Betrayed
VIII
Summary: When you realize your mistakes too late, you must face the punishment... no matter how bad it is.
Disclaimer: Do you know J.K. Rowling? If you do... then you know who owns the entire Harry Potter world.
"Should we kill them now, my Lord?"
Lucius had somehow managed to creep to Voldemort, and as he now stood whispering into his ear, he could see a small grin appear on his pale visage.
"Be my guest," was the cool reply.
However, before Lucius could command the mob of Death Eaters to attack the victim and her former torturer, James had Lily under a shield dome and now had his wand above his head.
What the hell...? Lucius wondered, staring in the shock as he realized too late what James was up to. With all the power he could gather, James bellowed:
"Avada Kedavra!"
And the most amazing thing was that the killing curse did not aim at one person... instead, it seemed as if an impossible shower of foul, toxic green water flowed from James' wand. The burning liquid destroyed everything it touched, and only Lily was completely safe from it. Many Death Eaters stared at James in shock before getting engulfed by the disgusting ooze, all wondering the same thing as Lucius:
How did he do that!
Even Voldemort seemed midly surprised, yet he was completely unaffected by the venomous green fluid. However, all around him was chaos: not one Death Eater in the room –of course excluding James- was still as almost every person screamed and ran from the invading, magical water, desperate to get out of the room and to safety.
"Get out of my way, you bastard!"
"Push aside; I need to get out!"
"ARGH! I think that green stuff is on my robe!"
Lucius, as confused and disoriented as the rest, somehow managed to stumble back to his lord, who had moved to a seclusive corner that was somehow untouched by the green liquid. Staring down at his meek servant in disgust, Voldemort sneered:
"You are a pathetic piece of filth... and you call yourself my Death Eater...! Get them, you fool!"
James had released Lily from the shield dome, although he still cast a protective spell around her.
"Let's get out of here," he told her almost calmly, guiding her towards the exit and perfectly avoiding the flowing poison all around him.
"Oh no, you don't!" Lucius screeched hysterically, seeing them escape. Turning to his fellow Death Eaters, he snarled: "Forget about the ooze and kill them!"
Finally regaining some of their sense, the Death Eaters turned their attention to Lily and James, scrambling to be the first to capture –and hopefully kill- them. However, it proved not to be an easy task: James was now already darting out of the room at an amazing speed, with Lily behind him locked in a death grip.
"GET THEM!" Lucius roared.
And with that, every Death Eater ran after the prisoner and the new enemy, leaving behind only a smirking Dark Lord.
----- ----- -----
Somewhere in Shadowmont Forest, a large, black dog was running wildly, trying futilely to hide from the mad werewolf. I... have... to... get... away... from... HIM! Sirius pondered grimly, leaping over dead trees and crunching dead twigs. Right behind him, the werewolf howled, its mouth drooling and foaming as it chased after the dog.
This should've never happened! Sirius cursed himself, knowing how foolish he had been to not consider Remus' condition tonight. And because of his mistake, not only would he not have a good chance to find Lily, but he may not even get out of the forest alive. Dear God, he thought, I hope Lily's all right. Where's James when we need him...? Why did he...?
Once again, he thought about his best friend, and he felt hurt and confusion dominate him. Somehow, some way... the old, laughing, carefree James had died during the graduation ball. Sirius –and probably Remus, too- had instantly knew he had changed when he had come back and had told them that he was fine. But Sirius had always thought that it would go away, the sad, brooding mood that had conquered his mate... but now, with James gone, Sirius realized that he should've kept a better eye on his friend. If I had, he probably wouldn't have disappeared so suddenly... he pondered bitterly.
Because he was too buried in his thoughts, the black dog didn't notice that the snarling and and the howls trailing him had stopped. Only when he saw the foul beast's mutated face in front of his own did Sirius realize that the werewolf had somehow managed to go in front of him. And now he would have to fight the monster face-to-face...
Here goes nothing...
----- ----- -----
He watched the other Death Eaters wildly scampering away, trying desperately to catch and finish the two prisoners –one brought by him and a new one who would regret the day he changed sides. Voldemort's servants knew that they had to kill Lily and James no matter what, because they could sense their Lord's foul mood. Serious consequences would be issued to everybody if Dumbledore's top pupils escaped alive. But no matter how severe the punishment was, this Death Eater stayed to the side, hidden by the numerous shadows lurking in the castle. He knew that he simply couldn't go after those two... especially James. What if he recognized him? Then... what would happen?
It would be the end of me.
Besides, he tried to convince himself, wasn't bringing Lily to his master enough? Yes, it was, he thought and shrank away to a corner, trying to ignore his evident cowardly act.
----- ----- -----
"James... where are we going!" Lily panted, frantically trying to keep up with his amazing pace while also trying not to think about the bloodthirsty mob after them.
"Out of here," he answered matter-of-factly.
Lily seriously doubted that their goal would be as easy as James made it look, and she was about to question about it more when he said:
"Be quiet."
His tone was so calm yet demanding that she immediately closed her mouth. She gathered as much energy inside her to run faster, even though she felt terribly weak and drained. She closed her eyes as she thought why James had so quickly decided to turn against Voldemort, to go back to Dumbledore... to forgive her. Somehow... it doesn't make much sense, a voice told her. I had hurt him so much, yet he's now trying to protect me no matter what... Although doubt was evident in her mind, Lily felt her heart swell as she thought that James -no matter how cold and distant he still seemed to her- was trying to keep her safe.
Like old times...
They had made so many turns that Lily had totally lost her sense of direction. However, James had a determined look on his face, and his pace seemed constant and confident. The girl doubted that there was anybody on their tail now, but she could still faintly hear the indignant roar of the pursuing Death Eaters. Shivering at the thought, she was immensely surprised when James suddenly stopped. It was such an abrupt movement that she bumped into him, and he had to catch her in order to prevent her from falling.
"What... why did you stop?" Lily inquired, dazed.
He merely shushed her, one hand firmly holding her and another tightly gripping his wand. Muttering a complicated charm, he created a thick shield just right in front of them. Before she could ask, he quietly said:
"This will not only stop them in their tracks for a very long time, but it will also appear like a dead end until they realize what it is."
Lily just slowly nodded before they started running again.
"The exit is very near," he told her, grasping her hand tightly into his.
They ran quickly, snaking through Voldemort's maze-like castle. It seemed like hours before they finally reached two huge, intimidating doors that were evidently the exit.
"They're locked, of course," James acknowledged when Lily futilely tried to open the steel doors. "Now that I'm against him, Voldemort probably particularly locked all the doors to keep us in."
"Maybe we can unlock them with the Alohomora charm," Lily suggested, only to be met with a unbelieving snort.
She frowned at James before raising her wand and chanting:
"Alohomora!"
Lily then tried once again to open the doors, and somehow –as if by miracle- they opened to reveal... an eerie, black night dominated by an imposing, full moon and the same, threatening trees that she saw in the Shadowmont Forest. James stared at the open gates, completely dumbfounded for the first time in a very long time. Lily had to stifle a giggle as she remembered that it was exactly how he looked when she received –for the first time- a higher score in Transfiguration than him.
"I guess... Voldemort locked these doors with a simple spell because he thought that nobody would figure out that they could be easily opened by a first-year charm..." he concluded slowly, still appearing astounded.
"Or he thought that his top former Death Eater was too dumb to perform the simple charm in the first place," Lily teased, and before he could protest, she sprinted out of the castle and into the thick foliage of the dark forest.
James went after her but immediately stopped when he came out of the castle. Lily stopped too, and this time, it was her turn to stare as she came face-to-face... with the empty air that was once where Voldemort's castle had been.
"This is why nobody found Voldemort's hiding place yet," James explained, his face now again set with a cool expression. "It's protected with a very complex protective spell. And I bet the Death Eaters will soon figure out that we're not in the castle anymore, so I suggest that we get a move on."
And before Lily could respond, he was surrounded by a blinding blue light. When the light faded to reveal a proud, magnificent stag, Lily gasped, surprised beyond words. Why... why had James never told me that he was an Animagus? she wondered, still staring in awe at the handsome animal. The stag tilted his head towards himself, making it clear that he wanted her to climb on his back. Hesitantly, Lily walked towards the intimidating creature before slowly mounting on his smooth back. Immediately, the stag dashed off, with Lily hanging on him for her dear life.
Although the forest was thick with large, crooked trees, James dodged them graciously while still managing to keep his exhilirating speed. The redhead girl greatly enjoyed the welcoming breeze playing with her hair and the rushing feeling of freedom as they both sped away from the terror of Voldemort's castle. It seemed as if a millenium passed since she experienced the Cruciatus curse, and the impossible concept of forgetting the awful experience now seemed... quite possible.
Although the gnawing question on James' sudden change still plagued her mind, Lily forced herself to forget about it for now as she laughed happily for the first time for what seemed like centuries. At last, the stag stopped at a less dense part of the forest, and she eased herself off. Once again, the majestic animal was surrounded by a flashing blue light before it vanished to be replaced by James.
"Since Voldemort doesn't know that I'm an Animagus, it'll take a while for them to catch up to us. I wish we could move faster, but I need a break and I don't think you can last much longer if you continued running," James told her calmly, glancing at the deep wound on her shoulder.
"Of course," Lily whispered and they both started walking towards the faint outline of a now rising sun.
"The safest way out of this forest is to the east," James explained to her, nodding towards the direction. "If all goes as planned, we'll be out of here in an hour since Voldemort's castle is close to Shadowmont's border."
Lily nodded, and they both continued walking as an awkward silence fell upon them. She had so many questions in her head that she couldn't get a single one out. Not only that, but she was still afraid of James, who still kept his expressionless face. Why... does he have to seem so cold? she wondered miserably, remembering the beaming, loving person she used to date. But deep down, she knew that it was her fault: none of this would've happened if she just knew her heart. Once again, she felt like beating herself for her foolishness, but then –suddenly- a memory resurfaced...
"James, I can't believe I did that! I feel like... like..."
"Beating yourself up?"
"Exactly! I should've never let her do that, but I did and now she could be expelled! Urgh... how did I let this happen? How? How? HOW?"
"Calm down, Lils. People make mistakes, and although you should learn from them, you shouldn't beat yourself up because of them. Remember, you can't change the past but you can change the present."
"... Thank-you, James; that really helped... And that was a pretty meaningful thing you said... for a prat."
"Shut-up.".
Remembering that moment, she had to smile, and evidently seeing this, James glanced at her quizically. We can't stay like this, she finally told herself. We can't stay separated... especially now that he's on our side!
Suddenly, she stopped. James also abruptly came to a halt, asking:
"Are you all right? Why did you stop?"
"Why did you suddenly decide to join our side?" Lily inquired, completely ignoring his past questions. "Is it because...?"
She stopped as she saw his face growing dark.; she could practically sense the doubt and shadowy thoughts brewing inside his head.
"I'm sorry I asked you," she murmured softly, turning away.
A moment of silence passed by before James whispered:
"It's all right."
"Are you an Animagus?"
"Yes, and I'm not the only one: every single marauder is one, except one who's a werewolf and who used to transform once a month during out stay in Hogwarts. Fortunately, now there's a potion that'll prevent that."
If it was under normal circumstances, Lily would be absolutely shocked by the fact that one of her close friends was a werewolf, and she would ponder on that new fact for a long time. However, because of the past incidents, she seemed only mildly surprised by that, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't bring herself to think more about the unknown friend's harsh condition. Her thoughts was settled on James, and she still had so many inquiries under her tongue. Completely forgetting the previous subject, Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath before saying:
"James, I know I said this before, but I'm really sorry about all this."
He slowled his pace but did not answer.
"I know your life won't be easy now, especially since you were once Voldemort's spy. But I'll... I'll help you. I promise I will."
"How?" he asked, his voice low and skeptical.
When she heard the doubt in his tone, she couldn't help feel extremely hurt, although she knew that it was exactly what she deserved. He probably felt worse on that day, she pondered, remembering the night of the graduation ball. And how can I really help him...? He seems so sad and lost now, and it looks like I can only things worse. But I wish... Numerous possibilities popped in her mind, but she brushed all of them off, knowing that these small acts of help were so trivial when thinking of James' current position. And then suddenly, Amos' head surfaced in her mind and a great –yet impossible- idea came to her. I might as well try... she thought and sighed to herself: it was going to be hard. James was waiting expectantly for an answer, and Lily abruptly turned around, gazed at him in the eye, and asked:
"Will you marry me?"
A/N: I hope this chapter is at least a little better than the last one! I thought –at first- that this chapter was great, but when I looked over it again, I thought that I could've done better... but it's still good, right? Also, the 'new and improved' Avada Kedavra curse James used in the beginning of the chapter may have not been the best idea... especially since the words didn't change at all. To be honest, I did that on purpose, because as J.K. Rowling may have mentioned it before, magic, in the Harry Potter world, isn't just a few hocus pocus words. Not at all; the particular spell James used was modified because of his more extreme emotions and his intense concentration, therefore making the spell many more times deadlier than it already is. Okay... sorry if this paragraph is boring you... especially since I have just realized that out of all the readers here, less thanfifty percentof them read the author's note. Grrr...
Next note: I think the identity of the 'mysterious Death Eater' who was mentioned earlier is quite obvious. However, it can be two people so really, there is no right or wrong answer... unless you're stupid enough to guess that it is Dumbledore ...
I doubt this chapter has a cliffhanger. I doubt this chapter's ending is even acceptable. But maybe –after reading the next chapter- it will appeal better to you... I hope. Besides, if you think about it, wouldn't James be much happier if he knew that he would marry his one true love? ... Just wondering.
Now for the best reviewer of the (last) chapter! Oh yeah, just to annoy her, I would like to mention that x bluebelle x was so overwhelmed by joy in the last chapter that she forgot to tell me what kind of transfiguration potion she wanted. What an idiot. I had to come to her personally (or not so personally) to ask her again. And she told me she wanted a transfiguration potion that could make her turn into a monkey. Okay... back to the main point! The best reviewer is... drum roll...
You cannot kill me, Cecile Li! (inserts evil laugh)
Man, I wonder why I'm giving this rare award to somebody who is planning to kill me. Oh well... Oh yeah! Cecile, you can't spell. It's enthusiastic... not whatever you wrote in your meager review. And folks, don't ever read her fanfics... they are not good at alland the only reason she has so many reviews in her SA one is because she brainwashed her readers with the pure simplicity of her stories... (Cecile raises her butcher knife and Y Sunshine cowers)... joking, joking. She's a great writer, really.Also Cecile... what kind of transfiguration potion do you want? And I hope you won't forget like your oblivious counter-part here... (cough... x bluebelle x... cough).
Anyways... I would also like to thank: Living In A Nightmare (cliffhangers are just sheer fun... evil grin... but I hope you don't consider this chapter's ending as one), Amandika (you are somewhat right... although you just can't really call James 'good'... I'm very sorry that my story is now starting to disappoint you but I promise one major twist in the end!), Marauder4eva, crazy4padfoot (thanks a lot for everything you told me! It really helps! ), x bluebelle x (what do I have to say to you...? Nada. Joking and don't worry: the next chapters will be up before you know it! I hope...), Tanydwr (it does, doesn't it? And arigatou!), shadowphoniexstar, Cherry Chalk, no one (about three year... maybe? Even I don't even keep track... ), firewitch, Miranda, rOkstA (after reading this chapter, I hope you know how Lily truly feels for James... and remember: Voldemort never forgives traitors), James's girl (NOO! You cannot leave me! Also, I'm Chinese... although I live in the Americas ), and diamond004!
And note: more Remus and Sirius in the next chapter... promise! Also note the fact that although Lily now knows that three of the marauders are Animagi and one is a werewolf... she doesn't know who is the werewolf or the other three marauders' forms. You need to know this for the next chapter, and if I see reviews asking about this for the next chapter, I will get seriously angry and ignore the person. Gracias.
Next chapter... coming next Friday (I hope)! Stay tuned... because the next chapter will probably be the most important of all! Also, if you do not like fluff... um... um... (twitches)... no comment.