Disclaimer: Awwww, if only I owned Harry Potter. I'd seriously never kill off any of the Marauders. They're the best characters!!! But, alas, stupid, yet very very brilliant, J. K. Rowling owns Harry and I don't. Grr.

FOREWORD

Howdy! I know I know. I haven't updated in forever and a lot of questions have been going around about some of the stuff that happened in the last chapter. I know. I'm not dead yet!

About the ring being SILVER!!! and Remus touching: the mystery will be solved. All though it was an accident when I first wrote it down, I began to like the...erm...for lack of a better word, mystery of it all. It will make sense...someday.

About the Prank: you will find out soon enough. By the way, the three Slytherin girls are in Fourth Year now. There was some confusion around there too. Don't worry, I've got it all figured out.

About Lily and James: I know they're a bit young to fall in love and it really doesn't happen until Seventh Year, but I couldn't resist. My story's turning into a bit of AU, but don't worry. And...I guess it's rather sudden that they confessed their love for each other. I know. That was a little stupid. It's supposed to be romantic, etc., etc.

Anyway, on with the next chapter!!!

By the way, it felt really really weird writing this chapter because it's the day before Thanksgiving, etc., and I'm listening to Christmas Carols. So much angst, so little time.

-Lily Kay

Chapter 22: Victims

Dumbledore's eyes swept over the Hall, taking in the absence of four of his favourite Gryffindors. He knew Lily and James were probably up in the common room, fighting about something stupid...again. He also knew that Remus and Chelsea had gone out onto the ground by the lake. He sighed and rest his chin on his hands, his eyes fixing on three Slytherin girls slipping into the Great Hall and sitting back down at their table.

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Chelsea hugged Remus to her and sobbed into his chest. He stroked her hair and smiled down at her.

"I know that this is sudden...and I know we're only sixteen. I presented the idea to Dumbledore and he said it would be wonderful. He said that..." Remus blushed. "He said that if we ever had children they would be very powerful wizards, that and the fact that it helps us protect each other from Voldemort."

Chelsea nodded and swiped at her tears. Remus was starting to worry that she wasn't happy, but, knowing his mother, he knew that Chelsea was ecstatic.

"Chelsea, I love you more than anyone will ever know."

Chelsea smiled through her tears and hugged Remus again, burying her head in his chest.

"I love you more than the whole moon!" she mumbled into him. Remus grinned down at her and chuckled.

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"Lily. Lily! Liiiiiiiiiileeeeeee!"

"What, James?" Lily asked groggily. she sat up and yawned. It was dar out and judging from the silence in the room, the others weren't back yet. James stood up from where he was crouching on the floor and leaned over her. Lily sighed and scooted over.

"Thanks," he said, sitting down and slipping under the covers. He brought them up to their chests and he stared at the ceiling. "They aren't back yet."

"I can see that, James."

"No you can't, it's dark in here."

"Oh don't be...difficult." She sighed.

"Okee dokee."

"James, you're too hyper for this time of night. What did you deem so important as t wake Queen Lily from her slumber?" Lily propped herself up on her elbow and stared at James with narrowed eyes.

"My dearest Lady Lillian--"

"Don't call me that!"

"fine. Interrupt me. I won't tell you then." James flipped on her side, his back away from her.

"Please?" James flipped back over again and grinned at her through the dark.

"Actually, nothing. I was...feeling lonely, I guess. I fell like we're missing out on something really really important that's happening downstairs. I have this weird knot in my stomach that something bad is going to happen."

"I know. I feel it, too."

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"Chelsea. Chelsea, something's happening inside." Chelsea turned around and looked at the Great Hall, her hands still gripping Remus's arms.

"What the hell?"

She could faintly hear screaming from inside. The large glass windows were lit with a fiery blaze. Images of the wreckage from their last fire at Hogwarts flashed into their brains.

00FLASHBACK00

"Lily, James, the Headmaster would like to see you in his office right now. Minister Edwards will be speaking to you," McGonagal said to the two at dinner that night. The Great Hall had little damage and was still being used. Chelsea looked up from her supper and watched the exchange between the students and their Head of House.

Lily and James stood up and bade a quick goodbye to their friends before following McGonagal out of the Great Hall. Chelsea watched them retreat, thinking, I wonder why the Minister wants to talk to them? Probably something about the fire....

00END0FLASHBACK00

"Remus, what the hell is going on?" Chelsea said, turning back to Remus with a worried look on her face.

"I don't know, Chelsea, I just don't know." Remus looked at her. "Come on. He grabbed her hand and they ran up to the castle together.

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Sirius and Ariella sat at their table, chatting quietly. Dumbledore watched all of his students and laughed merrily at what Minerva McGonagal had just said. The three Slytherin girls sat sipping at punch and gave short replies to their dates' curious questions. The ball was going smoothly and none had a car in the world.

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chelsea and Remus ran into the Great Hall, gasping for breath. It seemed like a giant masked battle. In the far corners of the room, groups of younger students huddled in fear, some defending the rest, others crying desperately for help. The teachers and older students were fighting the main battle in the centre of the room, though. Hooded men were shooting spells everywhere, and most of them were Dark Magic spells and Unforbivables. Chelsea shuddered. Death Eaters.

Remus squeezed her hand and Chelsea gave him a quick kiss before they slipped off around opposite parts of the battle.

Chelsea found Professor McGonagal and shot a stunning spell at the Death Eater coming up to the old woman from behind.

"Thank you, Miss Pendragon," McGonagal said, looking down at the girl who had appeared at her side.

"Anytime. What's happening?" Chelsea observed the damage so far and grimaced.

"I know. Attack on Hogwarts, it seems. Hmmm. Perfect day, too, our guard being down and everything. Duck." Chelsea ducked and watched as a blue jet of magic zoomed over her head and broke off a bit of wall behind them.

"Thanks," Chelsea said, getting up and brushing off her robes.

"Anytime." With a quick smile, her Head of House had gone back into the fray. Now let's go kick some immature Death Eater butt, as Sirius would say, Chelsea thought with a mischievous grin on her face.

Remus circled the crowd, shooting down a few random Death Eaters as he went. Spotting someone familiar kneeling over a fallen student, he hurried over and helped them revive the student.

"Thank you, Remus," Madame Pomfrey said as she finished wrapping a bandage.

"No problem, Poppy. Would you mind telling me what's going on, though?" he asked kindly.

"Sure thing, dear. Well, it was like this: we were all watching the student have a good time when the Grande Doors burst open! And it felt like a hundred of them swarmed in and begun the battle!" Her voice was growing higher and higher as she talked and she was making wild movement with her arms and hands. "It was terrible!"

"Poppy, Poppy! Calm down. Keep working, it will take your mind off things. Okay. I'm going to go help Professor dumbledore." Remus put his hand on her shoulder firmly. "Everything will be all right. Maybe...." He looked around the room quickly. "....hmmm. Maybe, can you try and get the others out of here? Get some Prefects to help lead them to their common rooms."

Poppy Pomfrey nodded and Remus swept off after giving her a reassuring smile.

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"Ariella! Ariella! Dammit, where are you?!" Sirius Black said, furious. He kicked the stone floor of the Great Hall angrily.

"Looking for someone, Black?" came a voice from behind him.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my old arch nemesis, Lucius Malfoy,"Sirius said, turning around. He smirked. He knew who that voice belonged to, even if it was under Death Eater robes.

"Ariella? Ariella Mortensen? Oh, too bad. No clue where that halfblooded bitch could be. Any idea? Crabbe? Goyle?" Malfoy beckoned is cronies forward. "Not feeling so large without Potty and the wolf-boy to help you out, eh? Oh, I know about Lupin, and the whole wizarding world will, too. He'll be shunned, just like you are, hmmm? From your family? they're my family now. and Potter, well, the Dark Lord knows exactly what to do with him, don't worry. He and the Mudblood Evans girl. What, they're probably upstairs shagging at this very moment, or are they already dead?" Sirius brought back his fist and swung it in to Malfoy's face, knocking him off his feet. Sirius stood over him, wiping the blood off his fist.

"Go to hell. My best friends are worth more than you any day! You know that! Why else would Voldemort have it in for them? What, scared to hear his name?! Voldemort! Voldemort! VOLDEMORT!!! Who the hell cares? I don't because I know firsthand what he does to people! Just look at my poor excuse for a family!"

Malfoy smirked and reached inside the folds of his robes for his wand.

"You'll pay for that remark, Black. Crucio!" Malfoy snarled.

Sirius fell to the ground, writhing in pain, but he refused to scream. He bared his pain.

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"good work, my young followers. You shall be rewarded well." The tall mean clapped his hands twice and the attacking Death Eaters drew toward him. Hi voice boomed about the Great Hall, stopping all movement and noise into silence, a silence so deathly it rang about the Hall, making them cringe.

The man beckoned with one hand, eyes glittering.

"Albus Dumbledore," he rumbled.

"There is no need to yell, Tom," Professor Dumbledore said quietly, stepping out from the crowd facing the Grande Entrance and the large group of Death Eaters.

"Don't call me that!" the man, Tom, snarled. "I am LORD VOLDEMORT!" he roared. Many flinched but Dumbledore stayed come, only raising one furry eyebrow.

"Give it a rest, please, Tom." The man's expression became stony, though you could see the loathing for Dumbledore in his eyes. "what do you hope to achieve tonight, Tom? Tell us."

Voldemort looked away, smirking. He raised an arm toward Dumbledore, almost lazily.

"I want the Mudblood and her Prince, the ones whose child shall be all our downfall, the sweet," he looked at Dumbledore and smiled, "water lily and her mortal lover."

Dumbledore's eyes smouldered.

"Bring our lovely Queen home. I shall take her-her body and soul-wholey, until she is no more. She will then be out reigning Ice Queen, forced to suffer her king's death over and over until the end of time," he drawled.

"Tom, i do not know where Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans are, but you will not find out tonight," Dumbledore said calmly. Voldemort let out a roar of laughter.

"that is fine, Dumbledore, but I'll be back. Pray that I never find them!" At that, the army of Death Eaters dissaparated with small pops and Voldemort gave a small wave before sweeping his cape around and disappearing into thin air as well. (A/N: like Dracula when he turns into a bat. Lol. dumbledore: I think Lily and James should go into hiding. Me: no, you think???)

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Lily snuggled closer to James and smiled serenely.

"Just for the record, you can't sleep with me every night, nor can I sleep with you every night, either. Stay for Christmas with me. Everyone else is leaving," Lily muttered into his chest, blowing air in the crook of his neck.

"Where else would I go? One problem, though: Sirius. Where I go, he goes. Other than that we have Gryffindor Tower all to ourselves," James whispered back.

"Good. Hey, promise me something--"

"You know we always make some stupid promises to each other when we have a-er-relationship of sorts?"

"I've noticed."

"Okay, what is it, then?"

"Tell me that you love me every day, even if I don't say it back."

"Of course."

"Good."

"Should we tell Sirius?"

"I think...I think we should. He...I trust him, and I know you do, too. But, we have to wait until the others leave...ha, even though I am dying to tell Chelsea and Kate!"

"Sounds good to me. After we tell him, let's go on our monthly picnic, as we haven't done that religiously." He laughed and Lily's head bounced up and down on his chest.

"Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow--"

"Oh, sorry."

"it's okay, you hardheaded prat."

James's light chuckle rumbled in his chest. He slid his arm around her waits and pulled her closer.

"Go to sleep," he breathed in her ear, making her shudder.

"Okay. Night night," she yawned in a cute baby voice before drifting off to sleep.

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AFTERWORD

Alrightythen. A little short, I know, but worth the update, right? Tell me in a....here it comes...REVIEW!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, enough of that.

What's to come in Chapter 23:

the Aftermath

Christmas break

meet the Parents

Yay, okay. I'm a little hyper because Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has come out on DVD!!! Yay!!! It actually came out yesterday in the US. Cool.

I'll update soon!!!

-Lily Kay