Catch Me If You Can
Chapter Twenty One ll Waging War
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After dinner, word got around that the newly-selected members for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team had finally been confirmed. The list was taped on Professer McGonagall's office door.
Sirius and James were both extremely nervous, and steadfastedly refused to look at the list. The two stayed glued onto the armchairs by the fire in the common-room.
Lily was sitting upright on a chintz armchair. She, too, was nervous, but she wanted to look at the list, at least.
She was just debating whether or not she'd go tonight.
"Just get it over and done with, alright?" Paige soothed.
Easy for her to say, Lily thought inwardly.
"Alright then," she finally decided.
A big smile lit Paige's face, "Good. I'll come with you."
"Oh no -- there's no need," Lily said hastily. Truth be told, she just didn't want a friend's word of comfort and sympathy when she found out that she hadn't made it.
She knew she wouldn't have made it to the team. The only reason she was checking the list was to find out for Sirius and James. Yup, the was the only reason why. The only reason.
Paige gave her a funny look, "Okay then..."
Lily nodded, and slowly ascended as if she was in a daze. Her feet made their way to McGonagall's office. Her heart beat faster when she saw the slip of parchment taped on the closed door. She was too faraway to see the writing, but any moment now...
She stopped short, wondering if she dared to get any closer. Across the top, she saw the boldened words "GRYFFINDOR QUIDDITCH TEAM -- 1971."
Taking a deep breath, Lily approached it cautiously. A drawing of a Quaffle, two Bludgers and the Snitch was in the corner of the poster.
Noting that the Quaffle looked slightly disfigured, she began to read the poster.
Head of Gryffindor: Professor Minerva McGonagall
Gryffindor Quidditch Captain: Xander Corringman, 7th year.
Note: New members of the team will be marked. (new)
Lily's eyes travelled down.
Positions:
Keeper -- Melanie Keiko, 4th year.
Seeker -- Xander Corringman, 7th year.
The redhead closed her eyes. She didn't feel like she could read anymore. But she had to...
Beater -- Rhys Milborough, 7th year.
Beater -- Sirius Black, 2nd year. (new)
Congratulations, Sirius, Lily thought with a light smile on her lips. She then proceeded to read the rest. Her heart was thumping wildly.
Chaser -- Joanna Williams, 4th year. (new)
Chaser -- James Potter, 2nd year. (new)
Chaser -- Lily Evans, 2nd year. (new)
Lily blinked.
She blinked again, and a grin spread across her face.
"I got in," she whispered under her breath.
She leapt up in joy.
"I got in!"
Grinning immensely, Lily practically danced all the way back up the Gryffindor tower. She finally burst into the common-room. When Sirius and James saw her enter, they both whitened.
"Make it quick and sweet," James babbled to her.
Lily grinned at him for what felt like the first time ever, "WE GOT IN!"
James blinked, "...We did?"
Sirius also looked vague, "Huh?"
"We all got in! The three of us!" Lily squealed. She pointed at herself, "Chaser--" she pointed at James, "--Chaser--" she pointed at Sirius, "--Beater!"
"WHOOPEEEE!" Sirius cried triumphantly, leaping up and punching the air. A lot of the other students were glaring at them for making so much noise.
He grabbed Lily by the hands and began to dance with her around the common-room. James, who finally let the message sink in, joined them shortly thereafter.
"We got in, we got in, we got in!"
A few days later, they had their first Quidditch practice. It had been a big success. Now they were all lounging in the common-room.
Lily smiled a bit as she gazed out of the window, to the lake. She was enjoying the peaceful moments, the peaceful moments where everything seem just right. There was no problem in the whole world...
Her peaceful moments only lasted for ten minutes, when an unwelcome gloom settled over her. She was bitterly reminded of Wyntone, the newer threat to the wizarding world. In fact, he was even more of a threat than Voldemort, as Voldemort was only just beginning to gather followers, and Wyntone was at his highest peak of power.
Sighing, Lily closed her eyes, then opened them and glanced around the common-room. In Hogwarts, you could forget that there was chaos brewing in the outside world. In Hogwarts, you were safe and happy.
The students were laughing and enjoying themselves. Lily wondered how many of them knew what was really going on.
At least he hasn't launched an attack yet, she thought slowly. And at this thought, Lily brightened. It didn't seem like Wyntone was the murdering type, which could only be good.
It's only a matter of time before the Aurors get to him...
Feeling a smidge bit better, the redhead glanced around the common-room again. The Marauders were playing Exploding Snap, watched by Anna and Paige who were talking lazily. Di was reading a magazine, looking as though she might fall asleep at any moment.
Lily smiled.
She thought abouther friends... Practical Paige was always there with a joke, always there to offer a solution... Anna always had a smile to offer, a shoulder to cry on and a heart to listen. Di... always up for fun and adventure, and could turn awkward situations to triumphs.
And now for the boys.
James Potter, well, there was no doubt he was a prat sometimes, but he was a good person in general. Lily had come to terms on that. Sirius... Sirius was always up for a joke and, like Di, could turn awkward situations to triumphs.
Lily smiled as she remembered him bursting out into random songs just to lighten up the atmosphere.
"He's invincible and you know it, so clap your hands. He's invincible and you know it, so clap your hands. Who is so invincible? Let me spell it, W-Y-N-T-O-N-E, he's invincible and you know it, so clap your hands."
Her eyes widened.
W... Y-N-T-O-N-E
Wyntone.
Lily emitted a small gasp and practically fled across the common-room to where the boys were.
"Sirius," she spluttered, "Sirius! Remember that song 'He's invincible and you know it, so clap your hands'?! Sing it again!"
Sirius looked a bit confused upon being called on to do such a thing, but he obliged.
Lily gasped again, "Don't you see what it spells?"
All of them, the Marauders and the girls, looked deep in thought as they unscrambled the puzzle.
"I never knew it actually spelt something," Sirius had said beforehand. Indeed, it did just sound like a jumble of letters.
"Wyntone..." Anna whispered, suddenly looking scared.
Lily nodded, looking at all the others.
"In...vincible? Doesn't that mean--" James started.
"--he can't be killed," Di finished sourly.
Lily remembered what she had thought only moments before.
It's only a matter of time before the Aurors get to him...
There didn't seem to be much hope for that anymore.
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Evening came and it was time for dinner. The usual group marched towards the Gryffindor table, but were stopped suddenly by two Slytherins standing in the way.
"Hey Mudblood."
They all came to a sudden halt. Lily had been standing right at the front, but both James and Sirius automatically pushed her and stood in front of her, like older brothers. They faced the two Slytherins defiantly. Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy.
"Sod, off Snape," James growled.
"Awww, poor Blondie feels rejected. Tell him to sod off too," Sirius piped up.
"Sod off, Blondie," James added to Malfoy, his face twisted with amusement.
"Protecting your little Mudblood girlfriend, eh?" Snape smirked.
James' expression changed so quickly it was like lightning has struck him. A dangerous scowl rumbled across his face and his usually warm hazel eyes began to flash. Even his messy black hair seemed to crackle with electricity.
Behind him, Lily squeezed his arm warningly, "It's okay..."
But he ignored her.
Paige and Anna just gaped at him. They had never seen him so angry.
There was an extremely tense silence for three seconds.
"You think you're so wonderful, don't you?" Di suddenly said furiously, glaring at Malfoy and Snape, "Just because you're ickle, little pure-bloods. Has it ever occured to you that Lily's a hell lot smarter than you? Has it?"
Her words didn't seem to have an effect on the two Slytherin boys. On the contrary, Malfoy smirked.
"Careful what you say, Vessie. We know perfectly well where your family comes from and what House you belong in," while he said this, he jabbed at the Slytherin emblem on his robes.
Di said nothing; her face had whitened and she was looking at Malfoy with large, pale eyes. Then she coloured, and made a rude gesture with her middle finger.
Malfoy had turned to Sirius, "If I were you, I'd keep an eye out for your cousin."
"You really think I give a damn about Narcissa?" Sirius sneered in an uncharacteristic way.
"Why, of course. She is family, after all. Narcissa Black? She's got spunk and fortunately, she's in Slytherin, exactly where you should be. She's not terribly bad-looking either, I might just--"
"You keep your hands off of her," Sirius growled.
"Don't really give a damn about her, eh?"
"Shut your mouth, Malfoy," James said through clenched teeth. It was like waging way, though Snape and Malfoy were definitely outnumbered.
James knew Sirius didn't actually care about Narcissa, his cousin. It was just that she was Nessima's younger half-sister, and Nessima had made Sirius promise he would look out for Narcissa and make sure she wouldn't get mixed up with the wrong people.
Fat chance of stopping her now. It was deemed impossible to look out for her when she was sorted into Slytherin, but Sirius had tried, and had tried harder still after Nessima had died...
James had no idea what was happening to him, all he could feel was all the hatred he ever had for Snape. Even hatred that wasn't for him. Every time he got annoyed, everytime somebody had pissed him off... it was all coming back and the utmost loathing was rising in James.
Then it happened. One second, Snape and Malfoy were standing in front of them. The next, they were flying across the Great Hall. Everyone gasped and screamed as the two bodies collided with the opposite wall, then slumped onto the ground.
They were unconscious.
The anger began to evaporate out of James as he wondered what had happened.
He hadn't done that... had he?
I haven't even got my wand out...
"What the--?" Remus murmured, his eyes stretched wide.
"Who did that?" Anna gasped, astounded.
"Beats me," mumbled Sirius, though he looked contented that at least something had happened.
Teachers and students were all running towards the two unconscious boys. No one could blame anyone. No one saw anything that might've caused it.
It had just happened.
I wonder what happened... a fearful Lily thought.
Snape and Malfoy were taken to the Hospital Wing, while the rest of the school went back to dinner to chat animatedly about what had happened. It was a delightful, thrilling and exciting topic of conversation.
"...did you see James Potter? He looked ready to kill..."
"...something about a snide remark about Lily Evans made him so angry..."
Lily and James tried their best to ignore all the comments. The students didn't bother to keep their voices down, as if wanting James to explode again. (A/N: Seem familiar?)
Dessert had barely begun when James bolted down his apple pie and announced incoherently that he was off to bed. Lily had already disappeared to her dormitory, claiming that she didn't feel particularly hungry.
James had settled nicely in his four-poster, though he hadn't bothered to change into his pyjamas. His head was throbbing with pain and he couldn't help but feel that he was the one who caused the accident. What if Snape and Malfoy were dead?
He was about to drift asleep when he heard a scream from across the tower. From the girl's dormitories.
"What the hell?" he wondered sleepily, having jerked wide awake. He hopped off and headed down to the common-room. Paige and Di were down there, about to run up the stairs.
"What's happening?" he wanted to know.
"Lily," Paige said shortly. James immediately tore after her.
They came to the girl's dormitory, where Lily was kneeling on the floor, sobbing into her bed. Anna was kneeling next to her, an arm around the redhead and murmuring comforting things.
James was about to run in when he saw three things sprawled across the floor. Three dead bodies.
As he took a step closer, he recognised them to be Lily's family. William, Rose and Petunia.
But... how were they dead?
"What's happening?" a hoarse-voiced Remus walked in. Then he stopped short and looked down at the bodies, "...Ahhh?"
James turned around questioningly and found Sirius standing in the doorframe, also staring down at the bodies, "Who are they?" he finally asked, glancing over at the sobbing Lily who was being fawned over by her three friends.
"Her family," James responded, looking back. It was rather scary, really... How did they die at Hogwarts?!
"Ooohh," Sirius looked casual, almost careless, "It's a Boggart. Or maybe three of them."
A Boggart? Oooh...
Di heard this, and sprang up. She whipped out her wand and cried, "Riddukulus!"
The three bodies disappeared with a Pop! and a cloud of misty smoke appeared. It was about to clear and reveal something when Di let out a "HA!", and it all disappeared.
"Lily? Lil... it's okay now. It was only a Boggart... They're not dead..." Anna comforted, trying to peer at Lily.
Lily lifted her tear-stained face, looked at the spot where her family had been, then burst into fresh tears in her relief.
"Shhh... don't be silly," Anna murmured comfortingly.
James and Remus crossed over towards them, but Sirius stayed put. He didn't think Lily had been silly. After all, the world was in chaos, especially with Wyntone and Voldemort rising to power. Lily and James both being Wiccans wasn't a big help, either.
Things were happening quickly and surprisingly. Nothing was planned. Nobody warned you.
Sirius knew what it was like. He had been happy; he was at Hogwarts; he was a Gryffindor; he was surrounded by friends. And then, one letter came along and informed him that his beloved cousin was dead. Gone forever, and never to return.
In an instant, everything was turned upside down. Just by a simple letter.
One letter could destroy lives.
Sirius closed his eyes. Thinking about Nessima was painful.
I really wish you were still here, Nessima.
As Sirius leant his head against the doorjamb, listened to Anna's attempts to calm Lily down and listened to Remus and James murmur their fears, Sirius thought he heard a feminine voice say airily...
I am.
And as Sirius opened his eyes, he thought he saw a ghostly figure of a tall girl. He couldn't see her face but she was smiling, that was for sure. Sirius closed his eyes and shook his head, then opened them again.
I must be seeing things... sheesh...
But all the same, he felt better.
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----> A/N: Awww... poor Sirius. ((sniff)) --MSQ.