Chapter 19: Voldemort
James:
As soon as Lily left the room, I burst out into tears again. I stayed in bed for a while, until Sirius and Remus came up to drag me down.
"Guys, please, I don't want anything to eat. I'm tired and I want to stay in bed," I whined.
"No, I don't know what happened, but nothing is bad enough to refuse food. Nothing," said Sirius.
"Said the boy that stuffs himself at every meal and never feels sick," laughed Remus. He sobered quickly when he saw I wasn't laughing. "Listen, come or don't come, but we're going to dinner. Whatever happened, I'm almost positive starving yourself won't make it better."
"Where's Peter?" I asked. "Why didn't he come with you guys to 'cheer me up'?" I asked.
"He went to dinner. He said that he was hungry and if he didn't see you at dinner he'd come to check on you, but he wasn't that worried," explained Sirius, scowling.
"Give me five minutes," I groaned. "I have to talk to Lily anyway. Did she say anything when she came down?"
"Only that you were really upset and she wasn't sure whether or not you wanted to tell us why you weren't in classes all day. That's another reason we came, what happened?" asked Sirius.
"I'll say two words and I guarantee you'll figure it out: Voldemort and parents," I said, starting to tear up again. Remus looked apologetic, but didn't say anything. Sirius clenched and unclenched his fists as though trying to avoid hitting something. Finally, he picked up his pillow and flung it across the room.
"Damn Voldemort!" he shouted. Remus and I looked at each other uncomfortably. "What?" he asked when he noticed the room was silent.
"Well, you just flung an innocent pillow across the room for starters," said Remus.
"You too?" I asked. I understood, I remembered that only last week Sirius had said he was ill.
"Yeah, and I bet either Lily, Cat, or Remus here has their parents next," said Sirius. My stomach gave a funny jolt, as I Saw who's parents were next.
"Let's not think about it now. I'm starting to get hungry, James, get ready, if you aren't down in the Common Room in five minutes, we're going to dinner without you," said Remus, and they left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November passed with little event. We heard no more about killings of innocent people and people were starting to think that Voldemort was going away. Gryffindor won the first Quidditch match of the season against Slytherin, giving us the lead in the house cup. Before anyone knew what hit them, it was time for Winter Break. Sirius and I were both staying at Hogwarts as we didn't have any parents left and Remus and Cat were staying because their parents were going away. Lily hadn't decided whether she was staying or not, but Peter was going because his parents were 'over protective' as he put it. Sirius, Remus and I thought it was because he was scared to stay at Hogwarts with Voldemort on the lose.
The week before the winter holiday was supposed to begin, Lily finally signed up to go home over the holidays. So it would be the four of us over Christmas. But the day before Lily was supposed to leave, I got that jolt in my stomach that I came to dread. After Transfiguration, I ran up to Lily.
"Lily! Lily, wait up!" I shouted and she stopped while people pushed past her for dinner.
"What is it James?" she asked. "You need help with Charms again tonight? Why don't you just go for a float, Lacompte really isn't that bad you know..."
"It's not about Charms. It's not about school. I've been thinking, and I want you to stay here over break. It's safer here than anywhere else."
"James, I'm not going to be in danger. My family are Muggles. We live in the most remote place, Voldemort couldn't reach us there."
"But if you go, then..." I started.
"James! I'll be fine, don't worry about me. Owl me with any news okay?"
"Okay. I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too James," she said and I watched her walk away.
The next day, I woke up early to say good bye to Lily. I went with her to the train station.
"Bye Lily, have a great holiday. I'll owl you," I said, giving her a hug.
"James, I'm only going to be gone for three weeks," she said, laughing, but she returned the hug. The whistle blew and I helped her heave her trunk on to the train. I waved as the train turned a corner and Lily went out of sight (A/N: This is where James realizes he loves Lily, but I didn't want a huge, poetic thing. Neither act for a while though, sorry. Maybe next year, hint, hint). I was the only first year on the platform. It was mostly older students seeing off their boyfriends or girlfriends. I climbed into a carriage with two seventh years that would take us back to the school. I sat in the carriage with two seventh year girls dejectedly, praying that I hadn't just seen Lily for the last time (A/N: In case you're slow, it's her parents he Saw getting killed).
"So, what's your name?" asked one of the seventh years.
"James Potter, and yourselves?" I asked.
"Well, I'm Janis, and this is Dorothy," replied the other seventh year.
"We think that its really cute that your seeing you little girlfriend off. Our boyfriends would never do that for us, they would much rather sleep in," said Dorothy.
"She's not my girlfriend," I said, starting to get annoyed with Janis and Dorothy.
"Right James, sure she isn't," said Janis with a meaningful wink at Dorothy.
"No, she isn't. What? I swear! She's not my girlfriend!" I shouted. All Janis and Dorothy did was smile and nod and pretend to agree with me. When I called them something that would make Sirius cringe, They lapsed into silence, but not before making me upset.
"Good Lord boy! Kiss your mother with that mouth?" asked Janis.
"I used to, that is, until she died," I snapped, fighting back tears. We arrived at the castle just as I couldn't hold it in anymore. I ran up to the dorm and fell asleep.
Christmas morning I got a picture of me, my mother and father taken just before I left for Hogwarts from my aunt. From Sirius, I got Prankster's Bible, from Remus a picture of Lily, Sirius, me, Cat and himself. I smiled at it for a few minutes and put it away. Lily gave me a book of Muggle songs and a note saying that if I ever felt sad, all I could ask her to sing any of these songs. Cat sent me a picture of Lily asleep in my arms from Halloween and Peter didn't get me anything. I grabbed the picture of me and my family and my fathers invisibility cloak and ran out of the dorm with both items stuffed in my bag. I ran out of the castle to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. I climbed a tree and put on the invisibility cloak and just sat there looking at the people in the picture who waved back. I heard a figure walking below me and kept completely still, silencing my sobs. The figure looked up right at me as if it heard me, but saw nothing and kept going through the forest. I was torn: should I follow it or go get a teacher. My bravery took over and nothing stopped it. I decided to follow and laughed. Lily was right, men had no inner voice or conscience. I put the photograph back in my bag and climbed down the tree. I pulled the cloak tighter around me.
I crept silently, following the sound of footsteps ahead. Suddenly, the figure stopped. I stopped too, and hid in the bushes within good hearing distance.
"Master," came a voice from the figure. "It is me, your faithful servant. I have brought you what you asked for." The figure revealed a parcel with a knife, food, and some other supplies.
"Thank you, Lucius. You have been a faithful servant, and Voldemort rewards greatly for good service." The figure that was Lucius Malfoy bowed. "Has the girl gone home?" asked Voldemort.
"Yes," replied Malfoy. "She is with her parents and sister. You are free to do with them what you will, but there is a hitch."
"What is this 'hitch' as you call it? The plan could not be more perfect for Potter's downfall," replied Voldemort.
"The hitch is Potter. He's a Seer, he will alert the girl when he Sees her parents dying," replied Malfoy. "We should have known, there is nothing you can do about a prophecy."
"That is not true," hissed Voldemort. "How dare you not have faith in my plans, Lucius. I thought I proved to you that this would go off without a hitch. You should really listen more carefully Lucius. I think you need another lesson in obedience."
"No, my Lord. I heard, I was merely commenting..." started Malfoy.
"Don't talk back to me, Lucius. Crucio." hissed Voldemort. Malfoy fell to the ground screaming. He writhed in pain. I had enough, I turned silently and left. While I ran back to the castle, the letter I had received when I found out my parents died surfaced in my memory:
"Potter, Potter, wizard blood so fair,
embrace the darkness you will not dare,
one day the good heir of whom the oracle spake,
you will make,
and the darkness he can break-
therefore note,
each and every breath you take,
and that of whom you dote!"
What was this prophecy that Voldemort kept talking about? I was going to tell Sirius and Remus everything and have him help me before going to a teacher. I knew it was stupid, but they would ask many questions that I couldn't answer. I wanted to go a teacher with all the answers and plan. In the Entrance Hall I pulled off the invisibility cloak and was halfway to the portrait hole, when I got another jolt. I turned around and ran straight to the owlry. I just hoped the owl would get to her in time. I got out a sheaf of parchment and scribbled:
Lily,
Get your parents and your sister and get out of there.
- James
I sent the letter off with a school owl telling it to hurry and giving it a speed pellet (A/N: Not the drug, it's just something that makes the owl get there faster). I watched the owl speed off towards Lily.
Chapter 20: Getting James's Letter
Lily:
I was just washing up for dinner and putting a green ribbon in my hair when an owl flew in through the open bathroom window and zoomed around looking for a place to land. I saw that it had a note. I was overjoyed. I hadn't heard from any of my friends over the vacation. I reached out for the owl and was depressed to see how short it was. I read it with haste, stuffed it in my jeans pocket and ran downstairs. I heard a scream.
Standing in the doorway were two tall figures in black cloaks and masks. They spotted me and advanced. I saw Petunia, huddled in a corner.
"Petunia! Get out of here! Go! Now! Get help! Run!" I screamed at her, not taking my eyes off the advancing figures. I heard her scramble to her feet and bolt out the door. I started screaming, trying to attract attention to our house where someone would be able to help, but I didn't run. I looked over and saw my father weeping over my mother's dead body. He looked up and ran, charging at one of the figures, but before he could get any further, the figure he was running at shouted.
"Avada Kedavra!" it bellowed and my father dropped down dead, instantly. Both figures turned to me. "Are you prepared to die, Mudblood?" asked one figure.
"Yes," I answered shortly. In truth, I was not. I wanted to get down on my hands and knees and beg for my life. I was terrified and I wanted to cry, but I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
"That's it? Just 'yes'? No one is that brave, especially a scrawny, short eleven year old Mudblood," sneered the first one.
"Listen you little bastard, there is a snowball's chance in Hell you're going to get me to get down on my knees and beg," I spat.
"Well, why don't we have some fun, eh? What should we do first? I know, how about pain? Crucio," the second one said lazily. A spasm of pain that I had never experienced hit me and I fell to the ground, screaming. The pain was lifted and I looked up, murder in my eyes.
"Bring it on, I'll never beg of anything from you. I spit on you!" and did so. "Tell Voldemort that I'll see him in Hell."
"Will do," said the first. He lifted his wand, but I stood up and faced him. I looked
straight into his eyes. I held him transfixed and prayed to God for help. I heard a gun go off, right before I passed out, the green ribbon in my hair flecked with blood.
James:
As soon as Lily left the room, I burst out into tears again. I stayed in bed for a while, until Sirius and Remus came up to drag me down.
"Guys, please, I don't want anything to eat. I'm tired and I want to stay in bed," I whined.
"No, I don't know what happened, but nothing is bad enough to refuse food. Nothing," said Sirius.
"Said the boy that stuffs himself at every meal and never feels sick," laughed Remus. He sobered quickly when he saw I wasn't laughing. "Listen, come or don't come, but we're going to dinner. Whatever happened, I'm almost positive starving yourself won't make it better."
"Where's Peter?" I asked. "Why didn't he come with you guys to 'cheer me up'?" I asked.
"He went to dinner. He said that he was hungry and if he didn't see you at dinner he'd come to check on you, but he wasn't that worried," explained Sirius, scowling.
"Give me five minutes," I groaned. "I have to talk to Lily anyway. Did she say anything when she came down?"
"Only that you were really upset and she wasn't sure whether or not you wanted to tell us why you weren't in classes all day. That's another reason we came, what happened?" asked Sirius.
"I'll say two words and I guarantee you'll figure it out: Voldemort and parents," I said, starting to tear up again. Remus looked apologetic, but didn't say anything. Sirius clenched and unclenched his fists as though trying to avoid hitting something. Finally, he picked up his pillow and flung it across the room.
"Damn Voldemort!" he shouted. Remus and I looked at each other uncomfortably. "What?" he asked when he noticed the room was silent.
"Well, you just flung an innocent pillow across the room for starters," said Remus.
"You too?" I asked. I understood, I remembered that only last week Sirius had said he was ill.
"Yeah, and I bet either Lily, Cat, or Remus here has their parents next," said Sirius. My stomach gave a funny jolt, as I Saw who's parents were next.
"Let's not think about it now. I'm starting to get hungry, James, get ready, if you aren't down in the Common Room in five minutes, we're going to dinner without you," said Remus, and they left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November passed with little event. We heard no more about killings of innocent people and people were starting to think that Voldemort was going away. Gryffindor won the first Quidditch match of the season against Slytherin, giving us the lead in the house cup. Before anyone knew what hit them, it was time for Winter Break. Sirius and I were both staying at Hogwarts as we didn't have any parents left and Remus and Cat were staying because their parents were going away. Lily hadn't decided whether she was staying or not, but Peter was going because his parents were 'over protective' as he put it. Sirius, Remus and I thought it was because he was scared to stay at Hogwarts with Voldemort on the lose.
The week before the winter holiday was supposed to begin, Lily finally signed up to go home over the holidays. So it would be the four of us over Christmas. But the day before Lily was supposed to leave, I got that jolt in my stomach that I came to dread. After Transfiguration, I ran up to Lily.
"Lily! Lily, wait up!" I shouted and she stopped while people pushed past her for dinner.
"What is it James?" she asked. "You need help with Charms again tonight? Why don't you just go for a float, Lacompte really isn't that bad you know..."
"It's not about Charms. It's not about school. I've been thinking, and I want you to stay here over break. It's safer here than anywhere else."
"James, I'm not going to be in danger. My family are Muggles. We live in the most remote place, Voldemort couldn't reach us there."
"But if you go, then..." I started.
"James! I'll be fine, don't worry about me. Owl me with any news okay?"
"Okay. I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too James," she said and I watched her walk away.
The next day, I woke up early to say good bye to Lily. I went with her to the train station.
"Bye Lily, have a great holiday. I'll owl you," I said, giving her a hug.
"James, I'm only going to be gone for three weeks," she said, laughing, but she returned the hug. The whistle blew and I helped her heave her trunk on to the train. I waved as the train turned a corner and Lily went out of sight (A/N: This is where James realizes he loves Lily, but I didn't want a huge, poetic thing. Neither act for a while though, sorry. Maybe next year, hint, hint). I was the only first year on the platform. It was mostly older students seeing off their boyfriends or girlfriends. I climbed into a carriage with two seventh years that would take us back to the school. I sat in the carriage with two seventh year girls dejectedly, praying that I hadn't just seen Lily for the last time (A/N: In case you're slow, it's her parents he Saw getting killed).
"So, what's your name?" asked one of the seventh years.
"James Potter, and yourselves?" I asked.
"Well, I'm Janis, and this is Dorothy," replied the other seventh year.
"We think that its really cute that your seeing you little girlfriend off. Our boyfriends would never do that for us, they would much rather sleep in," said Dorothy.
"She's not my girlfriend," I said, starting to get annoyed with Janis and Dorothy.
"Right James, sure she isn't," said Janis with a meaningful wink at Dorothy.
"No, she isn't. What? I swear! She's not my girlfriend!" I shouted. All Janis and Dorothy did was smile and nod and pretend to agree with me. When I called them something that would make Sirius cringe, They lapsed into silence, but not before making me upset.
"Good Lord boy! Kiss your mother with that mouth?" asked Janis.
"I used to, that is, until she died," I snapped, fighting back tears. We arrived at the castle just as I couldn't hold it in anymore. I ran up to the dorm and fell asleep.
Christmas morning I got a picture of me, my mother and father taken just before I left for Hogwarts from my aunt. From Sirius, I got Prankster's Bible, from Remus a picture of Lily, Sirius, me, Cat and himself. I smiled at it for a few minutes and put it away. Lily gave me a book of Muggle songs and a note saying that if I ever felt sad, all I could ask her to sing any of these songs. Cat sent me a picture of Lily asleep in my arms from Halloween and Peter didn't get me anything. I grabbed the picture of me and my family and my fathers invisibility cloak and ran out of the dorm with both items stuffed in my bag. I ran out of the castle to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. I climbed a tree and put on the invisibility cloak and just sat there looking at the people in the picture who waved back. I heard a figure walking below me and kept completely still, silencing my sobs. The figure looked up right at me as if it heard me, but saw nothing and kept going through the forest. I was torn: should I follow it or go get a teacher. My bravery took over and nothing stopped it. I decided to follow and laughed. Lily was right, men had no inner voice or conscience. I put the photograph back in my bag and climbed down the tree. I pulled the cloak tighter around me.
I crept silently, following the sound of footsteps ahead. Suddenly, the figure stopped. I stopped too, and hid in the bushes within good hearing distance.
"Master," came a voice from the figure. "It is me, your faithful servant. I have brought you what you asked for." The figure revealed a parcel with a knife, food, and some other supplies.
"Thank you, Lucius. You have been a faithful servant, and Voldemort rewards greatly for good service." The figure that was Lucius Malfoy bowed. "Has the girl gone home?" asked Voldemort.
"Yes," replied Malfoy. "She is with her parents and sister. You are free to do with them what you will, but there is a hitch."
"What is this 'hitch' as you call it? The plan could not be more perfect for Potter's downfall," replied Voldemort.
"The hitch is Potter. He's a Seer, he will alert the girl when he Sees her parents dying," replied Malfoy. "We should have known, there is nothing you can do about a prophecy."
"That is not true," hissed Voldemort. "How dare you not have faith in my plans, Lucius. I thought I proved to you that this would go off without a hitch. You should really listen more carefully Lucius. I think you need another lesson in obedience."
"No, my Lord. I heard, I was merely commenting..." started Malfoy.
"Don't talk back to me, Lucius. Crucio." hissed Voldemort. Malfoy fell to the ground screaming. He writhed in pain. I had enough, I turned silently and left. While I ran back to the castle, the letter I had received when I found out my parents died surfaced in my memory:
"Potter, Potter, wizard blood so fair,
embrace the darkness you will not dare,
one day the good heir of whom the oracle spake,
you will make,
and the darkness he can break-
therefore note,
each and every breath you take,
and that of whom you dote!"
What was this prophecy that Voldemort kept talking about? I was going to tell Sirius and Remus everything and have him help me before going to a teacher. I knew it was stupid, but they would ask many questions that I couldn't answer. I wanted to go a teacher with all the answers and plan. In the Entrance Hall I pulled off the invisibility cloak and was halfway to the portrait hole, when I got another jolt. I turned around and ran straight to the owlry. I just hoped the owl would get to her in time. I got out a sheaf of parchment and scribbled:
Lily,
Get your parents and your sister and get out of there.
- James
I sent the letter off with a school owl telling it to hurry and giving it a speed pellet (A/N: Not the drug, it's just something that makes the owl get there faster). I watched the owl speed off towards Lily.
Chapter 20: Getting James's Letter
Lily:
I was just washing up for dinner and putting a green ribbon in my hair when an owl flew in through the open bathroom window and zoomed around looking for a place to land. I saw that it had a note. I was overjoyed. I hadn't heard from any of my friends over the vacation. I reached out for the owl and was depressed to see how short it was. I read it with haste, stuffed it in my jeans pocket and ran downstairs. I heard a scream.
Standing in the doorway were two tall figures in black cloaks and masks. They spotted me and advanced. I saw Petunia, huddled in a corner.
"Petunia! Get out of here! Go! Now! Get help! Run!" I screamed at her, not taking my eyes off the advancing figures. I heard her scramble to her feet and bolt out the door. I started screaming, trying to attract attention to our house where someone would be able to help, but I didn't run. I looked over and saw my father weeping over my mother's dead body. He looked up and ran, charging at one of the figures, but before he could get any further, the figure he was running at shouted.
"Avada Kedavra!" it bellowed and my father dropped down dead, instantly. Both figures turned to me. "Are you prepared to die, Mudblood?" asked one figure.
"Yes," I answered shortly. In truth, I was not. I wanted to get down on my hands and knees and beg for my life. I was terrified and I wanted to cry, but I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
"That's it? Just 'yes'? No one is that brave, especially a scrawny, short eleven year old Mudblood," sneered the first one.
"Listen you little bastard, there is a snowball's chance in Hell you're going to get me to get down on my knees and beg," I spat.
"Well, why don't we have some fun, eh? What should we do first? I know, how about pain? Crucio," the second one said lazily. A spasm of pain that I had never experienced hit me and I fell to the ground, screaming. The pain was lifted and I looked up, murder in my eyes.
"Bring it on, I'll never beg of anything from you. I spit on you!" and did so. "Tell Voldemort that I'll see him in Hell."
"Will do," said the first. He lifted his wand, but I stood up and faced him. I looked
straight into his eyes. I held him transfixed and prayed to God for help. I heard a gun go off, right before I passed out, the green ribbon in my hair flecked with blood.