Sorry I didn't post yesterday or the day before. But, here's the next chapter! It's one of those that contributes to the story being rated PG-13, though it's really not all that bad… it depends on how vivid your imagination is, maybe? It's just a little violent. Anyway, enjoy! R&R!

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Chapter 16

Behind the Looking Glass

A few days later, at dinner, Lily sat at the Gryffindor table watching James and Sirius with their girlfriends. It was obvious that they were breaking up, and Lily was interested. She couldn't help but chuckle as the two girls burst into tears, and ran out of the hall without even an explanation. Sirius and James returned to the table looking flustered and abused.

"I hate doing that." Sirius muttered to himself.

"Especially when they cry." James said, rubbing his head. Lily noticed he was smiling.

"Well you must be relieved." Lily offered.

"Sure. I guess." James said. "I mean, they were pretty bad, right Padfoot?"

"Here, here." Sirius said solemnly, pumping his fist in the air.

"You both are pathetic." Lily giggled. "I mean, come on; you were always saying how annoying they were." She said, trying to cheer them up.

"That's true, too." James shrugged. "She's right, Si. So perk up, you prat."

"That almost rhymes." Sirius said in a small voice.

James and Lily rolled their eyes. "No kidding." James laughed.

"Anyone want to come back up to the common room with me?" Lily asked.

"Sure." James said. He and Sirius stood up and followed her out of the hall. They moved through the halls silently at first. The silence was soothing and not at all uncomfortable.

With out a warning, all the lights in the corridor blew out suddenly, though there was no wind. The curtains drew themselves closed with invisible hands, and Lily's heart began to thump louder. The corridors were plunged into total, and utter darkness. Lily could hardly see her own nose. Loud piercing screams could be heard from the Grand Hall.

"What the hell?" Sirius muttered, and James and Lily whipped out their wands. Lily looked down the hall, but couldn't see anything.

"What's going on?" Lily whispered.

"I dunno…" James replied. "But we'd better find out."

"Why do you always have to be so God damn adventurous, James?!" Sirius moaned. Lily couldn't see Sirius's face, but she knew it was tense.

"Let's just go back to the Grand Hall." Lily suggested. "Dumbledore will know what to do. Lumos!" She said, as her wand tip lit. Now the hall was bathed in it's friendly glow, and nothing looked out of the ordinary. She led the two boys down the Fifth story flight of stairs, and hurried to the next stairs in sight.

When they were just around the corner, she heard a slight creak that made her jump.

"Lily, put out your wand." James whispered sharply. She did, and the three friends looked anxiously around. The stillness pressed in upon them. Lily felt like the whole castle could hear her pounding heart.

Nothing. "Okay. I think it's okay." Sirius murmured softly. "Let's keep moving." They continued through the dark, deserted halls, peering timidly around corners. When Lily's heart had stopped thunking against her ribs, she began to ease up.

But when they heard whispering up ahead, Lily stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh God." She said, her lips and throat dry.

"The stairs have to be here someplace." A woman's voice-- light and nervous. "Let's get out of here, they'll find us."

"You give up too easily." A man—sharp and frustrated. The two people didn't speak again, and Lily prayed they hadn't heard her uneasy breathing. Sirius's face was pale, but James looked determined.

Again, nothing happened. James carefully stared into the dark. "It's clear." He whispered. "They're gone. But that was really too close."

"Who are they? Do you think we should go to the common room and wait? We might be safer there…" Sirius suggested.

"Some stupid Death Eaters don't scare you, do they, Si?" James laughed. Lily sighed angrily.

"You're taking this far too lightly, James." She snapped. "I agree with Sirius. Let's get out of these halls."

"Fine with me." James said, forcing a smile. "Lead the way." He replied, clapping Sirius on the back and pushing him forward.

"Wait-- why me?" Sirius gulped. "I don't want to lead!"

"Your idea, you lead." James said shortly. He paused. "Hang on-- what about the mirror?"

"You mean, the one to Hogsmeade?" Sirius said excitedly. "Good idea! We can get help!"

"What are you talking about?" Lily asked.

"There's this passage on this floor, its hidden behind a mirror. We can take it and bring back help." James explained quickly, turning around and backtracking through the shadows.

Lily followed without making a sound. Occasionally, she thought she could hear the swish of a cloak… was that a laugh? … But she thought she was just frightening herself.

After what seemed like ages, James, pointed to a magnificent mirror mounted on the wall. "Dissendium." He muttered. The mirror swished itself to the side, and there was a long, dark tunnel leading downward. "Here goes nothing." He whispered, sitting down and sliding downward.

"Ladies first." Sirius said, motioning towards the hole. Lily shoved herself inside. The stone was cold and slick, she smiled to Sirius, and then shoved off, ducking her head.

The tunnel seemed to zoom down for less than a minute- but it twisted and turned so many times, Lily felt sick.  She landed with a muffled thud on a dirt floor.

"You okay?" James asked, as Lily stood up and dusted as much of the dirt off of her as she could manage.

"I think so." She said. "You?"

"Fine. Where's Sirius?" James asked, poking his head up the tunnel. Lily thought of how ironic it would be if Sirius came racing down the tunnel at this very moment.

But he didn't. Instead, Lily and James listened to a subdued shout.

"You don't think…?" James said, biting his lip.

"No! No…" Lily said unconvincingly. She too bit her lip and tried to believe that Sirius was okay.

Thankfully, Lily could hear the sound of someone slipping down the tunnel. Closer, and closer the sound came until the person plopped onto the earth.

"Sirius?!" James shouted. Sirius's hands were bound together, and his mouth was taped shut tightly with Spell-o-tape. Sirius tried to speak behind the tape and looked at the tunnel meaningfully, but it was no use. Lily hurried to Sirius's side, and tried to undo his binds. It was because of this, she didn't see who else came sliding down the channel.

"Expellarimus!" A man shouted. Lily and James's wands were ripped from their grip. Lily whirled around to look into the face of a tall man. His features were cast in shadow from the light at the tip of Sirius's wand, and he grinned madly as he looked at the two new wands added to his collection.

There was another sliding sound, and a woman cloaked in black flopped onto the ground.

"Thank you." She said as the man gave her a hand up.

"And thank you for leading us here." The man added to James. "This will be a good passage to know." His voice was sharp as glass, and gave Lily chills. "Step away from him." The man said to Lily, though not looking at her. Lily tried to stand, but her legs wobbled uncertainly like jello, and she couldn't rise.

"I said GET UP!" The man hollered, brandishing his wand at Lily.

"Don't yell at her." The woman said softly. "She could help us later."

"All right." Lily croaked. She stood, and backed away from Sirius's helpless body.

"What should we do?" The woman asked the man.

"I don't know!" He said. "Why do you always expect me to know?"

"Because you usually do." The woman muttered back.

"Let's just kill all three of them and get it over with." The man replied, smiling at them maliciously.

"Please don't hurt us." James said. "We'll lead you out of here… I know the way." He suggested.

"You see?" The woman said to her partner. "You can't just kill people when they piss you off. He'll lead us out."

"Sure he will--right into the hands of Dumbledore." The man snapped. He walked over to the woman, and handed her Lily, James and Sirius's wands. His attitude cooled, and he took a few steps closer to James. "What's you're name, boy?" he whispered calmly. This took James off guard.

"Really, if you just let our friend go, I'll lead you out…" He stuttered.

The man chuckled softly. "What's your name?" He repeated, stepping closer. When James didn't answer, he turned, and snatched Lily's arm and pulled her so their faces were no less than two inches apart. She could smell his hot, sour, stuffy breath and tears started to leak out of her eyes as she watched his nostrils dilate with frustration. 

"Don't, Frank!" The woman shouted.

"Don't what? He could be the boy." The man, Frank, said innocently, nodding to James. "He fits the damn description." From within the depths of his cloak, he yanked out a small, shining knife. Lily's heart pounded fast, and her eyes grew wide, she would have screamed, but her throat was taught, and dry. "Tell us your name, and where the Hidden Crystal of Hogwarts is." The man said coolly. He pulled Lily closer, and she winced as he brought the knife near her neck. She watched as the sparkling weapon danced near her chest… Why couldn't he just kill her with a wand and get it over with… she couldn't breath… she was going to die…

"Stop." James spluttered. The knife ceased its movement. "Just stop." James tried to move toward the man, but the woman walked over to him and stopped him.

"Talk." Frank commanded. The blade was centimeters from her skin. Lily's chest rose and fell in sharp gasps. "And I'll stop."

"I don't know anything about that Crystal…" James lied. Lily gasped a sharp breath as the man smiled darkly. He lifted the knife again, and brought it closer. He was going to stab her and she would die…

"Don't…" Lily whispered--a whisper was all she could manage. She tried to pull away, but his grasp shifted to her elbow and he held fast. "Please… don't…"

"I'm James Potter. I'm the boy you're looking for." James said frantically, not taking his eyes off the knife. Lily sobbed unwillingly. The dagger was so close…

"Are you?" The man said as though this came as a surprise. Still, he didn't let go of Lily. "Well now! This is interesting."

"Please let her go." James demanded, gulping.

"I think I'll keep her like this until you take us to the Crystal." Frank said, giving Lily a shake. 

"I don't know where it is!" James shouted defenselessly. But that was not what Frank wanted to hear. Again, he pointed the knife at the trembling Lily. She willed herself not to feel anything… it wouldn't hurt… not if she didn't think it would…

"I honestly don't know." James murmured to the woman. "I don't… I can't…"

"Frank, he's probably telling the truth." She replied. "Let's just take him and go."

"I'll come!" James said distraughtly. "Just don't hurt them…"

"I'm not leaving here without that Crystal!" Frank's shout echoed throughout the dirt corridor. "I don't think you understand." He breathed. "If we walk out of here with the Crystal and the Potter boy, we will be honored, Vicky—honored."

"They don't know where it is, Frank. It's useless…"

"You give up too easily." Frank cooed. "I have this under control, Vicky." He said. Lily's eyes watched the knife draw close again.

"You're sick!" Vicky shouted. "Really sick! I never wanted to become a Death Eater. You said it would be fun! You promised it wouldn't be violent! But now here you are, threatening to kill innocent kids! How could you, Frank?"

"I'll have none of that from you, Vick!" Frank shouted. He turned back to Lily and eyed her with interest. The knife was dangerously close, and now he was angry. His gaze was threatening and made Lily wish she were somewhere else… anywhere… safe up in her four poster bed… anywhere…

"You let that girl go, or I'll leave. And I'll tell the Minister of Magic everything the Dark Lord Voldemort told me!" Vicky shouted angrily.

"You wouldn't dare." Frank said confidently. He drew himself up to his full height, and brought the knife up to Lily's neck again. Please… No…

"Don't…" She whispered again.

"Stop, Frank!" Vicky shouted. "Let these kids go!" She threw the wands at his feet, and James's eyes followed them to the floor and didn't move off of them. Lily could almost see his assessment of the situation formulating in his brain and wondered whether he would grab the wands and save her.

Suddenly, Frank let go of Lily and she collapsed onto the floor, crying. James tried to move toward Lily, but Frank watched him intently.

"Our master wanted to kill you himself, you know. To be sure it was done." Frank said, kicking the wands out of Lily's range and strolling casually toward him.

"I'm sure he did." James said strongly. "Let them go, and I'll come with you-- quietly and calmly."

"James, don't go with him." Vicky said to him desperately. "He'll kill you, James."

"SHUT UP, Vicky!" Frank shouted. "Shut up, or I'll kill you!"

But Vicky was no longer listening to him. "James, you've got to watch your back—there are Death Eaters all over the place, and they all want you dead, James… don't trust any of them… They're at Hogwarts, James…"

It happened in a flash of the blade. Frank shouted in rage and shoved Vicky into the earthy wall and killed her. He stabbed… and stabbed…

Lily covered her face as her uncontainable screams joined Vicky's in a gruesome chorus. James wasted no time and hurried to the wands. He grabbed them, and shouted some spell… he grabbed Lily in his arms, and pulled her and Sirius out of the way. James shielded his and Lily's eyes as the ceiling crashed down all around them.

When the dust and rubble had cleared, there was no sign of Frank or of Vicky. There was now a huge wall of stone separating the tunnel entrance from the exit.

"Here, Si." James said, ripping the tape off of Sirius's face unbound his hands. Sirius said nothing, but put his hands over his stinging mouth. Steady, salty tears were pouring down Lily's face, and her hair was damp with sweat.

"Oh Jesus…" Sirius muttered, looking at the rock wall. "What happened?" He asked, although he didn't expect an answer.

"How…?" Lily began faintly, but she couldn't find it in herself to finish.

"Come on." James said. "Climb." He urged Lily pointing to the tunnel.

"I can't…" Lily whispered. It felt like a steamroller was plowing over her lungs…

"Yes. Yes you can." James impelled quietly.

"Give her a second, James." Sirius said protectively. He moved to Lily and held her tightly, as she cried on his shoulder.

"We don't have a second, Sirius!" James shouted, taking Lily out of his arms and pushing her towards the tunnel. "We have to get back up to the school!" He yelled, on the verge of hysterics.

Sirius shook his head. "It'll be okay, Lily." He replied solemnly.

James helped her into the tunnel and the three of them inched their way back up the short, but curving passage. The slippery walls made it hard to advance forward, but eventually, Lily found her head poking out of the mirror hole.

The lights were back on, but no one was in the corridor. Distant shouts could be heard, but Lily didn't care… she didn't care…