Chapter 21 ~ Visitors from the Past and Glimpses of the Future
The aging white haired wizard was watching the nurse as she frantically scanned the poor witch lying on the bed. He noticed the flow of blood coming out from underneath her and became even more nervous. Something was definitely wrong, very wrong.
"Poppy?" he questioned with a quiver in his voice.
"She's very ill," the nurse said with a tremor. "She's in a coma and unless she wants to wake up, she won't. She could be here a while," she explained. Even though she didn't much like Miss Evans right now; she was still a student and this upset her. Dumbledore looked at her with doubt and the nurse continued. "She has one broken and three fractured ribs, her left ulna and radius were snapped, severe head trauma, and a misaligned back. Other than that a few mere bruises, nothing I can't fix," she said with more confidence than she felt she had. "If she had landed any other way, she would have been dead on scene."
"The blood? Why is there blood?" the headmaster asked.
"Blood? Oh my…" she gasped as she went to work. She had a feeling of what it was, as did Dumbledore and neither of them liked where their minds were taking them.
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Albus went out to the four waiting outside of the curtain. James looked up and knew it wasn't good. The old man's face looked ancient and more lines of worry appeared. James couldn't say a word; he was fearing the worst.
She's dead, he thought, oh gods she's dead!
"How is she?" Mollie voiced what everyone was thinking.
"She's alive, if that's what you mean," he said, "but barely. She had a few broken and fractured bones and head trauma, plus a few other things. If she hadn't landed how she did, then she wouldn't even have been alive when we got there."
"But she's alive?" James asked hopefully.
"Yes, she's alive, but in a coma. Madame Pomphery says she won't wake up unless she wants to," the headmaster looked at them, trying to portray everything, his eyes looking dead.
"C-can I see her?" James asked.
"Yes James, you may see her… but be careful," he warned. James jumped up and rushed behind the curtains, but the headmaster stayed behind.
"Sirius, would you go with James?" the headmaster questioned, but it sounded more like a command.
"Sure," he said a little suspiciously.
"Headmaster?" Mollie looked up at him, fear evident in her eyes.
"Is the baby ok?" Remus blurted out as realization dawned on him. He and Mollie were the only two students who knew of Lily's pregnancy. Dumbledore obviously wanted to tell them something pertaining to Lily that James and Sirius couldn't know. Two plus two equals four.
"I'm afraid not," Dumbledore replied sadly, shaking his head. "She's lost it." Teas came to Mollie's eyes as she ran to the curtain. She rushed to the other side and griped Lily's hand.
"Some Christmas huh?" she said, laughing bitterly with tears dripping down her face. "Oh Lily! I'm so sorry!"
Remus was soon behind her. He gripped her shoulder and she turned and sobbed into his chest.
"Why us?" she asked, "Why Lily?"
"I don't know Mollie. I guess it was meant to be," he said while hugging her close as tears reached his own eyes. He looked at Lily sorrowfully and sat down in a chair next to her, pulling Mollie into his lap. She continued crying on his shoulder. James looked at her curiously, but went back to hold Lily's hand, squeezing it tightly, willing her to wake.
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There was a misty haze around her. She felt as though she were floating. Everything felt surreal. She kept walking but it felt as though she were going nowhere. She looked around frantically and saw four people walking toward her.
"Hello?" she said in more of a question. It echoed out and she knew she wasn't in the hell she thought she deserved.
"Lily flower," she heard called out to her. The voice sounded familiar.
"Daddy?" she questioned in false hope.
"My dear Lily Flower," his voice sounded somber, but she would have recognized it anywhere.
"DADDY!" she said again, this time running into the familiar form of her father and burring her face in his chest. "I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too… but I was hoping not to see you for a while," he said, lying his head on top of hers and squeezing her tight. "What were you thinking?" he voiced, mainly to himself.
"Lily dear," said another voice. Lily looked up and saw the frowning face of Chelsey Potter. "You know that didn't solve anything… it just made matters worse." Lily's face reddened and she buried it her father's chest again.
"I guess I was just so upset… but now I'm with you guys! That's all that matters," she said, knowing it wouldn't help any.
"Lily," Mr. Potter began, "You can't do this right now. If you were to… people's lives wouldn't be the same."
"What's it worth! Nothing! My life is shit!" she said in sudden anguish.
"Lillian Anastasia Pot-EVANS!" he mother yelled, almost revealing too much of what she knew. "Watch your tongue," she said quietly.
"I'm sorry!" Lily replied, obviously missing the slip-up. "It's just that… my life seems worthless and that everyone would be better off without me in theirs!" She tried to hide herself from everyone by clinging to her father, but Mr. Potter gripped her shoulder.
"Come here Lily, let me show you something," he said, pulling her away from the warmth of her fathers chest and over to what appeared to be a small pond. The water looked suspiciously like unicorn blood and she could see her reflection. When she looked next to her, Mr. Potter was right there but she couldn't see his.
"Commonstro are iam," Mr. Potter chanted, sticking his hand in the water and swirling it around. Soon some images appeared and Lily was struck in awe with what she saw.
The sky seems to be black against the setting sun. It was showing the gates of Hogwarts.
"Go in," Mr. Potter said, pushing her into the pond. She sank down until she arrived at the front gates. She noticed that the winged boars that guarded the gate were chipped and burnt black, smoke billowing up from their heads. She slowly opened the gates and one almost fell off its hinges. This wasn't the Hogwarts she knew.
"Good God what happened?" she gasped. Slowly walking down the path, the castle came into view. She almost fainted in shock when she saw it. Many of the windows were broken and there seemed to be dark stains on the walls that looked suspiciously like blood. Chills went down her spine. Something wasn't right.
She walked through the doors and into the Entrance Hall. The torches were lit with green flames. The castle seemed colder than before. She walked into the Great Hall and what met her eyes made her feel sick. Death Eaters littered the hall. Most of them were drunk and those who weren't were close.
Voldemort was sitting where the Headmaster normally would. He looked around the room as though he were bored. He looked around the hall at his followers in what looked like disgust to Lily. He rose from his seat and it astounded her at how quickly the drunken idiots became alert and reverent towards their 'ruler' as he eyed his 'subjects'.
"I've become bored," he stated. Suddenly the drunks grew worried and began to whisper. If he was bored, that was no good. "Silence," he hissed, becoming even more annoyed with them. Then, one brave soul walked forward, head bent very low. He approached Voldemort cautiously and dropped to his knees when he was in front of him. He grabbed a handful of his robes with shaking hands and kissed the hem.
"Master," he slurred, "if I may suggest, we still have that old fool locked up, he could prove to be some wonderful entertainment."
"Yes, that would be lovely," Voldemort said with a twisted grin on his face. "Well, what are you waiting for, bring the crazy Mudblood lover up here," he said when the bowing death eater did nothing. He gave him a kick and he then scurried off, only to return with a haggard looking Albus Dumbledore.
The unknown death eater threw the elderly man to the floor roughly at the feet of his master. Lily was shocked to say the least that this man, who looked like a house elf, was her highly respected headmaster.
"Ah, the high, almighty and esteemed headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore; not so high and almighty now, are you? What would the wizarding world say if they saw you now? Not much, let's just say, now that I'm in command," Voldemort hissed at him menacingly.
"You'll loose eventually," the white haired man said weakly. It took all the energy he had to say those few words. Voldemort just laughed.
"How can I loose when I've already won? Don't you get it old man? You've finally lost. You and your precious school and all the Mudbloods who walked it have fallen," he laughed even harder. "And now I get to watch you suffer. Oh the irony!" he threw his head back and outright laughed. Lily cringed and felt bile coming up her throat but she held it down.
The still drunk death eaters were now watching with hunger in their eyes. She knew what was coming, but didn't want to admit it. She watched as Voldemort raised his wand in almost slow motion and muttered the crucraticus curse. The shrill yells and screams of the only hope of the wizarding world filled Lily's ears. Her hands went up to them and tried to block the shrieks out, but they persisted, getting louder each minute. It was as though someone were scraping their nails against a chalkboard, only worse.
"Stop!" Lily screamed, "STOP IT!!! PLEASE!!!"
Suddenly she was tugged up and she collapsed in the arms of her father again. She continued bawling.
"Why does that have to happen???" she said between sobs.
"It doesn't Lily," Mister Potter intoned, "but it will if you die now. Don't you understand that one death can change the entire future?" Lily just shook her head into her father's now soaked shirt. "Let me show you what would happen if you DON'T die now. You don't understand the cataclysmic events that could occur just because of YOU!" He took her back over to the pool and just had her look down. She saw a group of wizards setting off magical fireworks and celebrating, loudly. They were very happy and merry. The image them faded and she saw the Great Hall in Hogwarts. The headmaster rose with a somber look on his face.
"As most of you obviously know, Voldemort has fallen," he paused there and let the gasps upon hearing the name of evil itself die down and then continue. "I believe we should honor those people who brought this about." At this he raised his goblet and everyone in the hall followed suit. "To Harry, Lily and James," he said, tipping his glass. The students quietly echoed the toast and drank. It then faded away and Lily looked at them all in shock.
"Voldemort? Gone, b-because of me?" she asked dumbfounded. They just nodded. "So I… I have to live so he can die?"
"Pretty much," her father responded.
"But I have nothing to live for right now! Why should I?" she said, still only thinking of herself.
"Lily, think about it… you're going to be saving millions of lives!" her mother said. "We don't need another Holocaust down there; it's bad enough as it is. The world needs you! That's something to live for. Your friends need you. It's not all about you Lily… you need to be a little selfless."
"I've BEEN selfless! All this time I've thought about what would he want me to do? Or what would make her happy? I need to do something for myself!" she said, sick and tired of everything.
"Fine, go out on a shopping spree, indulge yourself, let someone get close to you, let someone LOVE you!" her father said. "Goodbye Lily and take care." The voice faded away and everything became black again until it turned into a blinding white light.
She suddenly became aware of her surroundings. She kept her eyes shut but knew exactly where she was; the hospital wing. Both of her hands were being held, the one so tight she assumed it was purple by now. She heard people whispering and crying.
They won't let me die, she thought to herself sadly. They won't let me. She then tried to wake up but couldn't do that either. Her eyelids were to heavy and her body weak. She just let herself fall asleep. She knew they would all be there when she woke. She knew she wasn't going to die, they wouldn't let her. She could accept that. She had a mission and she was going to fulfill it if it was the last thing she ever did. Gently she squeezed the hand with the death grip on her before drifting off to a dreamless sleep, a little smile playing on her lips.
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Ok… last chapter I forgot to say that the song at the end was I Pray by Lonestar. Now, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry all!!!! Most of you probably hate me and will be hunting me down to kill me b/c I killed the baby. But, before I even started POSTING!! I had that plan planted in my mind. If you all wish to shun me I won't blame you. Any way, I love all of you who have reviewed. I now have 520 reviews and am on 49 peoples favorites list!!! I feel soooooooooo loved!!! Any way, thank yous are next… I'm running out of things to say damnit!!!
Lily Evenstar – Wow! Two reviews! I feel so special!!!! I'm sorry to make you cry, but I guess that means I'm doing my job huh? I'm glad to be able to pull so much emotion from people who read this, it takes a lot to write them like this, and sometimes I hate myself for making it so sad. L
HPdramer15 ~ I feel so special! That's now two people that have review to my story that normally wouldn't. I'm glad I made you feel so much emotion, that means I'm doing my job… I hope. You get cookies and milk now! Cuz I just adored your review!
Killer Angel – Question, what question mark dot? Just wondering, cuz I'm not sure what ur talking about… anyway, thanx
Goddess of Gorgeousness – HAY!!! I like brownies! I hope this one isn't too bad of a cliffy…. I did try to make it better.
Aurora Tonks – Don't worry, Lily wont' die, as I hope you already figured out. And I think Mollie and Sirius or Remus would make a cute couple, but I'm not up to writing that just yet. Tanky.
Frantic – It's more my privilege than urs, believe me. To have all of these reviews.
Rema – I'm glad u like this story. Please don't go insane, then u wouldn't be able to read anymore!
Nymphandor_tonks_6 – I'm glad that you love this one, but believe me, there are better out there. Tell me when you start posting ur story and I'll read it.
Siriusremusjames – in JKR's books James dose have hazel eyes, but I started this b4 that came out and I thought they could be blue… I really didn't feel like changing it. Glad u like it tho.
Lisa Meunier – I know it's going slow! And I HATE that I'm taking so long… but I can't seem to speed it up. I've got so many things I want to put in here it's just… taking forever. Don't worry tho, it's coming close to the end.
Agloechen – I know the thing with the Christmas present is kinda messed up, but here's what I've got going on him this insane head of myn. James sent it to her as a Christmas Present, so it went with all of the other Christmas presents. When she returned to Hogwarts, all of her things were brought back later and put in her room. There are her gifts. I hope that clears that up.
B-a-B-I – I thought the cowlick thing was good too. I didn't want this chapter to be all tears, so I had to but something funny in it. And I just loved that song and wanted to incorporate it in somehow.
Mystic Wind – Sorry for spelling it wrong… I'm a ditzy blonde! I admit it! I am a dumb blonde!!!
Silver Kisses, Teresaangel, angel-dolphin1, Dangerously In Love, gwvixen21, wizemunkee006, Charlene, elvencherry07, RandomCharacter, thyme, misskittyfantastico12889, Anarane Anwamane, Obbsesive, the lily among thorns, Optical Illusions, krazee4LJ, J.E.A.R.Potter, Natty, gwvixen, lilynjamesAAF, PeRkieGuRL, kcchirstian, FireFox_37x, Smiley Mary, LiLVickiRyan, DK Lili, freakyfroggurl22, faries of the wood, aCharmedOne, Star19, harrys-babe, sailorsunandchildofthesun, Ccilia, hpfrek13, kat6528, Cassandrah Potter, and Lily Bell.
Love ya,
Franie