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Part Three: Places No One Will Find
The atmosphere in the Headless Centaur immediately changed. The room seemed to grow colder, despite the flickering fire in the grate. Time seemed to freeze for a moment that lasted an eternity. There was no movement, but James could feel the unwelcome stares dart in Lily's direction. James watched as she walked in, a confused yet determined look on her face. She brushed a strand of red hair from her face, and briskly walked to the bar.
Lily didn't seem to notice the suspicious eyes upon her as she asked the barman something. The barman didn't pause wiping the dirty glass he was holding with his ragged apron and didn't answer. Lily looked frustrated, and turned around to more stares.
The silence broke as the cloaked men to the table next to theirs began a fierce bout of whispering. James felt sorry he hadn't paid close attention to them earlier as his father had. He strained his ears and caught the words Mudblood and teach her a lesson. James watched in horror as the taller one stood up and made his way to the bar.
The mysterious meat-like meal he had eaten earlier churned in his stomach, and James suddenly felt ill. He gripped his wand hard and gritted his teeth, anger and fear coursing through his veins. Not Lily, he thought. They can't hurt Lily.
James tried to stand up, but his father pushed him back down.
"Dad!" he said in a frantic whisper.
"Don't make any sudden movements," his father said in an excruciatingly low voice. "Look around. None of these men will care if she gets hurt—in fact, many of them will help." His voice was painfully calm as James' heartbeat had jumped into his throat. "We are outnumbered, James."
~
Lily swallowed. This was definitely not a good place for directions. Or lunch, for that matter. She ignored the growling in her stomach. Or was that just fear? Lily cautiously stepped away from the bar, her mind nervously remembering Daily Prophet headlines from earlier this summer…bodies found tortured…victims appeared to be Muggleborn…Dark Mark found in London… Her hand went instinctively to her pocket for her wand as she walked towards the door.
A rough hand grabbed her wrist. "Where do you think you're going, Mudblood?"
She spun around to face a man whose face was hidden by his cloak. "Let me go," said Lily through gritted teeth. There was a faint clatter on the ground. With her free hand she reached for her wand, but her pocket was empty. Lily's gaze flew to her wand on the floor, rolling slowly away from her. Suddenly the tumbling growl of her stomach gave way to an empty fear. Her wand was gone. She was unarmed. Lily watched it roll lazily across the floor in a stupor. Possible hexes, curses, and jinxes flew threw her mind, but it was all useless—
A different man picked it up, twirling her precious wand in his fingers. The cloaked man laughed coldly. "Thought you could magic yourself out, Mudblood?"
The man with her wand spat in her face. Lily glared at him as the disgusting juice ran down her cheek. "Don't even try," he sneered. "Filthy Muggles thinking they can do magic." He threw her wand over her, and Lily jumped frantically as it sailed through the air. The men laughed viciously as it clattered behind her.
Lily turned around, her rapid heartbeat pounding in her ears. She lunged away, looking for escape, but another man was there, and another, they were all around her…there had to be a way out, thought Lily.
They were laughing coldly now, and their eyes glinted with something inhuman. The cloaked man was the worst. She could feel a coldness radiating from him, and every time he spoke the men laughed raucously in agreement.
They had their wands out now, and the cloaked one spoke once more, sending chills down Lily's spine. "Why don't we teach this little Mudblood not to wander into Knockturn Alley?"
Lily closed her eyes tight, listening to the sounds of her pounding heart, her rapid breath, and feeling her legs numb. This is a nightmare, she thought hopefully. I will wake up in my room. She could smell the stench of alcohol in the air. A rancid breath verged on her face. They were disgustingly close. Lily opened one eye and a grim realization set upon her. The nightmare was real. And she would not wake up.
One pinched her cheek and gave her a lewd grin. "It's a pretty one too…why don't we have some fun first?"
Lily turned with repulsion at the grimy touch of his hand on her face and a frantic thought ran through her mind. I need to get out. Now. She didn't want to think what would happen if she didn't.
The beastly brutes roared agreement to the suggestion, and Lily fought arduously against the pair of monstrous hands that held her fast. Another leering man seized her with an intense grip that burned like hot iron on her arms.
Lily screamed out in fury, startling the one behind her. She would not be treated like—like—a piece of dirt. So I don't have a wand, eh? I still have feet—she dug her heel into his foot and smiled grimly as she heard the satisfying yelp of pain as he let go—and nails—she slashed viciously and blindly at the men and then saw an opening.
Yes, Lily thought in relief. She lunged for the escape. Yes! She was away from the stifling circle of sweaty cloaked men—her wand was on the floor—she bent down to pick it up—
A black robe stepped in front of her. Lily looked up the tall length of the robe and stared into the dark depths of the hooded man.
Get the wand, Lily thought frantically, move, she told her feet—why was she backing up? Unconsciously she was moving away from the wraithlike chilling presence of the cloaked man. She jumped as she walked into something solid. Lily turned to face a solid wall and slowly turned around, facing the men who had again cornered her like a hunted rabbit.
The cloaked man chuckled. Lily shuddered at his eerie voice. "Don't try to run, Mudblood. You walked straight in here. You're not leaving alive."