate it again. Listen, DON'T WAIT FOR ME!!! I know what I'm going to do! Now, let's go!" With that, Christina prodded the knot, and raced down the passageway towards the Shrieking Shack with James following close behind her. Nearing the end of the passageway, they could hear the screams of Remus transforming, and they could just make out a wide-eyed Snape watching from outside the door of the room Remus was in.
When they got to Snape, he was sputtering and in shock, "He's…. That's….. God…. But…. But… He's…. " James hit him right in the head with a spell (Stupefy!) and began to drag him down the passageway towards the Whomping Willow.
"Christina, come on! We can all make it, there's still time!" James yelled over the yells coming from the other room. Christina just stood there, tears running down her face. It struck James that she looked remarkably the same as Saint Joan would have looked, waiting to be set on fire for heresy.
"James," her voice sounded calm and restrained. "Go. Please, tell Remus that it wasn't his fault. I knew what I was getting into, and I accepted my fate as it was. Tell Lils, Ana, and Si that I loved them. Tell Peter to not do what he has been thinking about. He'll know what you mean. And James? I love you too."
"What the hell are you talking about Christina??? You can't mean to…" James's eyes widened in horror. "Christina, no! Think of your family!" With that statement, a new batch of tears formed in Christina's eyes. The door behind her began to shudder as the massive werewolf tried to get to the human prey that he could smell just beyond the barrier.
"James, go! I'll hex you, I mean it. Save yourself and Snape. Your life is meant for greater things than this, GO!" James gave one last wistful glance towards Christina, and glanced at Snape. He couldn't possibly carry both of them, and Christina had now drawn her wand, as though to make good on her offer to hex him. His decision seemed to be made for him in an instant.
"Alright, Christina. I'm going. But I'm coming back for you, I swear it!" James swung Snape over his shoulder, and ran down the passageway. He could hear Christina muttering an incantation, but couldn't make out the words. As soon as he got through the Whomping Willow, he turned to go back for Christina. He prodded the knot. The passageway wouldn't open. He suddenly realized what the incantation was that Christina was muttering. She had blocked the path so that he couldn't come back in. James fell to his knees and screamed her name.
Christina heard James's screams, and sighed to herself. *I love you mom and dad, I'll see you soon.* She then opened the door, and walked through to where her fate was waiting.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Lily woke out of a deep sleep with a start. Something was wrong. She didn't know what, but she had to find out where all of her friends were. Right now. She climbed out of her bed, and noted that Ana was sleeping softly in the bed next to hers. Christina had not yet returned from Professor Dumbledore's office. *Strange, she thought, it's almost 10:30, if this meteor shower is as important as Dumbledore has made it out to be, he would have had her back by now.*
She walked down the stairs, and crept into the common room. Sirius was sitting on the couch in front of the fire with a concerned look on his face.
"Sirius, what's wrong. Where's James. I know something is wrong, you need to tell me." Lily was near panic when she finally reached him.
Sirius looked at Lily blankly for a minute as if he were trying to figure out who she was. "He's gone to the Shrieking Shack, Lily. I don't know if he'll be back or not."
Lily's eyes widened in horror. *Why would he go to the Shrieking Shack? Has he got a death wish?* Millions of thoughts ran throughout her head. Out loud to Sirius, she said simply, "Why?"
Sirius's explanation began with "Please don't hate me for this, Lily. It was all a joke……"
A/N And here it is, Chapter 3. Personally, I like this one the best. Once again, please rate and review, I have a low self esteem and need a boost to my confidence! Just kidding, I just want to know what all you wonderful wonderful people think!!! ~~Ryn
Chapter Three
In another part of England, at about the same time that James was racing across school grounds, a tall, thin, man dressed in robes, entered a house in Little Hangleton. He went unnoticed by the entirety of the town, walking in through the front door as though he had owned the place. No one in that town noticed anything unusual about the manor on the hill overlooking the town, save for the gardener who lived in a run-down cottage on the grounds of the house. He only happened to be looking outside his window at the manor and noticed that the whole house had lit up with a green light. He thought nothing of it, however, due to the fact that he had always thought anyone with as much money to burn as the Riddles, had to be at least a bit peculiar. It wasn't until the next morning that the cries of a maid that entered into the drawing room that the villagers of the small town found something unusual. All three remaining Riddles had died suddenly without cause, apparently at the same time.
* * * * * * * * * * *
James raced down the stairs, *Where should I go first? To a professor? Should I just run to the Shrieking Shack? Snape's got about a twenty minute head start on me, I only wished that Christina were here. She'd know what to do!* With those thoughts in his head, he shoved open the portrait hole, and knocked Christina over. Her eyes were red and streaked with tears. "Christina! I was just thinking about you! Come with me, I need your help!" James grabbed Christina by the sleeve of her robes, and dragged her along while telling her what had happened.
"Come on, I know what to do!" Christina started racing along side James all the while wiping tears from her eyes. They ran through the school, and across the grounds, and before they knew it, they were standing outside of the Whomping Willow. "Ok, James, here's the plan; if we aren't too late, I want you to grab Snape, and hit him over the head as hard as you can. While you drag him out of the shack, I'll do my best to hold Remus off."
"I can't do that, it will leave you defenseless against a full fledged werewolf! I should hold him off, I'm stronger!" James protested. "You wouldn't even be here if I hadn't grabbed you!"
"You have to do it, James. I'm not strong enough to knock Snape out, and I certainly can't drag him that far. Besides, if Remus breaks through you, Snape and I are done for. At least this way, you'll get a far enough head start, and may be able to get through the Whomping Willow before me." As James sputtered and tried to think of another idea, Christina said, "one more thing, as soon as you and Snape get through the Whomping Willow, prod the knot and activate it again. Listen, DON'T WAIT FOR ME!!! I know what I'm going to do! Now, let's go!" With that, Christina prodded the knot, and raced down the passageway towards the Shrieking Shack with James following close behind her. Nearing the end of the passageway, they could hear the screams of Remus transforming, and they could just make out a wide-eyed Snape watching from outside the door of the room Remus was in.
When they got to Snape, he was sputtering and in shock, "He's…. That's….. God…. But…. But… He's…. " James hit him right in the head with a spell (Stupefy!) and began to drag him down the passageway towards the Whomping Willow.
"Christina, come on! We can all make it, there's still time!" James yelled over the yells coming from the other room. Christina just stood there, tears running down her face. It struck James that she looked remarkably the same as Saint Joan would have looked, waiting to be set on fire for heresy.
"James," her voice sounded calm and restrained. "Go. Please, tell Remus that it wasn't his fault. I knew what I was getting into, and I accepted my fate as it was. Tell Lils, Ana, and Si that I loved them. Tell Peter to not do what he has been thinking about. He'll know what you mean. And James? I love you too."
"What the hell are you talking about Christina??? You can't mean to…" James's eyes widened in horror. "Christina, no! Think of your family!" With that statement, a new batch of tears formed in Christina's eyes. The door behind her began to shudder as the massive werewolf tried to get to the human prey that he could smell just beyond the barrier.
"James, go! I'll hex you, I mean it. Save yourself and Snape. Your life is meant for greater things than this, GO!" James gave one last wistful glance towards Christina, and glanced at Snape. He couldn't possibly carry both of them, and Christina had now drawn her wand, as though to make good on her offer to hex him. His decision seemed to be made for him in an instant.
"Alright, Christina. I'm going. But I'm coming back for you, I swear it!" James swung Snape over his shoulder, and ran down the passageway. He could hear Christina muttering an incantation, but couldn't make out the words. As soon as he got through the Whomping Willow, he turned to go back for Christina. He prodded the knot. The passageway wouldn't open. He suddenly realized what the incantation was that Christina was muttering. She had blocked the path so that he couldn't come back in. James fell to his knees and screamed her name.
Christina heard James's screams, and sighed to herself. *I love you mom and dad, I'll see you soon.* She then opened the door, and walked through to where her fate was waiting.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Lily woke out of a deep sleep with a start. Something was wrong. She didn't know what, but she had to find out where all of her friends were. Right now. She climbed out of her bed, and noted that Ana was sleeping softly in the bed next to hers. Christina had not yet returned from Professor Dumbledore's office. *Strange, she thought, it's almost 10:30, if this meteor shower is as important as Dumbledore has made it out to be, he would have had her back by now.*
She walked down the stairs, and crept into the common room. Sirius was sitting on the couch in front of the fire with a concerned look on his face.
"Sirius, what's wrong. Where's James. I know something is wrong, you need to tell me." Lily was near panic when she finally reached him.
Sirius looked at Lily blankly for a minute as if he were trying to figure out who she was. "He's gone to the Shrieking Shack, Lily. I don't know if he'll be back or not."
Lily's eyes widened in horror. *Why would he go to the Shrieking Shack? Has he got a death wish?* Millions of thoughts ran throughout her head. Out loud to Sirius, she said simply, "Why?"
Sirius's explanation began with "Please don't hate me for this, Lily. It was all a joke……"
A/N And here it is, Chapter 3. Personally, I like this one the best. Once again, please rate and review, I have a low self esteem and need a boost to my confidence! Just kidding, I just want to know what all you wonderful wonderful people think!!! ~~Ryn