Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter themes, characters, or settings.

Note from the Author: Thanks to author Mni for giving me the heads up that I have my 'do not accept anonymous reviews' button checked. Also, special thanks for reviewing! I have no idea what I am going to write here so we will see how it turns out.

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Chapter 7: A Vision of Hate

James…

I looked to be about 10:30, as it was dark outside and the only light glimmering on the lake was that of the illuminated moon. There was just enough light with the curtains open for James to write in his journal without disturbing the tranquil sleep of his friends.

Last night, it was probably one of the craziest things I have ever done, aside from that one time Sirius and I ran around the school at midnight in the ducky shorts our mother's bought us for Christmas. Oh yeah, there was that time we all wore make-up to breakfast. Then again I can think of a lot of weird stuff we did first and second year. We were such idiots, but I will never forget those crazy incidents. They were really fun, but every one has to grow up. Don't they?

He closed the book and removed his eyes. They fell upon his friends, his family, his soul mates. They knew his deepest secrets, and kept them faithfully. It was the kind of friendship that takes a lifetime for a stranger to figure out, but to those involved it is always understood within an instant.

The Sandman crept through his window as James leaned back into his soft cotton pillow, and drifted off into the land where imagination and inspiration run free. He was awoken by the comforting smile he will always know to be Sirius Black.

"You want breakfast this morning, I can grab you some blueberry muffins like yesterday if you want," Sirius offered.

"What? Oh, uh…no, I think I'll come down," James mumbled.

"Alrighty! See you down there then," Sirius said with a luminescent smile as he headed for the door.

"Hey Sirius, hold on," James called suddenly waking up from a daze, the kind of daze that entraps you from using your mind completely when you first awake.

"At your service," Sirius laughed whipping back around, "Give me one guess, it's about…Lily?"

"Well, um…yea, but it's not a big deal or anything. You know, it's just that I saw you dancing two nights ago, and something about it just stumped me. She's so alive, so amazing." James understated the situation.

"So in translation, you want to know everything about Lily. She's confusing to you, and it looks like I get her, huh? How close was I? Come on…you know I got it," Sirius joked.

"Whatever," James commented.

"Honestly, you are going to have to figure her out for yourself. She's not the kind of person you make assumptions about because most likely you would be way off," Sirius spoke fondly.

"She's like no one I've ever known before Padfoot," James whispered, he was admitting it to himself as much as to Sirius. He gave a true and sincere smile then. A picture of one genuine smile in a James Potter picture can be sold on e-bay today for $2,000 by the way.

"Oh I know, so what are you waiting for?" Sirius asked with a laugh.

"What?" asked a very confused James.

"Dude, look she is sitting in the common room right now. Go talk to her!" Sirius smiled, nudging James toward the door. He raced out of the room filled with happiness and excitement. As the doorknob clicked Sirius flashed a small smile with hope that James might go back to being the happy, crazy James he once knew.

James escalated the grand staircase, his eyes never wavering from the one infinite beauty. She was sitting next to the fireplace; familiar lights danced across her cheek. She was deep into a Muggle book titled Saint Maybe, by Anne Tyler. He took in a breath as he focused upon her glowing face. Nervous, yet not sure why, he sat down next to her in one of the luxurious, Gryffindor red and gold chairs.

"Hey, hold on I'm at a really great part," she said excitedly without glancing up. Surprised that she knew his presence without him acknowledging this, he folded his hands into his lap.

"Oh wow, I just can't put this book down," Lily commented.

"Well then it must be pretty awesome," he fumbled with his words.

"Yea, so…" she paused. "Should we go to breakfast?"

"Oh right," James mumbled, getting up. He walked to the portrait hole and held it open as they walked out into the hall.

"You'll never believe what happened yesterday," Lily thought after a long pause.

"What?" James asked patiently.

"Well, I think Professor Treleway made an actual prediction. It was really odd though; I didn't understand any of the nonsense she was blubbering," Lily said with a laugh.

"How do you know it was real?" James asked disbelieving.

"Well, I can't explain it; it just felt real. She was totally focused on the message, and then later she had no recollection of the event," Lily said, still pondering the reality of what she had experienced.

"Wait, what did she say?" James asked, confused himself.

"Well she said something about a rising snake. How it was going to reek havoc. I can't be sure; it was just a jumble of sentences, but I think she mentioned that power is derived from fear. Thus, the snake's power would rise and something about people who eat death. I know I'm not making any sense, but there was one thing I remember distinctly. The snake would murder a stag and poison a flower. Oh, and she said one baby to save us all. Pretty weird huh?" Lily recalled.

"I have to go uh…see Dumbledore about something I forgot about." he said urgently. James ran off in the direction of Dumbledore's office having memorized its location for various reasons. It stuck him as hard as a falling anvil would to unsuspecting passerby. This ignorance most students at Hogwarts possessed was not such a gift to James Potter. He carried the burden of having an influential father, who dealt with the severest of troubles for the Ministry.

"Midnight Pagoda," James whispered, looking around him. He knew that a small portion of the school even knew about this part of the castle, but you can never be too careful with this sort of information.

"James, to what do I owe this early visit?" Dumbledore asked.

"Treleway had a vision Sir, a real one," James said solemnly.

"I see," Dumbledore said knowingly.

"Sir, it was about Voldemort," James confessed.

"I see," Dumbledore repeated. "James you know as well as I do that Voldemort is becoming a threat to our society. I do not doubt that your father has been busy. I do thank you for coming to me, it was certainly the right thing to do," Dumbledore said with a warm smile. James attempted to reciprocate this act of kindness, but was a little uneasy.

"So Voldemort will rise," James assumed as a gloom fell upon his face.

"Yes, the attacks will become more frequent and I fear he may become a terrible fear among our people, but I do believe that he will never obtain the power his heart desires," Dumbledore stated his opinion.

"But Sir, Trelaway said that the snake would come to great power," James said worriedly.

"And so he very well may, but there is good in the world James. You will see that fate takes a hand at the most dire of times," Dumbledore explained. James never told Professor Dumbledore that Professor Trelaway predicted his death, but then he never had to. Dumbledore knew right off that James knew his future, and that is one of the most terrible things to happen to a man.

"James, it does not do to trouble yourself with the future and forget to live in the present. Worry, I find to be quite wasteful. The most you can do now is live," Dumbledore comforted him.

"Yes Sir, but when the time comes, I will be ready to fight them," James boldly announced much to his own surprise.

"Oh and James, you are one of the strongest men I will ever have the liberty of knowing, another being your father of course," Dumbledore said with a deep compassionate smile. James gave a weak smile and exited the office. He immediately sunk his head upon exit; he knew too much for his own good. Knowing how you are going to die is possibly one of the greatest burdens one man can obtain.

James's face grew to an expression of pain, holding back the tears of confusion and hate. With all of his emotion he pounded his fist into wall, leaving a deep red stain. Quickly covering his face with his hands, the red smeared onto his cheek, but James failed to notice any of this, for was consumed by hatred, pain, and confusion. He sat on the ground against a wall with his hands against the sides of his pain-seeded face, rocking back in forth as a single tear-drop stained his left cheek.

The world was spinning, and James was the focal point. He was caught up in emotion, how could he have been so stupid. All this time he was mad at his father for being so busy, when he could be killed by one of Voldemort's followers any day. He was so pissed at his boring life, and how unhappy he was. Whatever, now his life would be a sole long line of anger and fear.

"Power is derived from fear," Lily's voice seemed to echo. James looked up sternly with a face full of anger. He decided upon the course of a hero, fighting the force until death comes upon him. Damn him for being a Gryffindor; damn him for being a Potter.

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Author's Note: There wasn't much Lily-James action in this chapter, but I really had to get the story end going. I have been kind of avoiding it for a while J. Keep on reviewing, do you like where I am going with this chapter? It was definitely a different tone from my other chapters. Give me some feedback because if you don't, then I will write a really awful chapter and it will be all your fault! Just kidding…or am I? Well, we'll just have to see then won't we?

I think I just scared off have of my readers.

Apologetically Yours,

Lilducky18