Disclaimer: No I do not own any of the characters except Rachael, Nicole,
Abi, and Bob and Betty Evans.
A/N: Hi again – I hope you like this chapter. This might seem a little weird but just remember that Betty Evans, Lily's mom, is the ghost. Also I am going to be changing the stupid name of this story the next time I put up a chapter – but you'll still be able to find it – I'll say what it is in the summary
Chapter 16: the big secret
__
Lily and James whirled around, to see the ghost of Betty Evans in mid air – her finger pointed dramatically at James.
"Mom!" cried Lily in surprise. "Why not? He's nice."
"No Lily you can't go out with him."
Lily started to grow angry. "And why not? Gosh even when you're dead you have to stop me from what I want to do."
The ghost ignored her. "I need to talk to both of you in private," she said.
People were watching curiously. "You didn't tell me your mum was a ghost," whispered James to Lily.
"I forgot to tell you. My mum must have gotten permission from Dumbledore to haunt the school. She told me she was going to try at her funeral."
Betty Evans led them out of the room to an empty chamber next to it.
"Mum, what's wrong with James?" asked Lily.
"Nothing's wrong with him. He's just… dangerous."
"Dangerous?" said Lily and James, puzzled.
Mrs. Evans sighed. "Lily, I must tell you the big secret."
"What? You mean the one that if you tell it you will disappear?" cried Lily.
"Yes."
"No you can't!!! No mum, please. You just can't! No!"
"Lily, I must! I must do it for your safety! If I don't you will be in great danger. I have to." Said Mrs. Evans forcefully.
"Where will you go once you tell me the secret," said Lily faintly, her voice quivering.
Her mother hesitated. "I will go to hell," she said finally.
Lily burst into tears. "NO MUM NO!! PLEASE I'LL – I'LL FIGURE IT OUT MYSELF!! I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO THERE!!"
"Honey, I know this is going to be hard on you," said the ghost gently. "But this has to happen."
Lily, with the help of James, finally calmed down.
"Ok," choked Lily. "Who murdered you and why is James dangerous?"
The ghost drew in a sharp breath. "I was killed by Voldemort."
Lily gasped. "Why?!"
"Just listen. You know that I worked for the ministry. There is something called the Order of the Phoenix. It is a gift of immortality. The Potter family is the only living family who has it. Yet it skips generations. His father was murdered by Lord Voldemort, and he didn't have the gift. Voldemort tried to kill your father to stop the gift. But he had already had you, James. Yet it will turn up – it's only too bad that James doesn't have it. It will turn up in his descendents. His son will most likely have the gift. But you see, he killed me because I knew about it and might try to protect James. He is well known for killing innocent people who don't have anything to do with it. Which is why it is safest that you not go out with James! He wanted to get me out of the way so that nobody would figure out what incredible gift the Potter family has. He might kill you Lily, because – well if you are with James he might just decide to kill you to make a clean job of it and kill you both!"
James, meanwhile, had been staring with his mouth open. "Do you mean," he said finally, "that my family has this – this thing and it just passed me and my father by, but it might turn up in my son or daughter?"
"No it will only turn up if you have a son. It is passed from father to son. It won't work on a girl. Ever wonder why you have so much money in your Gringotts vault? It's because the Order of the Phoenix automatically gives you tons of money which appear in your vault. It just happens."
"Well how did this Order of the Phoenix come about anyway?" said James.
"Well it happened a long time ago. One of your greatest, oldest grandfathers of the 1000s slaughtered a phoenix and ate the meat, which is nearly impossible to do. Nobody can do kill one in the modern day, the phoenix has evolved since then, becoming impossible to kill. Anyway, when you eat the meat of the phoenix, you get very powerful powers. You become part of the phoenix, which means that when touched by a curse, you will not die. Never. You could die by being stabbed or something, but when touched by the killing curse (avada kedavra), it won't affect you. It may leave a mark of some kind, but it will never kill you. That's the Order of the Phoenix. And so Voldemort is probably making sure that he kills James in time so the gift doesn't get passed to his son."
Lily looked scared.
"I'm only hoping that you won't be with James anymore. I don't want you near him when Voldemort finally kills him," said the ghost.
"Oh that's a pleasant thought," said James.
Suddenly there was a rumbling noise.
"I am running out of time! Don't forget what I said!" cried ghost of Betty Evans.
"Goodbye mum! I will never forget you!" wept Lily.
And right there before their very eyes the floor opened and a deep crevice appeared. Below it they could see flames. Great, leaping flames and the cries of thousands of souls of hell. The ghost of Betty Evans was sucked into it all and vanished from sight. The gap closed and that only left James and Lily, who was whimpering into James' shoulder.
"Shhh…" soothed James, patting her head. "It will be alright."
Lily lifted up her tearstained face and looked into his eyes. "James I will never leave you," she whispered. "Never."
James gently kissed her forehead and they stood there for a while, holding each other tight in silence.
___
A/N: Well what do you think? Confusing, eh? Well basically the gift of immortality is passed from father to son in the Potter family. It passed up James and his father but it could be passed to his son. And Lily is in danger because Voldemort just might decide to kill her because she is close to James. Please review and I will have the next chapter up very soon!
A/N: Hi again – I hope you like this chapter. This might seem a little weird but just remember that Betty Evans, Lily's mom, is the ghost. Also I am going to be changing the stupid name of this story the next time I put up a chapter – but you'll still be able to find it – I'll say what it is in the summary
Chapter 16: the big secret
__
Lily and James whirled around, to see the ghost of Betty Evans in mid air – her finger pointed dramatically at James.
"Mom!" cried Lily in surprise. "Why not? He's nice."
"No Lily you can't go out with him."
Lily started to grow angry. "And why not? Gosh even when you're dead you have to stop me from what I want to do."
The ghost ignored her. "I need to talk to both of you in private," she said.
People were watching curiously. "You didn't tell me your mum was a ghost," whispered James to Lily.
"I forgot to tell you. My mum must have gotten permission from Dumbledore to haunt the school. She told me she was going to try at her funeral."
Betty Evans led them out of the room to an empty chamber next to it.
"Mum, what's wrong with James?" asked Lily.
"Nothing's wrong with him. He's just… dangerous."
"Dangerous?" said Lily and James, puzzled.
Mrs. Evans sighed. "Lily, I must tell you the big secret."
"What? You mean the one that if you tell it you will disappear?" cried Lily.
"Yes."
"No you can't!!! No mum, please. You just can't! No!"
"Lily, I must! I must do it for your safety! If I don't you will be in great danger. I have to." Said Mrs. Evans forcefully.
"Where will you go once you tell me the secret," said Lily faintly, her voice quivering.
Her mother hesitated. "I will go to hell," she said finally.
Lily burst into tears. "NO MUM NO!! PLEASE I'LL – I'LL FIGURE IT OUT MYSELF!! I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO THERE!!"
"Honey, I know this is going to be hard on you," said the ghost gently. "But this has to happen."
Lily, with the help of James, finally calmed down.
"Ok," choked Lily. "Who murdered you and why is James dangerous?"
The ghost drew in a sharp breath. "I was killed by Voldemort."
Lily gasped. "Why?!"
"Just listen. You know that I worked for the ministry. There is something called the Order of the Phoenix. It is a gift of immortality. The Potter family is the only living family who has it. Yet it skips generations. His father was murdered by Lord Voldemort, and he didn't have the gift. Voldemort tried to kill your father to stop the gift. But he had already had you, James. Yet it will turn up – it's only too bad that James doesn't have it. It will turn up in his descendents. His son will most likely have the gift. But you see, he killed me because I knew about it and might try to protect James. He is well known for killing innocent people who don't have anything to do with it. Which is why it is safest that you not go out with James! He wanted to get me out of the way so that nobody would figure out what incredible gift the Potter family has. He might kill you Lily, because – well if you are with James he might just decide to kill you to make a clean job of it and kill you both!"
James, meanwhile, had been staring with his mouth open. "Do you mean," he said finally, "that my family has this – this thing and it just passed me and my father by, but it might turn up in my son or daughter?"
"No it will only turn up if you have a son. It is passed from father to son. It won't work on a girl. Ever wonder why you have so much money in your Gringotts vault? It's because the Order of the Phoenix automatically gives you tons of money which appear in your vault. It just happens."
"Well how did this Order of the Phoenix come about anyway?" said James.
"Well it happened a long time ago. One of your greatest, oldest grandfathers of the 1000s slaughtered a phoenix and ate the meat, which is nearly impossible to do. Nobody can do kill one in the modern day, the phoenix has evolved since then, becoming impossible to kill. Anyway, when you eat the meat of the phoenix, you get very powerful powers. You become part of the phoenix, which means that when touched by a curse, you will not die. Never. You could die by being stabbed or something, but when touched by the killing curse (avada kedavra), it won't affect you. It may leave a mark of some kind, but it will never kill you. That's the Order of the Phoenix. And so Voldemort is probably making sure that he kills James in time so the gift doesn't get passed to his son."
Lily looked scared.
"I'm only hoping that you won't be with James anymore. I don't want you near him when Voldemort finally kills him," said the ghost.
"Oh that's a pleasant thought," said James.
Suddenly there was a rumbling noise.
"I am running out of time! Don't forget what I said!" cried ghost of Betty Evans.
"Goodbye mum! I will never forget you!" wept Lily.
And right there before their very eyes the floor opened and a deep crevice appeared. Below it they could see flames. Great, leaping flames and the cries of thousands of souls of hell. The ghost of Betty Evans was sucked into it all and vanished from sight. The gap closed and that only left James and Lily, who was whimpering into James' shoulder.
"Shhh…" soothed James, patting her head. "It will be alright."
Lily lifted up her tearstained face and looked into his eyes. "James I will never leave you," she whispered. "Never."
James gently kissed her forehead and they stood there for a while, holding each other tight in silence.
___
A/N: Well what do you think? Confusing, eh? Well basically the gift of immortality is passed from father to son in the Potter family. It passed up James and his father but it could be passed to his son. And Lily is in danger because Voldemort just might decide to kill her because she is close to James. Please review and I will have the next chapter up very soon!
