Lily crawled towards her bed. If I could just get my wand unnoticed....' she thought. James was coming up with ways to stall Snape in the meantime. Lily pulled herself on top of her bed and reached for her wand. She grabbed it and then pushed herself off her bed again so that Snape wouldn't notice her. She mouthed a spell to take the Silencing Charm off of her and crawled up behind Snape.

James, Sirius, and Remus were trying not to watch Lily, so that Snape wouldn't realize she had her wand. Despite their efforts, Snape stopped talking and his eyes narrowed. He could see Lily's reflection in James' glasses! He whirled around, but this time Lily was quicker.

Perfectus Totallis! she yelled, and Snape fell to the floor with a thud.

The boys stood there amazed that Lily was able to stun Snape. Lily slowly stood up. They watched her walk slowly to her gun and pick it up. They wondered what she was doing when suddenly she held the gun up... pointed at Snape.

James gasped, ran over to Lily, and wrestled the gun out of her hand. Lily, NO!! Sirius and Remus also ran over to help, and they finally got the gun from her hand.

I don't want to see you in Azkaban for killing this bastard. And he deserves much worse than death for what he has done! James said.

Lily stopped struggling. They let her go, and she backed away towards the wall, looking at her hand, then the gun, then Snape. Her back touched the wall, and she looked at James and then looked down and started crying as she slid down the wall. She broke down completely, and James rushed over to her and sat next to her, holding her. Seconds turned to minutes, and those felt like hours. But all was interrupted.

Peter burst through the door, with Professor McGonagall tight at his heels. Peter's eyes became the size of galleons (roughly the size of a half dollar) and Professor McGonagall gasped.

What happened here?! Professor McGonagall ordered. Remus stepped forward and explained what they had found and also explained that he didn't know what really happened before they had arrived. When he had finished, Professor McGonagall started making orders.

Mr. Lupin, Black, and Pettigrew, please return to the Common Room, where I would like to speak with you. Ms. Evans, please go to Professor Dumbledore's office. Mr. Potter, you may accompany her. As for Mr. Snape, he will be taken care of by the head of his house.

The four boys nodded as reply, and James slowly pulled Lily to her feet as he stood up. Sirius, Remus, and Peter trooped out of the dormitory and into the Common Room, with James and Lily bringing up the rear. Professor McGonagall, still horror struck, turned to survey the room one more time, then walked past Snape (trodding on him during the process, but having no regard for doing so), and left the room, locking it as she followed the others into the Common Room. As Professor McGonagall entered the room, she could see that the three were already sitting, silently waiting for her, and that James and Lily had already left for Dumbledore's office.

James gave his friends a last look as he and Lily climbed out of the room and into the hallway. Without saying anything at all, the three knew that James had mentally said, Thank you, and they in turn replied mentally with, Your welcome. Then James left the room and closed the portrait.