"Penny for your thoughts?" James offered.
Astounded, Lily looked around her. Dismayed, she realized they were back at the cabin yet again, mere minutes before their deaths. Not willing to believe she was dreaming again, Lily wasted no time in her actions.
Running upstairs, she yelled down, "We need to leave the house!"
A perplexed James called, "What???"
Grabbing Harry without hesitation, and then wrapping him in a blanket, Lily quickly made her way down to the main floor again. "Voldemort's coming." Seeing James was about to ask a million questions, Lily silenced him by saying, "The Dark Lord is minutes away. Don't ask me how I know or why 'cause we don't have time. Just trust me."
James looked at his frantic wife, who with the last sentence had given him a look of absolute seriousness. Not willing to risk his son's life for anything, James complied, and the two rushed out the back door.
The sun has set unusually early that night, and at 9:00 the forest was as dark as could be. This made sheer running impossible, but Lily and James managed a good pace. Then, Lily could sense James had stopped. "James?" she asked, slightly out of breath.
"We left our wands back in the kitchen!" he exclaimed while turning as if to run back.
"No!" Lily insisted, a bit too loudly. "There's no time. We have to keep going." Silently, Lily was also concerned about what was happening, apparently only to her. There was no guarentee that if they all died this time, that she would simply appear back at the porch to have another chance.
The two resumed their hike for several minutes, until reaching a clearing. "I know this place," James said. "There's another cabin a few hundred years ahead."
Lily too knew this place, which she had used to have a picnic with her family once. "There's a highway about the same distence, only west." We might be able to catch a passing car.
"We'll try for the highway then."
Before long they had reached the road, but to their disappointment, there was not a car in sight. On the verge of tears, Lily collapsed onto her knees in frustration, Harry in her arms. "The rest of the town is away to the city for the celebration. There isn't anyone within twenty miles of here but Him."
Just then, like a miracle, Lily saw a light from the road in the distence. To her, it was the white-hot brillance of an angel coming to rescue them.
As it neared, James hailed it over to the side of the road. To his surprise and delight, Peter Pettigew was the driver, alone of course. "I figured your guys would be getting lonely. What's going on?"
In truth, Peter was going to make sure his master's job was finished. The Potter's death would be Peter's ultimate triumph, and the way to prove himself. If it went wrong...well, Peter was going to be there to make sure it didn't. When he saw Lily and James on the curb, he was happy he had come. Peter couldn't allow or afford for anything to go wrong.
James, unknowing of his friend's betrayel, told him that Lily sensed Voldemort had somehow found them. "That's ridiculous," Peter insisted, a bit too quickly.
"I know," James confirmed. "But the Fidelus Charm was so complicated; if any part went wrong then someone else could still betray us."
"Who else knows you're here?"
Point, Lily, holding Harry, approached the driver's window. "Peter!" she exclaimed surprised.
"Lily, what's all this nonsense about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
"It's not nonsense!" Lily defended. As she said those words, Lily flashed back to the encounters with Voldemort in the cabin. He had said her bad judement and misplaced trust had been her downfall. Suddenly it dawned on Lily. Her and James' trust in Peter as secret-keeper could only mean one thing. Peter worked for Voldemort. He had betrayed them. He had betrayed her son!
:Answering Peter's question, James said, "The only other one who knows we're anywhere here is Dumbledore."
Thinking quick, Peter made up lies as fast as he could. "I know its not even a possibility, but if Lily's right then..."
"Then what?" James prompted.
"Someone close to you works with the Dark Side. Dumbledore knows you're in this area, he suggested the Fedilus Charm, wanted to be secret-keeper himself, and even after you said no, he was the one to perform the curse."
"Dumbledore would never betray us," Lily said sternly.
James however, saw Peter's point. If Dumbledore had sabotaged the charm, and Lily was right...No, this was Dumbledore! Dumbledore, who had taught them all at Hogwarts. There was another explanation."
Lily looked at Peter with pure revultion. "That's not true-" but before she could finish further, Lily felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. He was here. Terrified, Lily turned around and found Voldemort looking right at her with an evil smirk on his face.
"Good job my servant," he motioned to Peter. "I was afraid they had somehow been tipped off about my arrival."
James, realizing the truth about Peter, instinctively took a step back in horror.
Without preamble, Voldemort pointed his wand at James and yelled, "Adava Kedava!"
Sobbing, Lily ran over to her husband's newly dead body, knowing there was nowhere to run, only hoping she would once again get another chance at life. Closing her eyes, and clutching her baby against her, Lily heard Adava Kedava yet again, and was blinded by bright green light. She had failed again, and all three Potters died.
A/N For all those who are getting depressed, like me, the next chapter is very different (in terms of body count)
Astounded, Lily looked around her. Dismayed, she realized they were back at the cabin yet again, mere minutes before their deaths. Not willing to believe she was dreaming again, Lily wasted no time in her actions.
Running upstairs, she yelled down, "We need to leave the house!"
A perplexed James called, "What???"
Grabbing Harry without hesitation, and then wrapping him in a blanket, Lily quickly made her way down to the main floor again. "Voldemort's coming." Seeing James was about to ask a million questions, Lily silenced him by saying, "The Dark Lord is minutes away. Don't ask me how I know or why 'cause we don't have time. Just trust me."
James looked at his frantic wife, who with the last sentence had given him a look of absolute seriousness. Not willing to risk his son's life for anything, James complied, and the two rushed out the back door.
The sun has set unusually early that night, and at 9:00 the forest was as dark as could be. This made sheer running impossible, but Lily and James managed a good pace. Then, Lily could sense James had stopped. "James?" she asked, slightly out of breath.
"We left our wands back in the kitchen!" he exclaimed while turning as if to run back.
"No!" Lily insisted, a bit too loudly. "There's no time. We have to keep going." Silently, Lily was also concerned about what was happening, apparently only to her. There was no guarentee that if they all died this time, that she would simply appear back at the porch to have another chance.
The two resumed their hike for several minutes, until reaching a clearing. "I know this place," James said. "There's another cabin a few hundred years ahead."
Lily too knew this place, which she had used to have a picnic with her family once. "There's a highway about the same distence, only west." We might be able to catch a passing car.
"We'll try for the highway then."
Before long they had reached the road, but to their disappointment, there was not a car in sight. On the verge of tears, Lily collapsed onto her knees in frustration, Harry in her arms. "The rest of the town is away to the city for the celebration. There isn't anyone within twenty miles of here but Him."
Just then, like a miracle, Lily saw a light from the road in the distence. To her, it was the white-hot brillance of an angel coming to rescue them.
As it neared, James hailed it over to the side of the road. To his surprise and delight, Peter Pettigew was the driver, alone of course. "I figured your guys would be getting lonely. What's going on?"
In truth, Peter was going to make sure his master's job was finished. The Potter's death would be Peter's ultimate triumph, and the way to prove himself. If it went wrong...well, Peter was going to be there to make sure it didn't. When he saw Lily and James on the curb, he was happy he had come. Peter couldn't allow or afford for anything to go wrong.
James, unknowing of his friend's betrayel, told him that Lily sensed Voldemort had somehow found them. "That's ridiculous," Peter insisted, a bit too quickly.
"I know," James confirmed. "But the Fidelus Charm was so complicated; if any part went wrong then someone else could still betray us."
"Who else knows you're here?"
Point, Lily, holding Harry, approached the driver's window. "Peter!" she exclaimed surprised.
"Lily, what's all this nonsense about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
"It's not nonsense!" Lily defended. As she said those words, Lily flashed back to the encounters with Voldemort in the cabin. He had said her bad judement and misplaced trust had been her downfall. Suddenly it dawned on Lily. Her and James' trust in Peter as secret-keeper could only mean one thing. Peter worked for Voldemort. He had betrayed them. He had betrayed her son!
:Answering Peter's question, James said, "The only other one who knows we're anywhere here is Dumbledore."
Thinking quick, Peter made up lies as fast as he could. "I know its not even a possibility, but if Lily's right then..."
"Then what?" James prompted.
"Someone close to you works with the Dark Side. Dumbledore knows you're in this area, he suggested the Fedilus Charm, wanted to be secret-keeper himself, and even after you said no, he was the one to perform the curse."
"Dumbledore would never betray us," Lily said sternly.
James however, saw Peter's point. If Dumbledore had sabotaged the charm, and Lily was right...No, this was Dumbledore! Dumbledore, who had taught them all at Hogwarts. There was another explanation."
Lily looked at Peter with pure revultion. "That's not true-" but before she could finish further, Lily felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. He was here. Terrified, Lily turned around and found Voldemort looking right at her with an evil smirk on his face.
"Good job my servant," he motioned to Peter. "I was afraid they had somehow been tipped off about my arrival."
James, realizing the truth about Peter, instinctively took a step back in horror.
Without preamble, Voldemort pointed his wand at James and yelled, "Adava Kedava!"
Sobbing, Lily ran over to her husband's newly dead body, knowing there was nowhere to run, only hoping she would once again get another chance at life. Closing her eyes, and clutching her baby against her, Lily heard Adava Kedava yet again, and was blinded by bright green light. She had failed again, and all three Potters died.
A/N For all those who are getting depressed, like me, the next chapter is very different (in terms of body count)