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Turn Left Turn Right.
Chapter 12: The Knight In Rusty Armor.
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Disclaimer: Am not J.K. Rowling. Don't sue.
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Summary: Two people who are destined to be together, (Lily and James) never meet but are always only a few feet away from each other. They live in bliss, ignorant of others, until one day they chance upon an encounter with each other and realise that their lives have missing pieces in it. They part, but then, are unable to contact each other again, leaving two love- torn teenagers desperately trying to find their other half.
18th March 2004
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Squiggles1: Oopsy... Your worst nightmares have come true. And I did put Joy in this chapter. –Evil music please- And it ill end up in a meeting, or well, a meeting in the next chapter anyway... Well, school year starts in January and we have a week break in March and September, and a month in June, and two months in November/December. =) And there is another part Alex bashing in this chapter. By the most unexpected thing.
Indiangurl: You read me too well! Yea... But oh well, Alex gets some back.
ShorTi: SOON!!! They'll meet soon! Okok, I keep saying that, but soon!
MightyMouth: Lol, ok, I'm updating already. I brought brushes too! For the tomatoes in my hair. _ YEP... WATCH OUT FOR…
Jac: ME?? A COW?!?! –dark mutters-
Fulldark: Yes, soon I know... No cliffie this time.. I think...
Catherine24: I hope you find the little Alex-humiliating fun!
Phoenix: Thanks! And I'm updating!
Lily-Girl-Marauder: I'm back! Again. (psst: I keep saying they're gonna meet eh? Oh well, soon I suppose. Anyway, it's almost the last time you'll see Alex and Joy…)
Raine an Frodo: Hehe... thanks. =)
Abby123: Which part was confusing? Hmmm, well, thanks anyway. =)
Kittikat: Hmm... It's the part where they're calling all the numbers so that they can reach it other.
FrightninglyObsessed: Sorry I couldn't get it up! Anyway, yea, it's here...
Allie: Thanks! =)
Blueseveryday: Me too!! But you already knew that didn't you! =) HEehhehe… Oh, March Holidays! My favourite time of the year. Well, besides June, September and December of course!
ScreamMyHeadOff: Thanks! =)
SunnyDae: Arghh!!!! Alex/Giant Squid! Arghhhh!!!! Nightmares!
Teresaangel: Yep, it's from a Chinese show. And I'm from S'pore... Lol: S'pore spore. I'm lame. Ok.
LJstagflower4e: Wahahaha!!! Alex gets a little something back here!
Aurora_borealis: I hope you laugh at this chapter. My sis was. She fell out of her chair and started snorting incoherently. Hmmm… Anyway, they're gonna meet real soon. (That's what I keep saying.. Lol!)
Agloechen: Lily doesn't let him stay in her room, and hmmm... they have different lessons... I hope it's explained well in the chapter. Anyway, you'll be seeing close to the last of Alex... Cheer!!
Kat44: SHUDDER!!! Alex and JAMES?!?!?!! You just gave me nightmares for the rest of my life… weeheeehee.
Dee Ann: Yep, they're meeting soon, but not by the way you described. In fact, it's quite out of the ordinary. =)
Firewalker32: Ok! Hurrying!
Lady Cecilia: Oopsy. I bet you're gonna hate Alex even more after this.
cHoCoLaTeZ: =) I absolutely love James, Sirius and Remus too! –DROOLS- I should write more of them, don't you think??? Wanders of muttering "Sirius... Remus..." under her breath.
Swishy Willow Wand: Thanks. =)
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Lord Voldemort sat idly in his throne, twirling a small glowing globe in his long fingers. The globe was bronze, with a faint glow emitting from its centre, and runes were written in a seemingly haphazard way all over it.
He stared at it one moment, before, moving his fingers to turn the globe, like a rubix cube, so that the runes fell into place.
The globe fell open neatly down a spilt in the middle and a figure swathed in thick shawls and with too large eyes rose up from within.
the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches
born to those who have thrice defied him
.
.
.
and either must die….. at the
hand of the other for neither can live…... while the other survives
.
.
the flower… and the stag…
One of his Death Eaters had managed to record bits of the prophecy before the fool Dumbledore had found out, and most of the prophecy had been cut out. But still, right at the very end, before self consciousness had tried to overcome the woman, she had strained to get the last bit of the prophecy out... the flower, and the stag.
His eyes flared with sudden anger.
***Flashback***
Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the circle of watching Death Eaters to face Voldemort, a boy of barely sixteen, but already close to being inducted into the inner circle.
"My Lord, I have found the two."
"Is that so?" Voldemort asked. "Tell me, are you certain? You do know the price of failure don't you, Lucius?"
Malfoy nodded once, confidently.
"James Potter my Lord," came the swift reply.
Voldemort's nostrils flared. "And the other, Lucius?"
Malfoy hesitated before answering. "It's a muggleborn my Lord... a certain… ah… Lily Evans."
Voldemort's eyebrow arced. "A muggleborn?"
"Yes, my Lord, I'm certain. She's a powerful witch, maybe too powerful..."
"Ahh… I see..."
***End Flashback***
His long white fingers gripped the ball. They had already refused him once. But a smirk edged into that look of fury. The ancient charms of dark magic had already been placed...
They had no hope of meeting each other...
*
"Lily is a who-re,
Lily is a who-re," Sirius sang at the top of his voice once they were back
in James' room.
Remus threw a pillow at him in irritation. "Quit it will you?" He snapped, casting a pointed expression at James who had not muttered a word since their return to the room about half an hour ago.
"Oh come on Prongsie-boy," Sirius sang out again while warding off Remus' pillow and jiggled along towards where James was. Apparently Sirius, being who he was, found the situation exceedingly amusing. "Stop brooding over it."
James looked up at him. "Hmm, you're right. It might not have been her anyway."
*
The next day, a Saturday, Lily walked quickly down the long Hogwarts hallway, looking down at the floor.
She was just walking around to clear her head before brining herself to face the spawn of Satan, a certain Alex Whipple.
'I am not running away from him. I am not running!' Lil thought strongly to herself.
'Ahh, but it certainly seems like it,' a certain nasty voice in her head spoke out.
'Yea...' Lily thought, and let out a small sigh. 'I always seem to be running...'
She stopped walking and leant against the cold stone walls, thinking about what was happening.
"Ah! Found you!" An annoyingly familiar voice spoke up from around the corner, and Lily let out an audible hiss.
'Well, he just brings out the bad side in me,' Lily thought mirthlessly to herself. 'Well, it's time to do something.'
As Alex rounded the corner, Lily fingered her wand slowly, and brought it out of her pocket. She had a perfect cover – the suit of armor that hid most of her from view.
"Lily! Come on! Why are you hiding around the bloody castle like that? You're not avoiding me, are you?" Alex cried out.
She sneaked a peek through the side of the armor's breastplate, and as Alex approached a metre of her, she prepared to jump out, but what happened next was not what she had expected.
Certainly not what she expected at all...
Lily's muscles tensed as she prepared to spring out from behind the suit of armor, the metal in front of her moved.
As she stood back, staring in wide-eyed astonishment mixed with amusement, the armor stood upright, with much creaking and clanking, and marched stiffly to stand directly in front of Alex.
"Halt!" Gravelly sounding tones – not unlike those of a rather pompous 18th century noble – came out from under the steel helmet.
Alex drew up short as he stared in fascination at the antique.
"Who goes there?" He questioned Alex.
"IT IS ME! Alex Whipple, the most handsome, most knowledgeable and most buff wizard that has very graced the magical world!" Alex answered even more pompously, glaring at the armor like looking like the moron he was. "Let me pass now!"
It was an extremely bad idea, but Alex wasn't to know that...
The particular suit of armor he was talking to was, in fact, Sir Maximillian Antonio Regulus Demitrov Roderick de Lokenharte XIII. And, his great-great-great-grandson was known by all in Hogwarts as... Gilderoy Lockhart. And, as the old saying – a chip of the old block – goes Gilderoy Lockhart here had inherited something from his ancestors. And, that something had been the enormously egoistic nature of all Lockhart males, which meant...
The armor immediately took offense at that.
It gave something that Lily thought was a snort yet sounded like an elephant blowing its nose, and said, "you?!" He snorted again, and Lily grimaced at the sound. "You... – he looked Alex up and down – no strong chin... ears too large... nose too small... body not proportioned properly... and with a head the size of a peanut... You can't be the most handsome – another snort – , most knowledgeable – and, Lily had no idea how, he gave the impression of a raised eyebrow of mockery – or... the most buff in the wizarding world." At the last, he struck a pose in front of an astonished Alex, and a Lily who was trying to stifle her laughter.
"While I, the thirteenth heir to the Lokenharte fortune, Sir Maximillian Antonio Regulus Demitrov Roderick de Lokenharte XIII, has brains, brawn and buff! Something that you lack." He took on an incredibly stuffy tone. "What's this I hear about you chasing a lady around? Absolutely no manners at all!" He sniffed and gave an air of glaring at Alex in contempt.
"But she is my fiancée!" Alex blustered.
"Is this true, milady?" Sir Lokenharte turned around and looked at Lily.
Lily shook her head frantically. "Oh... no!" Lily replied sweetly, and smiled at Alex.
"But Lily!" He whined.
Sir Lokenharte nodded approvingly. "Good choice milady. I absolutely shudder at the thought of such a fine young lady like yourself betrothed to a no-mannered and big-headed lad like him." He turned his attention back onto Alex.
"See there? Now off with you!" Sir Lokenharte bellowed.
Alex tried to reach around the suit of armor to grab Lily by the wrist, but a sharp slap to his hand by Sir Lokenharte caused his arm to drop back to his side quickly, with him massaging the injured limb and glaring dolefully at Lokenharte.
"YOU BIG BLUBBERHEAD… You – YOU... vile... dunderhead...," Lokenharte yelled imperiously.
(cheers to MightyMouth!)
Alex leapt back a little at the harsh tone of voice, and straightened back up again once he found his spine.
Lokenharte continued, getting more and more agitated with each rusty word that came out of his helmet, until he was practically quivering and sending off sparks down the metal.
"Can't you see she's in distress??" He swiveled his head 360degrees to look back at Lily. "Well, yes, that a nice dress you have on... but not this dress... she's in distress, and you're not making it any better!" And he turned his head back round again to stare at Alex.
Alex glared right back into the helmet, and asked, "who're you to say anything?"
The armor cocked its helmet to one side, with a "duh-duh" air hanging around him, as if the answer could not be anymore painfully obvious, and appearing to roll his eyes, if he even had them, and asking himself what he had ever done in his life to meet the brat standing in front of him.
"I'm her knight in shining armor, of course!"
Lily snorted as she heard that sentence, and the mental image of Gilderoy Lockhart, a seventh-year Hufflepuff, encased metal came to mind, and she snorted again.
'Hmm... Shining... Rather rusty knight would have been a much more accurate description..." She wondered idly to herself.
But Sir Lokenharte had started talking again, and she focused her attention back on them to see what other surprises he was about to spring on Alex.
"YOU! I'm warning you! stay away from the lady her or I'll... I'll..." he towered menacingly over Alex, and leant forward, ominously sticking a hand out in a fist towards Alex's nose. Alex leant back slowly, until he was on the brink of toppling backwards. And, even as he was being threatened by a suit of armor that could break his bones like twigs, he chose that exact moment to open his extremely big mouth.
"But I'm her fiancée! And what are you going to do to me? Help!" He whined.
And, with that, Sir Lokenharte uncurled his index finger from the fist in a swift spring, and the digit struck Alex right under his nose. Well, the outcome was rather amusing, as the tiny prod caused Alex to lose his balance and topple heavily onto the floor.
"Whoopsie," Lokenharte murmured idly, staring at Alex on the floor, sounding rather happy, and not with a faint bit of remorse at all.
*
"PADFOOT! WATCH OUT!"
Sirius heard James' yell and turned around, a split second before Remus came barreling into him on his StarFire100, and the both hurtled out of the air.
"Ouch..." James muttered, covering his eyes, before going to check if his friends were fine.
It was at that moment when McGonagall stalked out of he castle, rushing towards them.
"Potter!" She barked. "What happened here? As captain, you should know full well there should be minimal injuries.
She walked up to Sirius, who was sitting on the grass with a dazed look about him. "Oh... hiya Professor..."
"Black! What happened!" She snapped.
"Oh... Remus struck me on the backside and then went to rest in a bush with just his rear end showing," Sirius answered dazedly, looking around, and pointing out the tail end of Remus' broomstick to McGonagall.
James and Peter snorted into their hands on hearing Sirius' reply, and quickly straightened their faces once they realised McGonagall was frowning at them.
She pursed her lips, and hurried over to extract Remus and his broom from the bush. A large purple bruise was forming on the side of his head.
"Ooh... Looks painful," Peter murmured as he watched Remus stagger around waving at "the little birds flying around him" that nobody could see.
"Something hurts..." Remus called out while swatting in front of his face. "I wonder what does... Hmmm..."
Peter eyed him suspiciously through the corners of his eyes. "Maybe we should include some protective head gear in our quidditch uniform… Something like the turnips Arabs wear on their heads…" Peter mused quietly.
"Turnips, Pettigrew, turnips," a voice said blandly from in front of them, and they looked up to see the figure of the Muggle Studies Professor standing with McGonagall. "And you do realise you're taking the NEWTS this year, don't you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Turnips? I meant Arabs wear turbines on their heads. Wait, that doesn't sound right," he said quickly as the Professor shot him another look. "I meant turbans! Arabs wear turbans on their heads!"
"Poor, Pettigrew, very poor..." the Professor tutted, before heading back to school, leading both Sirius and Remus to the Hospital Wing.
"Oh great!" Peter muttered. "So what do we do now? We certainly can't play quidditch with only the two of us around. Hey James, I'm going back in. You coming?"
"Nahh," James shook his head and watched Peter disappear into the castle before flying leisurely down the road to Hogsmeade, spiraling gently in the wind.
*
Lily wandered down the path with not an inkling on where she was headed, but soon found her feet walking down the main street of Hogsmeade and slip into the area of Hogsmeade where she had first met the guy.
She walked around, and realised, with a huge stab to her heart that the place was being taken down. A large signboard proclaiming the opening of an amusement park sung gently in the breeze.
Sadness welled up in her as she walked around the carousal and saw the wooden beasts laid out on the grass. She moved to stand over one particular one, a black unicorn with a single golden horn and gazed fondly at it.
"Locomotor Mortis," Lily said, and a binds sprang out of her wand, wrapping itself around the unicorn.
She flicked her wand deftly, and the unicorn starting moving in front of her.
*
James stared forlornly at the fountain that had once been filled with water, but now lay drained. It was where he had first met Lily. He walked slowly around it, remembering the events that had led them to meet and start talking.
Then, he turned and left in the direction of the carousal.
*
Lily led the unicorn out of the area, and down the street back to Hogwarts, when someone accosted her path.
"Lily! My darling," Alex exclaimed into the air, causing a few people to turn and stare. "What are you doing!"
Lily tried her best to ignore him, but he was completely blocking her way.
"Let me help you!" He yelled out again, and pounced on the unicorn, pushing it along the street.
"Alex! I can do it myself!" Lily exclaimed in frustration.
"It's ok! I can do it for you!" And with that he started pushing the horse all the way up to the castle, with Lily rushing behind him to catch up.
*
Lucius Malfoy strolled up the street, tossing a small black box in his hand, then catching it, then tossing it again. He was in an unusually happy mood, and when that happened, it was to be expected that someone was going to suffer in the near future. Once he reached a corner, he scanned the streets, and quickly ducked into the alleyway.
"You're late Malfoy," a feminine voice chided, her face covered in shadows.
He shrugged. "Well, I'm here already."
"Where is it?"
He held out the black box to her.
She took
it and opened the lid, staring for a moment at the swirling liquid in the clear
crystal vial. And she nodded, pressing ten galleons in his open palm before
checking the street for anyone looking at them and slipping out. As she lowered
her hood, he caught sight of a certain head covered in mousy brown hair…
*
James came out of the row of hedges, directing a white pegasus from behind him.
"James!" A voice yelled from behind him, and he turned around.
"Joy?" A surprised frown appeared on his face. "What are you doing here?"
"Come to help you of course!" She replied brightly, appearing to have forgotten the good scolding James had given her the previous time.
She started pushing the pegasus along the street, shouting over her shoulder at James.
"You see, we are fated to be together," she was saying. "That I keep meeting you in time of your need is proof of this. If we weren't fated, then how would I have known to look for you here!"
James shook his head in disbelief. 'Now, what the hell is she talking about?!'
Running after her, he flicked his wand, muttering, "Wingardium Leviosa," so that the pegasus floated up into the air towards the castle. "Haven't you heard of magic, Redknapp?" He shouted as he flew past her on his broom, heading towards the castle.
"Wait for me!"
*
"Ahhh..." Alex let put a contented sigh as he stepped through the portrait hole into Lily's room. "I feel so tired, and sweaty, maybe I should take a bath... Hmmm... That sounds like a good idea…" He said, and stripping off his shoes and socks, bounded upstairs to the bathroom.
Lily scrunched up her nose before carefully leaning the horse on one of the walls, checking for any damage Alex could have done. She conjured a large bag, and started flicking Alex's stuff inside using her wand. A rag and some Mrs Skower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover started wiping away at the floor, making a sparkling trail up the stairs.
She stood outside the closed bathroom door, hearing Alex sing for a moment before opening her mouth to speak, "Alex, I really don't like you! Every time you come in here, I have to spend hours cleaning off the stuff you leave behind… I already like someone else... I–"
The door had slammed open to reveal a sopping wet Alex with white foam atop his head.
Lily started back in surprise at the upset look on his face.
"Just wait a while!" He barked. "You didn't tell me you already liked someone!" He closed the door again, and shouted from within. "Give me a moment! How do you expect me to leave when I'm looking like this!"
*
Joy raced into the room right before James slammed the door shut.
"Oh, I'm beat!" She muttered, and sank down into one of James squishy chairs.
"You didn't do anything," James snorted.
"I did have to run after you. Can't you slow down? You know I have short legs," Joy whined.
She focused her attention on a blank screen in front of her, and pressed a few buttons beside it. The screen flickered to life.
"Don't you have to go home or something?" James asked in irritation.
"Not now!" Joy answered vaguely, waving her hand at him to keep quiet. "There's a live telecast of the Quidditch League! Two games in a row..."
James settled on cleaning the pegasus, mounting it on his own tiny carousal, and enchanting it so Lilies always grew around its edges, and he started talking quietly to himself.
"This isn't what destiny is like,
If two people meet and they fall in love,
That's destiny for sure.
If neither loves the other,
Even if they meet millions of times, it's still not destiny.
If one's in love and the other isn't,
And the one who's in love grabs on and won't let go,
While the other just wants to run away,
Not only is it not destiny... It's pain...
I used to love watching quidditch matches, mind you... I still do, but watching it with you is a little more than unnerving. Who knows... I would love to hex you into oblivion..."
Joy had stood up looking at him. "Fine! I'll go. Hold this for me while I get my stuff!" She held out a can of Coke to him.
He took it and watched her pack, feeling so happy that she was leaving that he sub-consciously lifted the can to his mouth and drank it. A light airy feeling overcame him...
*
Alex came stomping out of the bathroom, leaving a smell of shaving cream and cologne wafting after him. Lily screwed up her nose and ventured into the steaming confines of the warm bathroom. Her black trash bag floated behind her and started scooping up the bottles of shampoo and soap that he had used, and Mrs Skower's worked to wash the bath-tub clean. Another flick opened a big window, and paper fans appeared to fan merrily at the steam and stench, dispersing it towards the window.
*
Joy smirked, as she noticed the carefree expression on James' face. 'I have him now...'
*
James floated, watching galaxies fly past him in the blink of an eye, finally coming to rest at a place of darkness, with just two stars, one in the North, the other in the south.
The one in the North was giving off a faint scent of Lilies, and was glowing white, with swirls of purple and blue dancing in it. He turned to face the other star, a tiny one, with only the occasional flickers to indicate it was even there. It was a deep red. Then, pink started to flow into it, so fast that James was also drifting along with the flow. Somehow, he knew that the other star in the North was diminished.
As he got closer to the South star, he could see very clearly, a deep red, now overflowing with pink. But, suddenly, a strange black pulse beat across it's surface. He recoiled from, feeling a strong sense of revulsion he could not explain, and turned instead to the North Star. It was glowing dimly now, but still, a scent of Lilies floated from it, and he struggled against the flow of the pink sparkles to reach it.
After what seemed like eternity, he felt himself touching it, and a warm glow erupted inside his heart. 'Lily...'
*
The smile on Joy's face froze as the happy look on James' face intensified, and his eyes came into focus. Then, seeing her, he let out an angry snarl, and leapt up, slapping her around the face.
Words seemed to have failed him. "A love potion, Redknapp? And I thought you could sink no lower. Out!" He yelled.
Joy was rooted to the spot by his outburst.
"GET OUT!"
*
Alex stomped down the stairs, and back up again, searching the room. His eyes came to rest on the C-globe, and he stomped towards it, hitting it on the side.
"Please programme a new voice message," a voice said.
"This is 83665! JUST LEAVE YOUR DAMNED MESSAGE!" He snapped into the C-globe.
"Voice message recorded," the voice replied.
Alex huffed angrily and stomped out of the room.
*
Joy spotted the C-globe sitting innocently on the table, and she stalked over to it, slamming it around the side.
"This is 82664, just leave your damned message!" She yelled into the C-globe and stomped out of the room.
*
Out in the Head corridor, two doors slammed simultaneously.
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Ooh... I loved the knight part! Anyway, yea, Joy is such a conniving little b**** isn't she... And I wrote the first paragraph of the next chapter already. WAHAHHAHAHAHAHA. Ok, I'm acting funny here.
Anyway, they're gonna meet soon. SOON I SAY! Ok, no promises now. So well, enjoy!
~cube