Ch 3



"Malfoy!"

August Fallon's startled hiss reached the ears of the man in black. He slowly surveyed the airlines passengers, his slanted silver eyes glaring hatefully across the aisles.

"Mr. Fallon?" Lily asked hesitantly, "Do you know that man,"

"Hush child" Fallon ordered harshly, "I've got to think," His thin bony hands shook uncontrollably as he grasped the thin armrests of his chair. His dull gray eyes flashed and raced from the tall man in black to the windows and back again. "I'd never make it," he whispered. With shaking hands he drew out a thin column of wood from his long pockets. He waved the stick inconspicuously and Lily was shocked to see a gentle stream of red fire flow from the end of the stick. The fire struck the wall of the plane and was completely absorbed. "Shit" Fallon hissed painfully, "They've got dampeners."

The man in black suddenly swung around and cried to his companions who were father up the plane. "The Master was correct. What we seek is indeed aboard this plane." He glared in the direction of Lily and Mr. Fallon. "Aura Magicus" he cried, pointing a sliver of wood at the occupants of the plane. Lily began to scream as Fallon was forced back against his seat by an unseen hand and a bright red aura began to flicker malevolently around him.

"There is your wizard, gentlemen," the man in black informed his companions and they all rushed towards the struggling Mr. Fallon. Two hulking men grabbed Fallon's thin arms and dragged him into the aisle. They held him upright as the man Fallon had identified as "Malfoy" came to stand nose to nose with him. "He is in disguise," Malfoy spat and drew his wooden stick from his pocket. "Forma Naturalis". Instantly Fallon's face began to melt away, like wax form a candle. He appeared to straighten and grow a good six inches. The tweed coat and trousers he had worn faded away and were replaced by a long black robe, similar to the ones worn by his attackers. Lily continued to scream, forcing herself as far from her former seatmate as possible. Amy Sanders woke to her best friends panicked screams, and, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, the sight of August Fallon changing form. She fainted clean away.

Once his features realigned themselves, the man who used to be August Fallon, turned sadly towards his screaming seatmate. Lily's scream stopped in her throat as she saw the despair and sorrow expressed in the wide brown eyes that stared back at her. Fallon's new face was young and unlined. He was tall with broad shoulders and a muscular form. Curly light brown hair fell carelessly over his expressive eyes. He blinked, and mumbled something under his breath. A chill came over Lily and she felt something cold and hard tighten around her neck. The sensation was gone in a moment.

"Romulus Lupin," Malfoy hissed with a sinister smile. "I was so hoping it would be you that Dumbledore sent. But of course, who else would the old fool send on such a dangerous mission?" Malfoy reached into his long pockets and withdrew a long golden key. "All right everybody, say buh-bye". He grabbled Romulus' wrist and both men disappeared. Each of Malfoy's comrades took hold of the key, and one by one, winked out of existence.

Suddenly Lily became aware of the commotion aboard the plane. People were screaming, and crying everywhere. A few were running up and down the aisles, peering out the windows. She had been so caught up in the drama before her face, that she hadn't felt the plane change course, or the new horribly sharp pitch of the flight. She leaned over Amy's unconscious form and peered out, only to see the brilliant green English countryside rushing up to meet the plane.

A tall young man came rushing from the front of the plane, his face was as pale as a ghost and his hands shook horribly. "The pilots are dead," he cried. " They've killed the pilots!" At this the panic aboard grew tenfold. Mother's grasped their confused children to their breasts and the murmur of fervent prayer grumbled around the confines of the cabin. Lily leaned back in her chair, grasping Amy's unfeeling hand in her own and thought of home. Her father, and mother, and even Petunia raced before her eyes and tear began to leak slowly down her cheekbones. "Good-bye" she whispered as she watched the hard earth reach up to meet her.