Chapter 24- The Rescue (lol, alright…so I suck at coming up with
interesting titles…)
James and Lily sat in the forest, still tied to their trees. What was going to become of them? Only time would tell. But they weren't that patient. James groaned and turned his head to look at Lily. His breathing was ragged, and he was losing consciousness. He had been beaten quite a few times since Lily had arrived. And Lily had too, though not as harshly as him. He opened his dry, cracked lips and whispered to her, "It will be okay Lily. Trust me. We'll get out of here alive. I will never let anything happen to you." He managed to grab a hold of her hand (or rather, just the tips of her fingers) and squeezed as reassuringly as he could.
She nodded slowly and closed her eyes. One was black, and very swollen from an earlier blow to it. James wanted to reach over and make her feel better, but he couldn't. He wasn't even thinking about how much pain he was in, he just wanted to get Lily out safe.
Suddenly, Voldemort stood before them. His red eyes sparkled in anticipation as he said, "All the preparations have been made. You'll die in a matter of a few hours." he laughed that horrible, high and cruel laugh, and walked off again.
James simply sat there, staring at nothing. He never took his hand away from Lily's. Whatever happened, he wouldn't tolerate them being separated.
******************
Which way did she go? Dumbledore stood in the middle of the forest, stumped. How could I have let her get away from me? She doesn't know any better; she could get both of them killed. And I wouldn't be there to help! He never panicked, but he was starting to then. He was very mad at himself for losing track of Lily. Now he had no idea which way to go.
He finally decided to turn right, and did. He spent about half an hour walking, his eyes searching for any clue as to where they were. And then, suddenly, he heard a high-pitched cackle in the other direction. He knew that laugh. Anyone who had heard it would have trouble forgetting the sound. He immediately set off running in the direction of the noise.
He reached a clearing of some kind, but smartly stayed hidden in the trees. He knew from experience that he should observe everything and know exactly what he was going to do before making a move. He spotted Voldemort a few yards away, muttering to himself. Lily and James were tied to two separate trees on the side opposite of Voldemort. Dumbledore held his breath; they didn't look to have been treated too well. Oh, if only I had found them sooner. But they were still alive, and that was all that mattered.
Quickly, he decided on what to do. He jumped out into the clearing and yelled out, "Stupefy." With his wand pointed at Voldemort. But Voldemort had quick instincts, and jumped out of the way just in time. When he learned that his attacker was Dumbledore, his eyes widened and he ran into the forest. Even Voldemort was no match for Albus Dumbledore.
He wasted no time in walking over and untying Lily and James. They looked at him gratefully. Lily lowered her eyes and told him, "I'm sorry, Professor."
James looked at her in surprise. "For what? What did you do?"
Dumbledore answered for her. "When she ran into the Great Hall, she told me of your capture. I told her to go to the Hospital Wing and rest while I came to find you. But she disobeyed and came to find you herself. It's a good thing I got here when I did, it didn't look like Voldemort wanted to wait much longer." He paused, looking to Lily again. "And I forgive you. I think you've learned your lesson. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Now, let's head back to the castle and get you two cleaned up."
Lily and James followed him back in silence. They still couldn't believe that any of it had happened at all. It seemed like it was all a horrible dream. But when they looked around them, and at each other, they realized that it was real, very real.
When they entered the Great Hall, who should be passing by just then but Sirius, Jennifer, Chloe, and Remus. Chloe gasped when she saw her two friends and all four of them ran over. "What *happened*?" she asked quickly. Jennifer and Sirius asked at the same time "Are you alright?" and Remus stood there with wide eyes.
Dumbledore spoke up first. "They've had a horrendous night, and I'm sure they don't feel up to discussing it now. Please refrain from asking them questions until they are ready. But if you four would like to escort them to the Hospital Wing, you may."
They nodded vigorously in response and set off at once. Slowly, they made their way upstairs. Lily felt like she might faint at any moment, and James was looking very pale. The rest of them still had no idea what was going on and were a little frightened by their friends' current states.
"My, my, what have you two been doing?" Madam Pomfrey said when she saw them. "Well, get into a bed, right now! I'll have to start fixing you up right away. You can tell me what happened some other time, I suppose."
The two of them weakly pulled themselves into two beds next to each other. They closed their eyes almost immediately and sunk back into the soft, fluffy pillows. It wasn't long after that they both fell asleep. Their friends stayed a few minutes longer, but Madam Pomfrey shooed them out so that 'her patients could get their needed rest'. They left feeling very worried.
***********************
It wasn't until the next afternoon that Lily opened her eyes. She looked around, startled, before remembering where she was and why. She looked over to see that James was just waking as well.
"Good morning, or afternoon, or whatever it is."
She smiled as best she could. Her whole body still ached, but she did feel refreshed. "How long have we been sleeping?" she asked.
"I don't know. But I have a feeling that it was a while."
Just then Dumbledore walked in, and seeing that they were awake, strode over. "Good, good. You're up now. I wanted to see how you were doing." He told them, standing at the foot of their beds.
"Now, I know you don't really want to talk about it, but I need to know exactly what happened. After that, you can forget all about it."
They looked at each other and sighed. "Well, it all started when…."
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A/N: Sorry I didn't make it longer. I wanted to get this out, but I didn't have too much time to write today. Thanks for reading and please review!
~Emily~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Thanks a lot to all of you!
sugiganesan@hotmail.com- Thank you for two reviews. Yeah, it would have been cool, wouldn't it have? I'm so glad you like both my stories and thanks again!
Alexa- Well, he got there soon enough! Thanks again!
Kristatwen- Thanks for reviewing again!
Yomna Borg- Me too! I think I'm obsessed with them or something…oh well, thanks!
MarauderChick-Lily- Thanks! Hope you liked this chapter too!
Midnightlily- I love short and simple as well as long, thanks!
Libertygrl413- Thanks again! And I hope this was soon enough!
Red- Sorry, it seemed an okay place to stop ;) But then again, I already knew what was going to happen and have no idea what it's like to read it. Thanks for another review!
Min Hee Ha- Lol, thanks as usual. I really appreciate your reviews!
SMAC- I agree, he's evil and I hate him!! I'm glad you like the story!
Hooper- Thanks, and you should keep writing too!
KoolKitty- Thanks for reviewing again! I really really appreciate it!!
SAKURAnTOKYO- Really? Where did you go? Thanks for two reviews!
The Lady Lillian- Yeah, sorry about the shortness. But I'd rather post quickly than not post for awhile. Thanks for reviewing!
James and Lily sat in the forest, still tied to their trees. What was going to become of them? Only time would tell. But they weren't that patient. James groaned and turned his head to look at Lily. His breathing was ragged, and he was losing consciousness. He had been beaten quite a few times since Lily had arrived. And Lily had too, though not as harshly as him. He opened his dry, cracked lips and whispered to her, "It will be okay Lily. Trust me. We'll get out of here alive. I will never let anything happen to you." He managed to grab a hold of her hand (or rather, just the tips of her fingers) and squeezed as reassuringly as he could.
She nodded slowly and closed her eyes. One was black, and very swollen from an earlier blow to it. James wanted to reach over and make her feel better, but he couldn't. He wasn't even thinking about how much pain he was in, he just wanted to get Lily out safe.
Suddenly, Voldemort stood before them. His red eyes sparkled in anticipation as he said, "All the preparations have been made. You'll die in a matter of a few hours." he laughed that horrible, high and cruel laugh, and walked off again.
James simply sat there, staring at nothing. He never took his hand away from Lily's. Whatever happened, he wouldn't tolerate them being separated.
******************
Which way did she go? Dumbledore stood in the middle of the forest, stumped. How could I have let her get away from me? She doesn't know any better; she could get both of them killed. And I wouldn't be there to help! He never panicked, but he was starting to then. He was very mad at himself for losing track of Lily. Now he had no idea which way to go.
He finally decided to turn right, and did. He spent about half an hour walking, his eyes searching for any clue as to where they were. And then, suddenly, he heard a high-pitched cackle in the other direction. He knew that laugh. Anyone who had heard it would have trouble forgetting the sound. He immediately set off running in the direction of the noise.
He reached a clearing of some kind, but smartly stayed hidden in the trees. He knew from experience that he should observe everything and know exactly what he was going to do before making a move. He spotted Voldemort a few yards away, muttering to himself. Lily and James were tied to two separate trees on the side opposite of Voldemort. Dumbledore held his breath; they didn't look to have been treated too well. Oh, if only I had found them sooner. But they were still alive, and that was all that mattered.
Quickly, he decided on what to do. He jumped out into the clearing and yelled out, "Stupefy." With his wand pointed at Voldemort. But Voldemort had quick instincts, and jumped out of the way just in time. When he learned that his attacker was Dumbledore, his eyes widened and he ran into the forest. Even Voldemort was no match for Albus Dumbledore.
He wasted no time in walking over and untying Lily and James. They looked at him gratefully. Lily lowered her eyes and told him, "I'm sorry, Professor."
James looked at her in surprise. "For what? What did you do?"
Dumbledore answered for her. "When she ran into the Great Hall, she told me of your capture. I told her to go to the Hospital Wing and rest while I came to find you. But she disobeyed and came to find you herself. It's a good thing I got here when I did, it didn't look like Voldemort wanted to wait much longer." He paused, looking to Lily again. "And I forgive you. I think you've learned your lesson. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Now, let's head back to the castle and get you two cleaned up."
Lily and James followed him back in silence. They still couldn't believe that any of it had happened at all. It seemed like it was all a horrible dream. But when they looked around them, and at each other, they realized that it was real, very real.
When they entered the Great Hall, who should be passing by just then but Sirius, Jennifer, Chloe, and Remus. Chloe gasped when she saw her two friends and all four of them ran over. "What *happened*?" she asked quickly. Jennifer and Sirius asked at the same time "Are you alright?" and Remus stood there with wide eyes.
Dumbledore spoke up first. "They've had a horrendous night, and I'm sure they don't feel up to discussing it now. Please refrain from asking them questions until they are ready. But if you four would like to escort them to the Hospital Wing, you may."
They nodded vigorously in response and set off at once. Slowly, they made their way upstairs. Lily felt like she might faint at any moment, and James was looking very pale. The rest of them still had no idea what was going on and were a little frightened by their friends' current states.
"My, my, what have you two been doing?" Madam Pomfrey said when she saw them. "Well, get into a bed, right now! I'll have to start fixing you up right away. You can tell me what happened some other time, I suppose."
The two of them weakly pulled themselves into two beds next to each other. They closed their eyes almost immediately and sunk back into the soft, fluffy pillows. It wasn't long after that they both fell asleep. Their friends stayed a few minutes longer, but Madam Pomfrey shooed them out so that 'her patients could get their needed rest'. They left feeling very worried.
***********************
It wasn't until the next afternoon that Lily opened her eyes. She looked around, startled, before remembering where she was and why. She looked over to see that James was just waking as well.
"Good morning, or afternoon, or whatever it is."
She smiled as best she could. Her whole body still ached, but she did feel refreshed. "How long have we been sleeping?" she asked.
"I don't know. But I have a feeling that it was a while."
Just then Dumbledore walked in, and seeing that they were awake, strode over. "Good, good. You're up now. I wanted to see how you were doing." He told them, standing at the foot of their beds.
"Now, I know you don't really want to talk about it, but I need to know exactly what happened. After that, you can forget all about it."
They looked at each other and sighed. "Well, it all started when…."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Sorry I didn't make it longer. I wanted to get this out, but I didn't have too much time to write today. Thanks for reading and please review!
~Emily~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Thanks a lot to all of you!
sugiganesan@hotmail.com- Thank you for two reviews. Yeah, it would have been cool, wouldn't it have? I'm so glad you like both my stories and thanks again!
Alexa- Well, he got there soon enough! Thanks again!
Kristatwen- Thanks for reviewing again!
Yomna Borg- Me too! I think I'm obsessed with them or something…oh well, thanks!
MarauderChick-Lily- Thanks! Hope you liked this chapter too!
Midnightlily- I love short and simple as well as long, thanks!
Libertygrl413- Thanks again! And I hope this was soon enough!
Red- Sorry, it seemed an okay place to stop ;) But then again, I already knew what was going to happen and have no idea what it's like to read it. Thanks for another review!
Min Hee Ha- Lol, thanks as usual. I really appreciate your reviews!
SMAC- I agree, he's evil and I hate him!! I'm glad you like the story!
Hooper- Thanks, and you should keep writing too!
KoolKitty- Thanks for reviewing again! I really really appreciate it!!
SAKURAnTOKYO- Really? Where did you go? Thanks for two reviews!
The Lady Lillian- Yeah, sorry about the shortness. But I'd rather post quickly than not post for awhile. Thanks for reviewing!