This chapter would have been posted earlier but with down it was slightly impossible. /glares/ I know I said this chapter would be seven pages but it just didn't work out. It never does! I know its short again, but here is the next chapter….

Chapter 17: Of Meetings and Rescues

They were nearing the mountains. Harry looked up into the darkness, slightly awed by the fact that they had made it this far without running into a group of Death Eaters. "Do you really think mum is there?"

James nodded. "Yeah. Come on." He began to move through the undergrowth but suddenly Harry grabbed him back, pulling him behind a tree.

"What?" James said fiercely.

"Look." Harry hissed.

James squinted into the darkness and gasped. "The bastards."

Not that far away, moving through the darkness was a group of Death Eaters, leading Ron and Sirius towards the mountains.

Harry felt his throat tighten. He looked out holding his wand. He glanced towards James who was obviously trying to control himself.

"I can't do this," James muttered, "I already lost Lily; I'm not losing Sirius as well."

And with that in mind, James rushed forward, anger surging through his heart. Harry could only follow.

Lily ran.

Her red hair flowed behind her, droplets of sweat and fear decorated her features. She was scared. The Gem was held fast in her hand, her wand in her right. She had to get out of here.

Ahead of her, light poured into the tunnel, pushing her onward. If she didn't know that she was close to escaping she would've have stopped and helped Peter, but it was too late. She'd made her choice. All she could do was flee and hope that a miracle was waiting for her outside.

She cast a glance back over her shoulder. She saw nothing, not even Greenhelm pursuing her. Something was not right, but she cared no more. What a horrible way to die….just like she would be when she was 22.

She shivered suddenly. Lily closed her eyes pushing all thoughts of her death away from her mind.

Then she burst outside, out of the cave. She stopped, nearly falling off the edge but she prevented herself from doing that. What she saw gave her courage.

"Stupefy!" James bellowed.

The surprise attack had the Death Eaters stunned for the moment, but then they leapt forward bringing their own wands to bare and attacking them. With the Polyjuice Potion still in effect, Harry realised they had an advantage. The Death Eaters had no idea they were fighting James and Harry Potter.

A stunning spell whooshed over his head, and Harry ducked, narrowly missing another curse that was aimed at him.

Harry bellowed: "Expelliarmus!" A wand came sailing out of no where and he heard the familiar screech of Bellatrix Lestrange. He grinned in triumph. At least one of the dangerous Death Eaters was out of the mix.

"Petrificus Totalus!" James shouted. His spell shot past a Death Eater and into a tree. He raised his arm but suddenly noticed a change. Automatically his hand went to his head. His hair was getting messy. The Polyjuice effects were wearing off.

He cast a glance at Harry, noticing in the dim light the same problem was occurring. Rather quickly, Harry was pulling the flask out and trying to open it, while ducking under curses and avoiding them. James began to do the same. He had just managed to unclip it when he heard the shout he had been dreading.

"It's the Potters! They're using Polyjuice Potion!" It was the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy.

Bugger! James cursed silently. They had been discovered. What would the Death Eaters do?

His answer came quick when a Stunning Spell shot his way. James reacted in time and put up a shield, therefore scattering the spell away.

"Dad!"

James turned and saw a rather vindictive looking Malfoy attack Harry from behind. The stunning spell hit Harry in the centre of his back. Harry's eyes widened and then he fell to the earth, eyes rolling into the back of his head, as awareness left him.

"No!"

Lucius Malfoy turned cruel eyes on James, grinning evilly. "James Potter." He mocked.

"Malfoy." James said.

"Give up, Potter. Surrender."

"No," James snarled and raised his own wand. "Stupefy!"

Malfoy reacted instantly, but James moved aside, the curse bouncing seamlessly away. Chaos ensured.

Lily came charging down the mountain path from the mouth of the cave joining the fray of Death Eaters that were attacking her James. Her James. Her green eyes fell over onto her sons unconscious body but that only strengthened her resolve.

She saw off to the side Sirius and Ron being hauled away by a Death Eater, but her mind was focused on James alone. No one seemed to notice her presence. Raising her wand, she fired the Stunning Spell and joined the fight.

Malfoy fell over with a shriek as Lily's Stunning Spell hit him straight in the chest. James stared at him before being pulled out of his mind by Lily's beautiful voice.

"James!"

"Lily!"

"Fight! Impedimenta!" Lily cried at another Death Eater. This one was shot off their feet and their head impacted with a tree and they fell limp.

Soon only two Death Eaters were left. They looked over their companions and then fled, leaving behind James, Lily, Sirius, Ron and Harry.

"Cowards!" Lily shouted, raising her wand and firing of a Stunning Spell.

As soon as they were gone James rushed to Lily, wrapping his arms around her. "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, tears in his eyes.

"I always fight," Lily replied stubbonly.

"You are one heck of a fighter, Lily. Nothing can take you down."

Lily lowered her eyes.

"What's wrong?" James asked.

"He showed me how we die."

James was silent.

"He used the Killing Curse on us. You died trying to save Harry and me. I died saving Harry." Lily looked over to where her son lay. Disengaging herself from James' arms she walked shakily over to Harry and gently woke him.

Harry stirred. "Mum…what are you doing here?"

"I escaped." Lily said simply.

"We'd better go." Sirius spoke up from the side.

James nodded, and taking hold of Harry's right arm helped him be lift to his feet.

"Thanks."

"Let's get back to Hogwarts." Ron said.

The group, at a running speed, fled into the Forest.

He was angry.

"They escaped. I gave you a simple task and you fail to appease me!"

"We are sorry, my lord," Bellatrix's husband said.

Voldemort waved his hand. "No matter, we will go to Hogwarts. This day, Harry Potter will fall."

TBC

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