The Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, smiled grimly. He revelled in the
frightened faces before him. Hearing his followers shuffle in behind him,
he walked slowly to where Seare and her group were standing. Seare fell to
her knees, bowing to him.
'Master, I have gathered them as you instructed.'
Three hundred pairs of eyes glared at her in shock, as their mingled intake of breath echoed around the silent hall. Voldemort's gaze swept over them, silencing their protests. He turned back to his minion.
'Well done, Apollina,' he said, touching her hair with a gnarled hand. 'These are the best the school has to offer?'
He stared at the seventh-year students stood behind their traitorous teacher. Lily felt an ice-cold blanket settle on her soul as he locked eyes with her. Voldemort's face suddenly darkened.
'A mudblood!' he roared, kicking Seare away from him. 'You dare to offer me a mudblood!'
Wiping the blood from her lip, Seare scrambled to her feet, her eyes wild.
'She has great potential, Master,' she spluttered, trying to regain favour with him. 'For all her impure blood, she has a great deal of power.'
Voldemort glared at her, and turned to Lily.
'Come here,' he ordered.
Lily tensed, but did not move. She was rooted to the spot. Voldemort shouted suddenly,
'Move, mudblood!'
Her feet stepped forward until she was standing before him. Behind her, she could hear someone being restrained, probably James, she thought. Luckily for them, though, Voldemort's attention was fixed on her. He circled her, stroking her hair, touching her shoulders, her cheeks, her lips. He leant down and gazed hard into her eyes, making her feel as though he could read her very soul.
'So you have power enough to impress my expert, do you?' he hissed, before moving away again. 'I have no use for impure blood. I will give you a choice. Join me, or die.'
Lily frowned. Before she could stop herself, she asked,
'Join you in what capacity?'
Voldemort gave her a smile that froze her to the spot.
'As my mistress.'
There was instant uproar. Lily was well liked in all the houses, and they didn't like this idea one tiny bit. Voldemort nodded to his Death-Eaters. They raised their wands, and began to speak the Death Curse. Fortunately for everyone they were aiming at, the students shut up almost instantly.
James was furious. Sirius and Remus were holding his hands and shoulders tightly. He'd tried to follow Lily to Voldemort's side, but they'd stopped him. Now he was alternating between fury and despair. Lily could feel him fuming behind her. She looked at Voldemort.
'Either way, I die,' she said. 'Where's the choice?'
The Dark Lord snarled, insulted by the cool manner in which she dismissed his offer. He glared at her, raising his wand.
'Crucio,' he whispered, finding satisfaction in her scream of agony as she fell to the floor, writhing in the grip of the most excruciating pain she'd ever known. The students watched in horror as he kicked her, intensifying her screams.
Voldemort was vaguely aware of a scuffle in the ranks of pupils, but didn't think it of any consequence. So when James punched him in the face, he was quite taken aback. As the Dark Lord stumbled back, Seare shrieked angrily and threw a hex at her star pupil. James dodged, drawing his wand. The paralysis that had held the room dissipated, and the Death-Eater found themselves swarmed under by furious children, wands forgotten.
Voldemort gazed about him in amazement. He could feel the blood trickling from his nose. Someone had dared to lay hands on him, not even a qualified wizard. He had been humiliated by a child, before his followers. Two children, a girl who refused his favour, and a boy who had defied him, with more courage than he'd ever seen. He felt the fury rising.
With a deafening roar, he produced his wand, and began to lay about him, not caring if he hit his own. As the bodies began to mount, the struggles stopped and the students shrank back against the walls, shaking. Lily's screams had become moans of agony, as if she no longer had the strength to go on. Voldemort looked from her twitching body to the fearful faces before him.
'She will not live much longer, young ones,' he told them. 'I could remove the curse, but only when I have secured your loyalties. All!'
They jumped at his sudden shout. Looks were exchanged among the frightened children. There were some about to step forward, when Lily moaned,
'Don't . . . no . . . please.'
They realised she had heard it all through her moans and was telling them not to save her. They shrank back again, unanimous in their decision. Voldemort kicked her again. Her scream was sudden and long, terrifying her friends. James pushed through those who were holding him, advancing on the smug man. Voldemort negligently raised his wand, and James fell, his screams mingling with Lily's. Suddenly, a Death-Eater ran in, bowing to the Dark Lord.
'Master, there are over a hundred Aurors advancing on the castle.'
Voldemort dismissed him with a flick of his wrist.
'Master, Dumbledore is with them.'
The man was dead before he reached the opposite wall. Voldemort's face was purple with rage.
'You think I am afraid of that man! Do you?'
He glared at his Death-Eaters. They gazed back, looking every bit as scared as the children around them.
'Since you are all so afraid, we must leave,' he continued, a little more quietly. He motioned them out, turning to Seare, who was groveling before him.
'You have failed me, Apollina.'
Her scream of despair was cut short, and her tiny body slumped to the floor, lifeless. Voldemort swept out, the doors slamming behind him. The candles winked out, leaving them in darkness. They could all hear James and Lily whimpering. Suddenly someone whispered,
'Lumos.'
Sirius' face appeared, lit by his wand. Quickly everyone followed his example, lighting the Great Hall with a dim glow. They wandered over to the twitching bodies. Peter reached out, but, surprisingly, Lucius Malfoy slapped his hand away.
'Don't touch them! The curse intensifies the pain a person will feel. Even the slightest touch could kill them right now.'
At that they drew back, leaving the closest friends and classmates around the injured parties. Natasha came to the fore again, clutching her bleeding arm.
'Come on, let's see if we can get these doors open.'
The school surged forward, grabbing hold of the doors and pulling as hard as they could. Slowly, with the creak of grinding metal, they opened, spilling dusky light into the room. Dawn had come, and with it, hope to see another day.
'Master, I have gathered them as you instructed.'
Three hundred pairs of eyes glared at her in shock, as their mingled intake of breath echoed around the silent hall. Voldemort's gaze swept over them, silencing their protests. He turned back to his minion.
'Well done, Apollina,' he said, touching her hair with a gnarled hand. 'These are the best the school has to offer?'
He stared at the seventh-year students stood behind their traitorous teacher. Lily felt an ice-cold blanket settle on her soul as he locked eyes with her. Voldemort's face suddenly darkened.
'A mudblood!' he roared, kicking Seare away from him. 'You dare to offer me a mudblood!'
Wiping the blood from her lip, Seare scrambled to her feet, her eyes wild.
'She has great potential, Master,' she spluttered, trying to regain favour with him. 'For all her impure blood, she has a great deal of power.'
Voldemort glared at her, and turned to Lily.
'Come here,' he ordered.
Lily tensed, but did not move. She was rooted to the spot. Voldemort shouted suddenly,
'Move, mudblood!'
Her feet stepped forward until she was standing before him. Behind her, she could hear someone being restrained, probably James, she thought. Luckily for them, though, Voldemort's attention was fixed on her. He circled her, stroking her hair, touching her shoulders, her cheeks, her lips. He leant down and gazed hard into her eyes, making her feel as though he could read her very soul.
'So you have power enough to impress my expert, do you?' he hissed, before moving away again. 'I have no use for impure blood. I will give you a choice. Join me, or die.'
Lily frowned. Before she could stop herself, she asked,
'Join you in what capacity?'
Voldemort gave her a smile that froze her to the spot.
'As my mistress.'
There was instant uproar. Lily was well liked in all the houses, and they didn't like this idea one tiny bit. Voldemort nodded to his Death-Eaters. They raised their wands, and began to speak the Death Curse. Fortunately for everyone they were aiming at, the students shut up almost instantly.
James was furious. Sirius and Remus were holding his hands and shoulders tightly. He'd tried to follow Lily to Voldemort's side, but they'd stopped him. Now he was alternating between fury and despair. Lily could feel him fuming behind her. She looked at Voldemort.
'Either way, I die,' she said. 'Where's the choice?'
The Dark Lord snarled, insulted by the cool manner in which she dismissed his offer. He glared at her, raising his wand.
'Crucio,' he whispered, finding satisfaction in her scream of agony as she fell to the floor, writhing in the grip of the most excruciating pain she'd ever known. The students watched in horror as he kicked her, intensifying her screams.
Voldemort was vaguely aware of a scuffle in the ranks of pupils, but didn't think it of any consequence. So when James punched him in the face, he was quite taken aback. As the Dark Lord stumbled back, Seare shrieked angrily and threw a hex at her star pupil. James dodged, drawing his wand. The paralysis that had held the room dissipated, and the Death-Eater found themselves swarmed under by furious children, wands forgotten.
Voldemort gazed about him in amazement. He could feel the blood trickling from his nose. Someone had dared to lay hands on him, not even a qualified wizard. He had been humiliated by a child, before his followers. Two children, a girl who refused his favour, and a boy who had defied him, with more courage than he'd ever seen. He felt the fury rising.
With a deafening roar, he produced his wand, and began to lay about him, not caring if he hit his own. As the bodies began to mount, the struggles stopped and the students shrank back against the walls, shaking. Lily's screams had become moans of agony, as if she no longer had the strength to go on. Voldemort looked from her twitching body to the fearful faces before him.
'She will not live much longer, young ones,' he told them. 'I could remove the curse, but only when I have secured your loyalties. All!'
They jumped at his sudden shout. Looks were exchanged among the frightened children. There were some about to step forward, when Lily moaned,
'Don't . . . no . . . please.'
They realised she had heard it all through her moans and was telling them not to save her. They shrank back again, unanimous in their decision. Voldemort kicked her again. Her scream was sudden and long, terrifying her friends. James pushed through those who were holding him, advancing on the smug man. Voldemort negligently raised his wand, and James fell, his screams mingling with Lily's. Suddenly, a Death-Eater ran in, bowing to the Dark Lord.
'Master, there are over a hundred Aurors advancing on the castle.'
Voldemort dismissed him with a flick of his wrist.
'Master, Dumbledore is with them.'
The man was dead before he reached the opposite wall. Voldemort's face was purple with rage.
'You think I am afraid of that man! Do you?'
He glared at his Death-Eaters. They gazed back, looking every bit as scared as the children around them.
'Since you are all so afraid, we must leave,' he continued, a little more quietly. He motioned them out, turning to Seare, who was groveling before him.
'You have failed me, Apollina.'
Her scream of despair was cut short, and her tiny body slumped to the floor, lifeless. Voldemort swept out, the doors slamming behind him. The candles winked out, leaving them in darkness. They could all hear James and Lily whimpering. Suddenly someone whispered,
'Lumos.'
Sirius' face appeared, lit by his wand. Quickly everyone followed his example, lighting the Great Hall with a dim glow. They wandered over to the twitching bodies. Peter reached out, but, surprisingly, Lucius Malfoy slapped his hand away.
'Don't touch them! The curse intensifies the pain a person will feel. Even the slightest touch could kill them right now.'
At that they drew back, leaving the closest friends and classmates around the injured parties. Natasha came to the fore again, clutching her bleeding arm.
'Come on, let's see if we can get these doors open.'
The school surged forward, grabbing hold of the doors and pulling as hard as they could. Slowly, with the creak of grinding metal, they opened, spilling dusky light into the room. Dawn had come, and with it, hope to see another day.