A/N: Wonderful thanks to my beta-reader shellebelle, who puts up with my cliffhangers and long lapses of disappearances. The same to all of you who have reviewed and left me feedback. It's helped tremendously, thanks!

Part Five: Ended So Soon

"Fumus undique!" the man shouted, and within moments a large, billowing cloud of smoke engulfed James. He couldn't see anything, let alone know what had happened. His heart thudded as the thick gray smoke blew about the pub. The last thing he had heard before the smoke spell was the Killing Curse. James didn't see the green light; the smoke had obscured everything. Well, I'm still alive…and that bloke was half-dead anyways, he had to have missed…there was no way he could have gotten anybody, James thought feverishly.

"Lily!" he called. Dam this bloody smoke—the man—probably a Death Eater—was using it to make a getaway, James guessed.

"Over here, James," she called. Her voice was still. Very still.

No.

James walked towards the sound of her voice, his mind leaping to the possibility—no, it was absurd, it couldn't happen—

The smoke was clearing slowly and soon James could see a bit clearer. He was right about the man making a getaway—there was no trace of him at the wall, as far as James could see.

"James."

Lily's voice was strange; it was as if it was breaking but she was trying to hold it together, somehow. It gave James the chills, as if she was about to say something he didn't want to hear. James turned around carefully, meeting her eyes. Tears were running silently down her face, and she looked glassily at him. James froze. There was something horridly wrong. And he had a pretty good idea of what it was, and he didn't want to know.

James looked at Lily. The light reflected on her tears, and he didn't want to know why she was crying, because in his heart, he knew already…

"James," she said again.

No, no, no, James said to himself. It wasn't going to happen, because he said it wasn't happening. Nothing was happening…

"James," sobbed Lily. "Your father is dead."

Kingsley Shacklebolt ran a finger through his large Afro as he ran down Knockturn Alley. Not the best place to get out alive…their territory, not ours…he mused.

The rookie Auror shook his head, wondering how he got himself into this mess. The Order was fine and dandy when you were still training with the Ministry and just keeping your ears open for an interesting tidbit for Dumbledore. But when they were low on people…Kingsley shook his head. He had barely passed his Auror exams last week, and now Dumbledore was sending him off on rescue missions. Apparently he had received an urgent message by mirror from Alexander Potter and needed someone to be at the Headless Centaur pronto.

Kingsley found the greasy little pub all right and it seemed eerily empty from the outside. He drew his wand and flung open the door, expecting a full-on battle with Potter in the center of it, and upon seeing Kingsley, the senior Order member would bark out orders, relieved.

What he didn't expect was a red-haired girl in Muggle clothes sobbing over Potter's still form on the floor, unconscious drunks lying around the pub, broken furniture, and Potter's young son holding a man at wandpoint.

"TELL ME!" the boy roared.

Kingsley took a moment to breathe, wondering what his training had to say for this. Take stock of the situation and do what you can…

"James, is it?" he asked in what he hoped was a commanding tone. Kingsley could pull that off easily, given his size and rather formidable stare.

James turned around and glared at him, rage coloring his face. He twisted his head back to glare at the man and thrust his wand at him threateningly.

"Doan know nothin'," the drunk whimpered, looking uneasily between James and Kingsley. "Doan hurt me…"

"Shut up," James spat. He slammed his fist into the man's stomach, and he slid to the floor, groaning in pain. James swiveled around, breathing heavily and fixating bloodshot eyes on Kingsley.

The stare caught Kingsley off guard for a moment before he blurted, "I'm Kingsley Shacklebolt. I work with your father. Can…can you tell me what happened?"

James kicked a table and it fell to the floor with a thud, the dishes and crockery shattering into pieces. "He's dead, that's what happened!" The outraged teenage boy flung around to slam his fist into the wall.

"Stop it, James, you're scaring me," said the girl behind Kingsley. He turned around and watched her wipe tears off of her face. Kingsley walked over to Potter's body and knelt down. A blank stare greeted him, an expression of shock frozen permanently on his face.

Kingsley knelt down, staring at the man he had respected. "How?" he muttered. Alexander Potter had always kept a cool head on his shoulders…brave, calm, collected…one of the best.

"They tried to save me," said the girl, looking down at her feet.

Kingsley blinked at her.

"I'm Muggle-born…I was doing my Hogwarts shopping and I got lost…and..and..I came in here and the men were awful and the Potters came and fought them off, but there were two who were wearing masks and black robes and they did Dark magic and one cast the Killing Curse before they left."

Kingsley shook his head and he looked at the girl. So young to have seen so much. He himself had been sick one time in Order Headquarters when they had returned after a battle. "I didn't catch your name," he said.

"Lily Evans," she said.

"I'm sorry, Miss Evans," Kingsley said, and he meant it. "Mister Potter was a good man." Kingsley got up and dusted himself off. The whole day was shot. He'd have to bring the body back up to Headquarters, report to Dumbledore, tell Mrs. Potter…yes, the whole day was shot. And no captured Death Eaters either.

Kingsley frowned. There were days when he just hated his job.

A/N: This isn't the end quite just yet. I still have one or two more chapters to go, so don't give up on me! Thanks for reading and leave me some feedback, otherwise the ugly troll will probably eat you and make me write another cliffhanger.