(Edited 07/26/04 for formatting)

Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I wish I were, because then I'd be very clever, and let's face it, very wealthy. Harry Potter and all related characters/places/ideas belong to her and she has generously shared them with Warner Brothers, Scholastic, etc. I'm none of these entities. I don't own any of this.
 
I've been stressed this week and it's made me feel aggressive. Maybe that's why I decided it was time for some action.

Chapter 3- A Battle Won, A Comrade Lost

It was fully dark when James and Lily Apparated in a small clearing in the woods outside the muggle village. They could just see the twinkle of the muggles' strange electric lights through the trees. Gideon was already there, dressed in the dark robes he favored, and looking a little strange without the company of his brother, as they were nearly always seen together. Fabian was recovering from an unfortunate fall from a broom, after attempting an overly ambitious move and forgetting about gravity in a pick-up quidditch game. Both of them were popular and well liked in the ministry, especially among witches.

Frank was already there as well, and James was surprised to see his wife Alice, looking pale but determined. James raised an eyebrow at him, and Frank sighed and shrugged. "Alice thought we might need some help."

"Lily too."

Gideon gave a loud, fake cough that sounded suspiciously like "whipped". James took advantage of Lily's back being turned to direct a rude gesture at him. He grinned, but then turned serious. "We're just waiting for Moody now."

They all nodded, quietly, the moment of humor had passed, they all remembered the danger of the situation. After a few moments of silence, Frank said softly "D'you reckon he'll be there?"

"Who? Moody?"

"No, You-Know-Who."

"Nah, I don't bet this is important enough. Probably just Death Eaters." Gideon spoke in what was probably meant to be a casual voice, but there was an apprehensive note.

"Yeah, probably."

They fell silent again until Alastor Moody startled them by apparating with a small pop. He muttered "lumos" and lit the tip of his wand, and then peered at each of them in turn, as though trying to spot a possible stranger. He was a bit mad, more than a bit paranoid, but a famous Auror for good reason. He'd captured or killed more dark wizards than anyone at the Ministry, and they respected him

"Good evening gentlemen, and ladies as well. I had a feeling you might be joining us. I'm glad, I've heard nothing but good things about the two of you." Lily and Alice beamed. "We haven't been able to get very near the place while it's light, so we don't entirely know what to expect. The house has been deserted for years and there are muggle repelling charms all over it, and it's unplottable, so we don't have any idea of the layout. Stay alert, and don't go wandering off alone. We know Barnes is there, if we're lucky the others are too and we'll be in and out. Now follow me, and remember- keep your eyes open. Oh, right, and it will be much easier going with disillusionment charms on the lot of us, the moon is brighter than I'd like." Lily felt an icy trickle down her spine as James tapped his wand over her head. She looked down and saw she blended in with the foliage behind her.

When they emerged from the small copse of trees they could see the old house in the distance, for it sat up on a hill, illuminated by an unusually bright moon. It looked completely dark and deserted, but then a flash of red light illuminated one of the second floor windows. It was so quick, like lightning from inside the house, that James was not sure if his eyes were playing tricks, but Moody growled "Aye, someone's there all right."

They approached slowly, there was no wall around the house, no fence, and following Moody's lead, staying in the shadows and not speaking a word, they slipped around to a back door. "Right, Prewett, I want you to stand guard. If you see anyone coming, you send out an alarm." Gideon nodded, not liking to be left out of what he thought was the real action, but willing to take an order from Moody, who he respected. It wasn't the time for argument.

There was a simple muggle lock on the kitchen door they had come to, but Alice whispered the "Alohomora" and it clicked open and swung in. Slowly, cautiously, with their wands raised and ready, they slipped inside. The kitchen was dusty and looked like it had not been disturbed in years. Their footprints on the dusty floor were the only ones. Moody gestured to a back staircase and they understood. The flash of light they had seen had been on the second floor. Before they started up, Lily had a flash of inspiration and whispered "silencio" pointing her wand at the steps. It prevented them creaking and accidentally announcing their approach to anyone upstairs.

At the top of the stairs was a long, empty hallway, with doors leading off to either side at every few feet. It was eerily silent, almost waiting. Then, as they strained to listen, they heard a soft whimper, it sounded like a woman. It came from the nearest room. Moody motioned for them to wait, but Lily brushed past him, tested the doorknob. She fully expected it to be locked, so she was shocked when it swung open easily. The room beyond was unnaturally cold, with a stone floor and not a stick of furniture. It was completely empty except for one figure, hunched over a dark shape on the floor. As Lily stepped cautiously into the room, the figure gave a small sob.

"Oh Rob no, please no." It gasped, in a voice Lily definitely knew.

"Juliet!" She rushed forward, heedless of the danger. The others followed, quickly making sure there was no one else in the room. Lily dropped to her knees beside Juliet Mason, and saw she was kneeling over the body of her husband, Rob, for he was very definitely dead. Still, desperately, Lily groped for his wrist, trying to find a pulse. There was none. Juliet was whimpering and rocking back and forth, seemingly unaware that they were there.

"Jules? Juliet?" Alice said her name, trying to get the woman to snap out of it. There was no response, she continued to rock, her eyes blank and hollow.

"Miller!" It was James who said it, and Lily, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, suddenly noticed the shape slumped against the other wall. Holden Miller was deathly pale, blood was running down the side of his face from a nasty cut on his forehead, and from where she knelt next to Juliet, Lily thought he was dead as well, but James and Moody rushed to him, and she heard their sighs of relief. Moody slapped his cheeks gently a few times. "Miller! Hey there boy! Miller!" and Holden opened his eyes, confused and cloudy with pain, but alive and conscious. He looked round at them all, opened his mouth, and then shut it quickly, comprehension dawning on his face. James held out a hand and helped him to his feet, which he managed, if shakily.

"The others? Barnes? And Downing?" Hissed Moody.

"Here." Said Miller, his voice like sandpaper. "I don't know where they took them."

"How many?"

"I've seen five or six Death Eaters. Can't tell, all masked."

"Prewett is downstairs, out the door. Go and wait for us there. Take her."

As gently as possible, Frank and Miller pulled up Juliet, still unaware, continuing her soft sobbing. She couldn't or wouldn't stand, and certainly couldn't walk. Finally, Miller, swept her up entirely, like a child, and staggered a little, for he wasn't too steady either. He nodded for them to go on. "Find the others, I'll take her downstairs."

Lily wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her robes. There would be time for tears later, now they had to find Barnes and Downing, and she was definitely worried by the lack of resistance so far. Back into the deserted hallway, past the many doors, they were all listening hard for another sound, anything.

Then it came. The almost imperceptible creak of a floorboard. Moody threw out an arm to halt them all, and pointed to a door with his wand. Motioning them all back, he held up three fingers, then lowered them...three...two...one. BANG, he kicked in the door, and they entered the room with wands drawn, ready to curse the Death Eaters there, but there was nobody, or almost nobody. A fire was lit, filling the room with a flickering red light, and long black curtains were drawn over the windows, making it invisible from outside. Lying on a fine oriental rug in front of the fire was Daniel Downing. He was unconscious and unmoving but for the gentle rise and fall of his chest, showing he was at least breathing. Alice went to him and felt the pulse in his throat. "He's alive. Weak, but alive."

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

James felt his wand, which had been held loosely at his side, fly from his hand and watched in disbelieving horror as it, along with Lily's, Alice's, and Frank's wands, flew away and into the hand of Thomas Barnes. He stood at the other side of the room, caught all the wands automatically, but said nothing. His face was drawn and hollow, and he seemed to not really see them. He was staring blankly past them, at the wall behind them.

"TOM!" Yelled Frank, for any element of secrecy had been lost when Barnes had disarmed them. "What are you doing mate?" But James noticed that Barnes face had the blank, absent look of someone being controlled by the Imperius curse.

Suddenly they became aware of soft laughter. First from the left, then from near where Downing lay by the fire, then from the curtained windows. They looked around wildly, for it seemed like the very room was laughing at them. Moody, who had retained his wand when Barnes had disarmed the rest of them (no doubt because he had been on his guard, as he was always warning them), suddenly shouted "Stupefy!" and thrust his wand at Barnes. Barnes collapsed to the floor, stunned, but there was also another loud thud of someone hitting the floor from behind him, and James suddenly had a sickening realization of what was happening. Even as he was realizing it, a Death Eater appeared near the window, a black masked figure, and another came into view behind Lily. All around them, Death Eaters were pulling off invisibility cloaks. They were surrounded, they had walked into a trap.

"Impedimenta!" Said one of them almost lazily, immobilizing Moody, the only one who even had a wand. James could see his own wand clutched in Barnes' still hand.

"Well, well, well." Said one of the masked group. It was a man, James was almost positive he knew that smooth, refined voice- Lucius Malfoy. "Will you look what the ministry has sent to rescue their Aurors. Mere children. Are the lot of you even finished school yet?" He laughed softly. The others joined in. "Nott, Goyle, let's make sure our visitors don't try anything stupid. Tie them up please."

James felt invisible cords bind his hands behind him. The Death Eater, he was sure it was Malfoy, conjured wooden chairs and he found himself bound to one so tightly there was no chance of working free.

Malfoy, who seemed to be in charge, was now pacing back and forth on front of them, his black robe sweeping the floor as he walked. "Now where shall we start. Your colleagues were most helpful, but not helpful enough. We require more information I'm afraid. I think we will begin with...you, my dear." His eyes fell on Alice, who stared back at him defiantly. "Untie her, Nott."

Alice was released from her chair, and stood firmly in front of Malfoy. "I'm not telling you anything." She said boldly, with no show of fear.

"Big words from a woman without a wand." Retorted Malfoy. "It seems you need encouragement. Crucio!"

Alice fell to the floor with a terrible cry of excruciating pain. James pulled his wrists uselessly against the ties, unable to help her. Frank was struggling wildly against his bonds, his face reflecting horror at seeing his wife in such pain.

"That's enough Lucius." Said a soft, cold voice. Malfoy turned in surprise, as did the rest of them.

There stood Lord Voldemort, cloaked in black, scarlet eyes blazed at them from his white face. His eyes fell on Alice, lying still at Malfoy's feet, gasping. Then flicked over the rest of them. A smile twisted his face.

"Well, for once my Death Eaters have done better than I even planned. You've brought me not just any Aurors, but the rising stars in the Ministry, and alas, the favorites of that old fool, Dumbledore. How distressing it will be for him, all of them lost in one night. Oh yes, I have been following the careers of the young Potters here with some interest. Indeed." He looked between James and Lily with a sort of satisfied smile. "But I am not the only one here aquainted with them. Tell me, Bella, you were at school with these bold but foolish Aurors, which will feel the other's death more keenly?"

"James Potter has grand illusions of his own nobility and chivalry." Said the woman's voice from behind one of the masks. "I think it would be exquisite if his wife died at his hand."

"Exquisite, would it?" With a small flick of his wand, he released both of them. "Well, then I think Potter should have his wand back. But before you can do anything stupid Potter. Imperio!"

James immediately had a delightful weightless feeling. A pleasant haziness and feeling of relaxation. He had no worries, he was only dimly aware of the room and the people in it. And then is some part of his mind, a voice said Kill Lily...kill her...raise your wand and say the words: Avada Kedavra...do it...kill her now…

James raised his wand obediently, but then another voice spoke, a stronger, clearer one. Lily's. She just said his name.

I can't kill Lily, not her, I won't.

Kill her.

James, no!

He lowered his wand, "NO!" And the spell was thrown off. The dreamlike state was gone, he was back in the room surrounded by the black cloaked Death Eaters.

Lord Voldemort gave an exaggerated sigh. "You try my patience Potter. Your parents went much easier." James did not react to the dig about his parents, killed the previous winter. Instead, his mind was racing. He held his wand now. He, Lily, and Alice were all free and the impediment curse had to have worn off Moody by now. They were outnumbered, but they would go down fighting.

He looked around and met Lily's eyes. She nodded ever so slightly.

He then looked down at Alice, who seemed to understand as well.

He glanced around at Moody, who was clearly aware of what they were thinking.

He moved closer to Lily, let Lord Voldemort think he was trying to protect her. Clearly that was exactly what he did think, for he gave a cold, cruel laugh. "What Potter, you think I won't kill you to get to her? I could destroy you both with one curse. In fact, you have irritated me long enough...AVA-"

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Cried James and Moody at once. Without looking to see how many he had disarmed, James yelled "Accio wands!" and Lily caught hers as it zoomed across the room, just in time to yell "Stupefy" and shoot a stunning spell right over James' shoulder. He yelled "Lily behind you" and a Death Eater shot a jot of red light at her and she cried "Protego!" and it bounced off and back at him. At the same time James heard Moody's voice cry "Crucio!" and a Death Eater dropped to the ground, howling in agony. Moody lifted the curse almost immediately, but the man continued to twitch and moan on the ground. "Let's go!" James dived across the floor, grabbing Downing around the chest and yelled "Lily, get Barnes." They could not disapparate inside the house, and Downing was a dead weight, they had to get outside. Spells flashed back and forth, Frank was free now and dueling with a Death Eater. Lily raised her wand and said "Wingardium Leviosa!" and the immobile figures of Downing and Barnes rose and floated out the door. James hit a black figure behind her with a stunner as he raised his wand, at the same time a spell missed him so narrowly he felt it brush by his robes. He spun and shouted "Petrificus totalus!" and another black hooded figure fell stiffly.

"Run!" And they did, shooting spells over their shoulders at random. Down the long hallway, down the stairs and through the dusty kitchen, out the back door "Go, go! Gideon, go on!" And they disapparated from the back yard of the old house.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Just a note that Ms. CE will be moving to her seriously kick-ass new apartment over the next week (without the help of magic no less). That will probably be followed by several weeks of celebrating proximity of said new apartment to friends' apartments. Such celebrations will probably take the form of consumption of very irresponsible amounts of alcohol. Thus, it is likely CE will be in no condition to write. But I have not forgotten about or given up on this story.

Personal note to Sus: I am totally fine with you reading this, but if you must send me Harry Potter themed e-mails, could you PLEASE send them to my personal e-mail and not my work one? I do not fancy having to explain e- mail subjects like "Dontcha think Sirius would be amazing in bed?" to my boss. Really, I don't think he'd get it. (Although yes, he probably would be, what with all that frustration and anger.)