James Potter and The Unogua Board
Chapter 12: Death and Souls In Face
The creature stepped out of the mirror and James gaped, frozen with terror. He (or was it an it? James wasn't quite sure) had black markings on his body, and was so thin that all his red skin covered was just bare bones. No muscle, nothing. Just bones and the tight skin that clung onto it.
James felt like yelling again, but his throat was too tight to speak.
Speak, Potter, speak! You had a lot of saliva and tongue waggling in school, so why not now? He urged himself.
A little more! Yell! Even a word will do! Just get Bec up!
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' James yelled at last, deafening even himself. He congratulated himself silently, impressed at his voice's talent in yelling. A distant bang of door was heard and Bec ran into Lily's room, her wand in hand.
'What—AAAAAAAAAh!!!' Bec shrieked, when she saw the creature before the petrified and white James. Tibby ran in hurriedly in fright and stood protectively before her mistress. The creature turned to look at the newcomers. His lipless lips curved into a sinister smile.
'Three,' his deep voice bellowed horrendously. 'No one should mess with the kid.'
'You stay away from mistress!' Tibby cried in her squeaky voice.
'Ah, an elf. I could do with one now. Tremendously hungry,' the creature said, his purple tongue licking his teeth. To everyone's surprise, Tibby was suddenly hurled across the room.
'Tibby!' Bec cried. The little elf lay unconscious.
'W- who're you?' James stuttered.
'The one and only,' he sneered, 'Hades.'
'Well, what are you doing here? Get back to where you're suppose to be!' Bec yelled.
'That redhead snippet did once say that everyone will die,' Hades snickered, his eyeball flickering to the lifeless form of Lily Evans, 'It's your turn now.'
'W-wait!! What have we got to do with this?' James stammered. He couldn't well see any connection at the moment. It was too confusing.
'You know that well, James Potter, so why ask?' said Hades silkily. James thought for a while.
'I don't know anything!'
'You gave her the courage to go on. She wouldn't take orders anymore,' the monster boomed.
James blinked, confused. 'Huh?'
'Lily was under my command! I almost had her, until you and her meddlesome cousin start helping!' Hades roared.
'Um, it's not really proper, but do you mind explaining?' James said politely.
Seeing that he asked politely, Hades decided to let him have some extra time on earth. After all, he wasn't in any much hurry. 'Lily Evans was my target, ever since I met her. Her ability to connect with the spiritual world was her specialty. Her talent for a witch is.. tempting. I like her attitude and her loneliness.'
'You hadn't seen her before,' Bec said, frowning immensely.
'The one that freed her from the railroad, eh? Rebecca Hart,' Hades said.
'You- you're that boy!' James meant it as a question, but it came out as a statement.
'Lily should have died at that time. Her patience, I must say, is also complimentary.'
'Why do you want Lily?' Bec asked, arming herself with her wand.
'She'd been my target. To be the Queen of the Underworld. Her ability to speak to spirits was the main reason. Her hunger for knowledge had taught her all.' At this point, Hades released a string of cruel laughter. 'And! Her resistance to orders was another admirably good reason why I want her.
'I tried to get her, when she was four. Tying her to a railroad track was a good way. It failed, because Rebecca Hart tampered in that. When the girl was five, I gave a second try. In the process, I killed her parents. When she was turned from home at eleven, I tried about. But Rebecca Hart found her before I could even make a move. Just before Christmas, I blew up the school she went to. But that foolish rule-breaking kid was picnicking and thus, was safe! Now that I have her now, all I need to do now is to win her.' Hades sneered evilly before letting out another cackle of laughter.
'You can't win her. Like you had so kindly pointed out, she wouldn't take orders,' Bec snapped.
'I can't, can I? Well then, I'll have to take you with me, to make her!' Hades boomed. His arm extended suddenly in an alarming rate towards Bec. Tibby, who had just regained consciousness, jumped before her mistress bravely.
'You shall not harm my mistress!' she cried firmly, using her magic to block the extra long arm.
'Aah… Spirited thing now, aren't you?' Hades said smoothly. He turned to James. 'Well, you'll do, too, James Potter!'
James shut his eyes tightly and waited for the worst. After all, he have got to die someday, so what difference does it make if his death time comes just earlier? The only thing he regretted now was that he should've played with Shirley dolls before leaving, just so that she couldn't cry when she knew he was dead.
After a considerably long time, the worst hadn't come yet. James opened an eye timidly. Hades seemed to be squirming in pain and James could see why.
'What's happening?' Bec asked. James stared at her, blinking.
'Can't you see, Bec? It's them! They came!' James cried joyfully.
'Them who?' Bec asked in puzzlement.
'The spirits! That looked like Lily's mother, her father… and there's a great number of them!!' James said excitedly. Bec blinked again.
'Where?'
'Around Hades. Can't you see them?'
'Actually… no. I don't see anyone or anything, except Hades squirming in pain,' Bec replied.
James ignored her, turning eagerly to support the spirits of their spectacular job of saving him from his death. One of them flew – glided – to him, grinning.
"Hi, James Potter. I am Ana," she said in an echo-ish voice.
'Ana! What's happening?' James asked. 'It's nice to see you. Great to know that spirits don't rot like their bodies.'
"You can see us, James, like Lily. These are the Spirits that Lily know," Ana said, deciding to ignore his last comment as it sounded stupid should a spirit/soul rot.
'This many?!'
"This many. We are all here to go after him. None of us wanted her dead," Ana said. "Only a huge number of strong spirits can win him. Lily gave us the courage, without knowing it."
'Good luck, then! And work harder, kay? We'll beat him and I know it!' James said. Ana winked at him before gliding off.
'Who're you talking to?' Bec asked curiously.
'Ana. The spirit that Lily knew.'
'Is Mister Potter sick? You are saying things,' Tibby said worriedly. Bec turned to look at Hades. He seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. Finally, he burst into a puff of orange smoke. James cheered and whooped happily, cartwheeling madly on the floor.
"James."
'Huh?' James said, panting heavily after his celebration.
"I am Lily's mother," Jie said softly, in the same echo-like voice. James nodded, remembering her from the picture album.
"The singing shell…" James perked.
'You know where it is? Where? Where? Hurry up! Tell me!' he demanded.
Jie held out a small, luminous box. She pushed it into James's hands.
"It is here. Lily left it in my possession, not in the shell box as you had thought. It is a good thing that you made the choice to get connected to our world. That way, you can see us at some times through this mirror. And I can give you this, too, so that Lily would be saved," Jie said with a soft smile.
'This mirror?' James asked, pointing at Lily's mirror.
"It is connected to the spiritual world. Sometimes, the spirit will come out through this. Mia sends a message to pour the potion into her mouth. Goodbye, James, and thank you," Jie said, going into the mirror, which now resembled a porthole. As soon as she left, the mirror warped back into the shiny surface that reflected Lily's starry room. The box is now visible to mortal eyes and it turned solid.
'Good. That means it saves time to call the owl, find a box and all,' James muttered thankfully to the box.
'What's that, James?' Bec asked curiously.
'Lily's cure. Mia gave it to her,' James said, going to Lily's bed. He opened her mouth and took the shell out. It had a sort of opening, and James tipped it into Lily's mouth, deciding that it must be the only way to drink the potion.
Bec crossed her fingers hopefully, Tibby began murmuring something and James waited expectantly for Lily to wake. She didn't. Nor did she breathe.
'Mia probably made a mistake in the ingredients,' Bec said, disappointed.
~**~
The next morning, James woke up blearily and looked around him, confused at where he was. He saw Bec, leaning against Lily's cupboard. He must have fallen asleep too, whilst waiting for Lily to come to life.
And speaking of Lily… where is she? The bed was empty and a white piece of note was pinned on it. James grabbed it up hurriedly.
Lily Evans Is Gone.
James jumped up to get the Unogua, deciding to ask Mia some questions about her potion.
'Ow!' He hit something solid. He turned.
'Lily!!!' James exclaimed. 'I thought you were really gone!'
True enough, Lily was grinning broadly next to him. James had never seen Lily grinned before, and realized that she looked cute when she did (grin).
'Hello,' Lily greeted cheerily. 'Do you like that joke?' James frowned.
'No. I thought you were really gone!' he said in a scolding tone. 'When did you get up? It's…' he checked the clock – 'seven in the morning.'
'I got up?' Lily said in confusement. 'I don't know. I just "woke" up.'
'How did it feel, to be a spirit? Is it fun?' James inquired.
'…'
'Okay, you're not telling. I knew it already,' James muttered.
'Do you still want the Unogua?' Lily asked suddenly.
'Um yeah, but it's yours,' James said.
'You can have that one.'
'Huh? Why? You're not giving it up, are you?'
'Of course not. Look what Ana and Mia gave me,' Lily said, happily showing James her new set of Unogua. I sent them the box they asked and they gave me this.'
'Wow. I'm jealous,' James said.
'Lily!!! Oh, Lily, you're alive!' Bec cried, jumping up at once.
'I am, Bec. Have I died already?' Lily asked. Bec's eyes welled up with tears. She blinked them away happily before putting on a stern face.
'Lily, you still have to do your homework. Finish them now!' she said sternly.
'Yes, Bec,' Lily said meekly.
'I think I'd get going now,' James said, retrieving his broomstick from his room. 'Thank you so much for everything!'
'Bye. James?' Lily said.
'What?'
'Thank you, for being a friend,' Lily said, hugging him. James grinned.
'D'you still hate me?' he asked.
'No. Goodbye,' Lily said. James mounted on his broom, the Unogua box tucked under his arm.
'Ciao! Thanks for everything!' James called, waving, as he shot off.
After flying above the puffy white clouds for approximately five minutes, James screeched onto the brakes, nearly bumping a flight of crows. He gasped.
'Oh, no!! Shirley still want to play dolls!' James cried. 'Why did I make that stupid wish? Why didn't I stay much longer? Why, why, why???? James Potter, you're still an idiot!'
~**~
AN: I finished :) as promised, this is the last chapter [no, it is NOT a joke] and that's the end of this story. I'd finally finished posting all twelve chapters and I have a new story coming on. It's a new story [nothing to do with The Marauding Five] and I made it a L/J ^_^ it's for Christmas [ahahahahaha – do I do anything on time?] and after that one, I'll begin Year Six. I'll be super busy, but I asked for it! So much for coping with stress, huh? I told my senior that I know how to cope stress, but she didn't believe me. She'll have to see what I've been doing…
I do seem to have something for long chapter titles, don't I? hah, one day, i might even come up with a title called "The Very Sad, Embarassing, Disgusting, Deep, Dark, Unknown Moments Of The Marauders Of Harry Potter World AKA A Sad Diary-Like Story On The Marauders".
ally : too bad, not a minotaur :) i don't get what 'abhor' is though. and yes, i do know that i took way too long, but it's my exams that is stopping me!!! i am BANNED from paper and pencil and BANNED from Word & Notepad, BANNED from touching the computer unless for school work [which there isn't any, so no point faking an excuse]. so you see, i don't intend to make it slow!!! i wanna finish it off as fast as i can so i can sing and dance in celebration!! please understand!
Hermione2: thankies for all those reviews :)
*Britz* : oh, someone thought Lily rocks! coolies!!! and nope, no more diaries, cause it's not really nice of it, specially when she's alive now...
Noelle : does that [*points at the story above the AN*] explains all your answers?
a million and more roses, thanks and hugs to those who'd read this [although you don't review]
Please review for me!!! It's the very first series [excluding The Marauding Five, which is more of a Saga] to have completed! Please?
