Chapter 2- A Forlorn Shadow
"THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES…BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT…AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES…THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…"
Dumbledore finished reciting the prophecy. Tears formed in Lily's eyes as she looked down at her son. She felt them spill over, streaking down her cheeks. "But he's only an infant," she whispered. "Why does Voldemort want to kill an infant?" A sob escaped her.
James knelt in front of her, brushing the tears away from her face. "It will be all right, Lily. Shh."
"No, it won't be all right, James! Didn't you hear what Dumbledore just said? Voldemort wants to kill Harry because a prophecy said that he would have the power to defeat him! And…if Voldemort does not kill Harry, then Harry will kill him."
James looked deeply into her eyes. "We will get through this, we will protect each other."
Lily looked over James's head at Dumbledore, and saw the expression of worry and doubt briefly crossing his face. She turned her gaze back to her husband. "As long as we can," she said quietly.
"Ah. I have some business I must attend to," Dumbledore said suddenly. "You two should stay here for a while. It will not be safe in your home, not at this moment. I will have a room for you after supper. For now, you can feel free to go anywhere in the castle, but try not to interrupt any classes."
As soon as they had left Dumbledore's office, Lily noted James's mischievous smile. "We're not going down to the dungeons," she said immediately. "I will not have you undermining the authority of *any* teacher."
He sighed. "Yes, darling. Perhaps we can look in on another class."
"James…" they stopped walking. Lily checked to be sure they were alone. "I am afraid for us. For Harry. How do we know everything will turn out right? This is no fairy tale, this is real life. This is *Voldemort* we're talking about. You know what he is capable of."
"I don't know what will happen," James said. He stepped up and encircled her in his arms. He was still wearing his leather jacket. She rested her head on his chest. "We don't truly have much control over things. But we will do the best we can, Lily, and that is all anyone can ask."
"What if it is not enough?"
"Lily, we cannot let this take over our thoughts. It's enough that it will take over our lives." He loosened his hold. With one of his arms around her shoulders, they continued down the hall.
"Transfiguration," Lily said as they passed the classroom. "You think McGonagall will mind if we look in?"
"I don't know. There's only one way to find out." James pushed open the door and they entered.
"Andrews, your inkwell should not have legs," Professor McGonagall was saying.
"Ah, some things never change," James said with a grin.
She noticed them and gestured them in. "Has everything been taken care of?"
"Not yet," Lily said. "But within a few days, it should be."
Lily and James sat near McGonagall's desk, watching the students trying to perfect the transfiguration of newts into inkwells. "I wish that was all we had to worry about," Lily muttered.
"Lily, please," James said. "Can you try to be a little less depressed?"
"I can try, but I doubt I'll succeed."
"I know something that might cheer you up."
"James, don't you dare-"
He whispered in her ear. She suddenly was very eager to get into their room, to be alone. It was still quite a while until dinner. They left with the students, bidding Professor McGonagall a good afternoon.
"What do you want to do, Lily?"
"I don't know, James. I want to go home and be able to relax."
There was a silent pause between them. Many of the students glanced at them curiously as they passed. "We could visit Hagrid," he suggested.
"I don't want to take Harry outside right now," she said.
"Cooperative, you are."
"Oh, James. You never take anything seriously. This is our son's life, and you won't even think of it."
"I'm trying not to sink completely into depression, Lily, like you did within the space of a few seconds. After all these years, you don't know that I only put a brave face on *because* of the fatality of it all?"
She looked apologetically at James. "I don't know. Let's just go to the Great Hall and wait for dinner."
The ceiling was a stormy gray, casting a forlorn shadow over the entire hall. Harry distracted them for about an hour, as they played with him, but then he fell back to sleep and they were left alone with their thoughts.
"James, I want to tell you something." She looked at him seriously. "I love you, and I always have. Even when I hated you, I loved you. Our love will last even after we're gone."
"How many times have you told me this?" James smiled. "I love you, Lily, more than I can say." He kissed her softly. "But of course, you already knew that."
Students began to arrive in small groups, then in droves, as dinner drew near. Two chairs were added to the staff table, and Lily and James took them. They ate the magnificent dinner that was offered.
"I never realized how much I missed this food," James said, grinning.
"Hey," Lily protested. "There is nothing wrong with my cooking."
"True, but you have to admit these house elves really know what they're doing." He dug into his plate, looking exactly as he had when they were eleven…and twelve, and thirteen…
They could hear the thunder through the windows. It echoed on the ceiling. Lightning flashed, and the rain began to pour down. The sky had never looked so menacing.
End Chapter 2
Thank you the one person who reviewed since last time I looked!! Please review my story, if you got this far. Thankses.
"THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES…BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT…AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES…THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…"
Dumbledore finished reciting the prophecy. Tears formed in Lily's eyes as she looked down at her son. She felt them spill over, streaking down her cheeks. "But he's only an infant," she whispered. "Why does Voldemort want to kill an infant?" A sob escaped her.
James knelt in front of her, brushing the tears away from her face. "It will be all right, Lily. Shh."
"No, it won't be all right, James! Didn't you hear what Dumbledore just said? Voldemort wants to kill Harry because a prophecy said that he would have the power to defeat him! And…if Voldemort does not kill Harry, then Harry will kill him."
James looked deeply into her eyes. "We will get through this, we will protect each other."
Lily looked over James's head at Dumbledore, and saw the expression of worry and doubt briefly crossing his face. She turned her gaze back to her husband. "As long as we can," she said quietly.
"Ah. I have some business I must attend to," Dumbledore said suddenly. "You two should stay here for a while. It will not be safe in your home, not at this moment. I will have a room for you after supper. For now, you can feel free to go anywhere in the castle, but try not to interrupt any classes."
As soon as they had left Dumbledore's office, Lily noted James's mischievous smile. "We're not going down to the dungeons," she said immediately. "I will not have you undermining the authority of *any* teacher."
He sighed. "Yes, darling. Perhaps we can look in on another class."
"James…" they stopped walking. Lily checked to be sure they were alone. "I am afraid for us. For Harry. How do we know everything will turn out right? This is no fairy tale, this is real life. This is *Voldemort* we're talking about. You know what he is capable of."
"I don't know what will happen," James said. He stepped up and encircled her in his arms. He was still wearing his leather jacket. She rested her head on his chest. "We don't truly have much control over things. But we will do the best we can, Lily, and that is all anyone can ask."
"What if it is not enough?"
"Lily, we cannot let this take over our thoughts. It's enough that it will take over our lives." He loosened his hold. With one of his arms around her shoulders, they continued down the hall.
"Transfiguration," Lily said as they passed the classroom. "You think McGonagall will mind if we look in?"
"I don't know. There's only one way to find out." James pushed open the door and they entered.
"Andrews, your inkwell should not have legs," Professor McGonagall was saying.
"Ah, some things never change," James said with a grin.
She noticed them and gestured them in. "Has everything been taken care of?"
"Not yet," Lily said. "But within a few days, it should be."
Lily and James sat near McGonagall's desk, watching the students trying to perfect the transfiguration of newts into inkwells. "I wish that was all we had to worry about," Lily muttered.
"Lily, please," James said. "Can you try to be a little less depressed?"
"I can try, but I doubt I'll succeed."
"I know something that might cheer you up."
"James, don't you dare-"
He whispered in her ear. She suddenly was very eager to get into their room, to be alone. It was still quite a while until dinner. They left with the students, bidding Professor McGonagall a good afternoon.
"What do you want to do, Lily?"
"I don't know, James. I want to go home and be able to relax."
There was a silent pause between them. Many of the students glanced at them curiously as they passed. "We could visit Hagrid," he suggested.
"I don't want to take Harry outside right now," she said.
"Cooperative, you are."
"Oh, James. You never take anything seriously. This is our son's life, and you won't even think of it."
"I'm trying not to sink completely into depression, Lily, like you did within the space of a few seconds. After all these years, you don't know that I only put a brave face on *because* of the fatality of it all?"
She looked apologetically at James. "I don't know. Let's just go to the Great Hall and wait for dinner."
The ceiling was a stormy gray, casting a forlorn shadow over the entire hall. Harry distracted them for about an hour, as they played with him, but then he fell back to sleep and they were left alone with their thoughts.
"James, I want to tell you something." She looked at him seriously. "I love you, and I always have. Even when I hated you, I loved you. Our love will last even after we're gone."
"How many times have you told me this?" James smiled. "I love you, Lily, more than I can say." He kissed her softly. "But of course, you already knew that."
Students began to arrive in small groups, then in droves, as dinner drew near. Two chairs were added to the staff table, and Lily and James took them. They ate the magnificent dinner that was offered.
"I never realized how much I missed this food," James said, grinning.
"Hey," Lily protested. "There is nothing wrong with my cooking."
"True, but you have to admit these house elves really know what they're doing." He dug into his plate, looking exactly as he had when they were eleven…and twelve, and thirteen…
They could hear the thunder through the windows. It echoed on the ceiling. Lightning flashed, and the rain began to pour down. The sky had never looked so menacing.
End Chapter 2
Thank you the one person who reviewed since last time I looked!! Please review my story, if you got this far. Thankses.