Disclaimer: I don't own them. April is owned by (and is) Jen. Vanessa, Sarah, and a few MUP's are mine… but you're welcome to them.

AN: I'd like you to know that this fic has been updated 4 times while none of my others have been touched. There will have to be a gap between this and the next update (say 5 days - maybe less) so I can work on my other fics. Sorry. Last chapter I accidentally left out the 'the' in The Lord of the Rings. I am deeply apologetic.

Jen… this is your BIG PART! WAAAAAAAAAHOOO!!! Sort of… well, anyway…HERE YOU GO!

This chapter is especially for Jen. And I've never dedicated a chapter before (or a fic!), but this chapter is dedicated to Jen, for being such a good friend and having such long reviews.

Little Eagle

April picked the letter off her bed and opened it quickly. She and Remus had to do their potions assignment, and it was due the next day. She pulled the letter out and went pale. Ashen faced she bolted from the room, and down through Hogwarts, out into the ground, leaving two of her friends staring after her in astonishment. Lily and James. Remus, Sirius and Peter were raiding the kitchens for study-snacks, but Lily and James were frantically doing herbology homework - which they had neglected until that point, only to find that it was due in the first lesson of the next day.

"April?" James asked, as she ran wordlessly past.

"I'll go see if I can find what upset her." Lily said, and hurried up to the dorm. She picked up the letter from the floor, and scanned it quickly.

Dear Miss West.

We regret to inform you that, following a raid on the small village of Thisleton by Voldemort, your parents were killed in a fire lit by a Death Eater. They did not have their wands. During the holidays you will be staying with your Aunt-

Lily didn't bother to read anymore. She rushed down into the common room and grabbed James's arm.

"We've got to go!" She said, pulling him along, "April got a letter from the ministry, her parents…" James didn't need to hear anymore.

"Come on." They started to run, and James pulled the Marauders map out of his pocket. "She's in the forest," He panted, as they got out of the castle. "If we can make it to the edge-"

"Yes!" Lily nodded, she understood. She caught James's hand and pulled him as she put on a burst of speed. They reached the outskirts of the forest and James had another look at the map.

"She's directly ahead of us." He told Lily. "But… What the hell-"

"What?" Lily asked urgently, looking between James and the Forest.

"Snape, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and a large number of the other Slytherins are all wandering the forest, but they're all headed for a central point. There's a unlabeled dot -it must be a concealer spell- waiting in the clearing they're heading for. There are some Slytherins there already. April's going to run right into them…"

"We have to warn her!" Lily transformed instantly, and waited for James to do so as well before launching herself into the sky.

I'll see if I can spot her from the air, you go straight ahead and try and catch up with her Lily instructed, and James nodded. He galloped off, and Lily soared upwards, eyes straining in the darkness to see her friend. Unable to see anything, she went below the tops of the trees, and flew along, until she saw James, shining in the moonlight.

Wow. I can't get over how good he looks as a stag, Lily thought, No time for that. She chided herself, I have to find April…before… Lily shook her head to clear it of her hopeless thoughts, and flapped frantically to catch up with James. Once she had gotten up enough momentum, she let herself glide to land on his shoulder.

No see? He asked.

No. Lily said sadly, then she stiffened. I think we're getting close to the unlabeled dot man. We'd better check the map.

Sure James transformed, and Lily gave a shriek of angry rage as she found herself perching on nothing. "You were right," James told the hissing eagle, "It's right ahead, and April's there. She's not moving at all. Transform, we'll go on foot." Lily transformed.

Not the wisest thing to do. Her inner self said.

Shut up. I don't have time to argue with myself! Lily snapped silently. But she had to admit that it probably wasn't the most sensible thing to do - at least not for her. James's bulk as a stag would be spotted instantly, but hers…

"Coming?" James asked.

"Yes." Lily nodded, and they moved silently forward, until they stood at the very edge of the clearing. April had obviously been stunned, and a tall man with his hood pulled right over his face was standing in front of her. Another cloaked figure was holding April in a sitting position, and the others had formed a ring around them - all on their knees.

"Ah yes," The tall man turned to face Lily and James, "I see more uninvited guests have arrived. Uninvited, but not unwanted." He lifted his wand arm, and Lily and James found themselves whipped forward until they were facing the man. He pointed his wand at April, and she came groggily to life, but when she saw the tall man she started screaming and thrashing around.

"Shall I silence her, master?" The person who had been holding her asked, carefully keeping his head bowed.

"No. It will be more entertaining this way." The tall man said. He looked at April, and April glared back at him from her position on the ground. He crouched down until his face was level with April's. "Do you know who I am?" He asked.

"Voldemort," April hissed, and beofre anyone could stop her she pulled her hand away from the man holding her and punched Voldemort under his hood.

"That was not wise." Voldemort stood up, and touched one long, bony hand to his mouth. It came away with blood on it. "Not wise at all."

"What are you going to do to me," April taunted bravely, "Kill me? Like you killed my parents?"

"I didn't kill your parents." Voldemort smiled thinly. "They're alive and well."

"What?" April's face drained of any colour left in it, and she looked wildly around, and saw Lily and James. "You came looking for me, didn't you? I'm sorry. Tell him Lily, tell him… tell him everything. Please, Lily, tell my brother, my parents, tell them I'm sorry… they'll underst-"

"Enough!" Voldemort snapped. "No more little messages." He smiled again, and looked at Lily and James. "Kneel." When neither of the moved, he snapped. "Kneel! Or I'll make it even worse for your dear little friend…" Lily dropped to her knees, and pulled James down with her. "That's better." Voldemort said approvingly. "I'm not going to kill you. I want you on my side. Just think, wealth, power, protection for your family-"

"No!" April shouted, and broke free of the man holding her. "Don't do it! Please, don't!" She threw herself on Voldemort, and started hitting, kicking, biting, headbutting, and doing everything she could to him.

"I won't." Lily said, and April smiled for a moment before she was hauled off Voldemort.

"You just made it worse for yourself, girl. Much worse." Voldemort snarled. "It was going to be easy, but now…Crucio!" April writhed in pain, and her screams of agony ran out all over the grounds, carried by the still night air.

In the kitchens Remus stopped in his gathering of food and went pale.

"What is it, Moony?" Sirius asked, seeing the colour change.

"Something's wrong with April." Remus answered, and dropped the food he was holding. He bolted out of the kitchens and towards the entrance hall. Sirius looked at Peter, shrugged, and they followed.

Up in his office, Dumbledore threw open the window for the night breeze, and instead got the faint sounds of April's screams. Pinpointing exactly where the screams were coming from, Dumbledore rushed out of his office, past McGonnagall, who was coming up to see him, and to he entrance hall. McGonnagall followed, sensing something was wrong.

Lily stared in shock at April, still rolling around on the ground, looking like she was having a fit.

"Will you join?" Voldemort hissed, and his eyes seemed to turn red for a minute, before one of the death eaters hurried forward.

"Master, someone comes." The death eater bowed, and Voldemort looked up at the castle's roof, barely seeable from underneath the great trees.

"We go." Voldemort ordered and looked at Lily and James. "You got lucky. This time. Next time, you will die." He swept off, and faded into the forest, as Remus, Sirius, and Peter came running into the clearing. Dumbledore and McGonnagall close behind.

"April!" Lily cried, and threw herself at the now still body of her friend. Lily cradled April to her, rocking her slowly.

"Come away Lily," McGonnagall took Lily's arm, and Dumbledore lifted April away, then he lay her on the ground.

"Who?" He asked James.

"Voldemort." James's face was pale, and he was shaking.

"Minerva, get all the teachers. Contact the ministry. We need a full-scale search. Especially in Hogsmead. Voldemort will have to go there to disappearate." McGonnagall nodded, and she looked at Sirius, Peter, and Remus.

"You three come with me." She instructed.

"I'm staying." Remus said stubbornly. McGonnagall opened her mouth to object, but Dumbledore shook his head.

"You can stay Remus." Dumbledore said, "But you two," He looked hard at Sirius and Peter, "are going."

"Yes Sir." Sirius and Peter followed McGonnagall as She hurried away.

"Is there any hope…?" Remus asked.

"No." Dumbledore bowed his head. "We lost her."

"April!" Lily started sobbing wildly, and she clung to the nearest thing to her - James.

"You will die for this, Voldemort. By my hand or the hand of one of my descendants. You will die." James vowed softly as he held the sobbing Lily to him. "You will die."

Well, there it is. Jen's major part. It portends dramatic changes for Lily and James, and it's nice and long, just to keep you happy for a little while! Another reason for the lack of chapters is the painting of the house. The computer may or may not have to be moved depending on whether or not the wood in here gets painted (walls.) But next weekend it will almost certainly have to get moved because new floor boards are getting put down…grrr.