Chapter Fifteen
The trip back through the forest was much faster than the trip into it had been. But then, this time, they weren't just wondering around; the Marauders knew where they were going. Not to mention the fact that they were trying to get as far away from the Acromantula as possible. Everything was fine, until they returned to the path. They were back in the Centaurs' territory.
As the Sirius stepped onto the path first, he was shocked to feel the tip of an arrow being shoved under his chin. Instinctively taking a step back and raising his wand, Sirius looked around and saw that he and his friends, whom he could hear emerging onto the path behind him, were surrounded by a group of very angry Centaurs. To the Marauders' surprise, the Centaurs seemed to recognize Michelle and Lily. The one whose arrow had previously been aimed at Sirius took a step forward, angrily aiming his weapon at Michelle, who was still being carried by Remus. "You! We told you to leave, and now you're leading more of you kind into our forest!" He shouted, and some of the others began to almost growl menacingly at the girls.
Remus tightened his grip on Michelle protectively, while Lily cowered slightly in James' arms. Sirius bravely moved in front of his friends, saying "We apologize for our intrusion. They didn't lead us here. They got lost earlier, and we were worried about them. These girls are our friends, and we only wanted to try and find them."
The Centaur growled angrily saying, "We told them to leave the forest! We warned them what would happen if they didn't leave, and they ignored us. Now they will pay the price for trespassing – as will you."
Lily finally seemed to recover her senses, and she stepped out of James' embrace. She moved forward, her face pale but determined. "We tried to leave, but we were attacked by an Acromantula. We told you before that we never meant to intrude. Please, just let us leave, and we won't trespass in here again."
"Let you leave?" One of the other Centaurs snorted in derision. "So you can tell the others of your kind that we let you run free in our forest? No, we can not allow you to leave."
Once again, the Centaurs aimed their weapons at the teenagers. Remus set Michelle on the ground as gently as he could before taking out his wand, and moving to confront the Centaurs. James, Sirius and Peter aimed their own wands, and the four of them almost subconsciously formed a circle around Lily and Michelle.
"Guys, wait!" Michelle whispered from where she was now leaning against Lily. "You don't want to curse them, that'll only make them angrier!"
Lily nodded saying, "That's what Michael and Robert did, and they nearly got killed because of it."
"So what are we supposed to do!" James asked, still holding his wand steady.
The first Centaur moved closer to their group, aiming his arrow at James' chest, and said, "Die."
They expected the Centaurs to attack immediately, but it was as if everything was completely frozen. The students stood in silence, and fear, waiting for the blow to fall. But then, Remus heard something moving in the trees, and he wondered if the Centaurs could hear it as well. He cocked his head to the side, listening intently and sniffing the air around them, trying to figure out what sort of creature could keep the Centaurs from attacking them. All Remus could hear was the constant snapping of branches as whatever it was came closer.
He glanced over at James and Sirius, and judging by the looks on their faces, they could hear it now too. Suddenly, Remus detected a horribly familiar scent on the air. Ignoring the Centaurs, he turned to the others and said, remarkably calmly, "Its back."
No one needed to ask what he was talking about. Now they could definitely all hear the familiar low growling coming from the trees. It seemed their friend the Acromantula had woken up, and was once again stalking its prey.
As one, the Centaurs turned their attentions towards the new threat. Immediately, they all shot arrow after arrow at the creature. The only effect this had was to further irritate the Acromantula, and it began to attack the Centaur closest to it, tearing him to pieces. Taking advantage of the Acromantula's distraction, the Marauders glanced at each other in silent communication before once again aiming their wands at the creature and stunning it.
As the Centaurs had apparently forgotten about their presence in the little clearing, the students took this opportunity to leave. Remus turned back to where Lily was supporting Michelle, whispering to the others, "I think we'd better get the hell out of here, before they remember to be pissed at us."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Remus picked Michelle back up, continuing on the path as they had been before.
What seemed like hours later, the trees finally began to thin, allowing a little moonlight to creep through and light their way. As they continued along the path towards the edge of the forest, Remus began to hear voices just ahead of them, but he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. At first, he thought it must have been teachers taking part in a search for Lily and Michelle – as for as he knew, no one knew that he and the other Marauders had gone to look for the girls. He motioned for the others to be quiet, in case he was wrong.
Once again placing Michelle on the ground as quietly as possible, Remus crept closer to the voices, trying to hear what they were saying. Finally, Remus found a spot where he could listen in without being seen. The voices were coming closer, and Remus was able to see who they belonged to. He was surprised to see Danielle, along with her Ravenclaw friends, Robert and Michael. They seemed to be expecting someone else.
"I know, Danielle, but really, we did our best. We didn't expect to encounter the Centaurs so soon," Robert was saying, as they paused on the path.
Danielle sighed in exasperation. "Maybe so, but you know He's not going be happy with you. You weren't supposed to lose them like that."
"Yeah, but He's not here yet, is He? So, we'll just have to find them before He arrives, it's no big deal." Michael said, trying to sound as if he really believed what he was telling the others.
Remus was confused. He knew they were talking about Lily and Michelle, but who was this other guy they kept referring to? And what could he want with the girls? Remus stayed as still as he could, wanting to find out more.
Danielle looked skeptical as she said, "And just how are we going to find those little bitches? Do you really want a repeat of your experience with the Centaurs? Besides, there's no time to go looking for Cooke and Evans, He'll be here soon."
As soon as those words left Danielle's mouth, there was a blinding flash of white light. The three Ravenclaws, along with the still unseen Remus, were momentarily blinded, but as his sight cleared, Remus could see that whoever Danielle was expecting had arrived. The three Ravenclaws were now facing five or six wizards in fear, but not surprise. The new arrivals were all wearing strangely familiar hooded black robes, and though Remus could not see their faces in the dim light, he could tell that they were wearing masks.
The hooded wizards approached the three teens, surrounding them in a perfect circle. Their circle complete, one of the hooded figures, the one who was apparently the leader stepped forward. "You have failed me," he said in a high, cold voice that sent chills down Remus' spine.
Danielle and her friends fell to their knees before this wizard, trying to appease him. "Master, please, there were-"
"Silence!" the hooded figure said angrily. "I do not want to hear your excuses! You were told to bring me the Cooke and Evans girls! They are not here, therefore, you have failed! I should have let Lucius go on with his plan; at least he is capable of following simple directions." The wizard raised his wand, aiming it at Danielle. "You will all pay for your incompetence! Crucio!"
The three students began screaming in pain, and suddenly, Remus realized just why the robes on these wizards looked so familiar. He had seen them before. With a thrill of terror, Remus realized that these people were Death Eaters. Danielle, Robert, and Michael were Death Eaters, and they were being tortured by Lord Voldemort.
Taking advantage of the noise, Remus soundlessly made his way back to his friends. It seemed that they had heard the screams, but nothing else. Not bothering to explain, Remus picked Michelle up once more, and whispered to the others, "We've got to get the hell out of here. But we can't go that way, and we've got to be as quiet as possible. And keep your wands out."
Pulling his wand back out of the pocket he'd placed it in, James asked Remus in confusion, "Remus, what's going on? Who was that screaming?"
Leading the way out of the forest in a different direction, Remus whispered back to him, "It was Danielle and those friends of hers, Robert and Michael. They're Death Eaters. Apparently they were supposed to bring you girls to Voldemort, but they failed. They were meeting Voldemort and his other lackeys here in the forest. Let's just say, he wasn't very thrilled with them."
"Shouldn't we try and help them?" Michelle asked, though she didn't sound very enthusiastic about the idea.
"How? There are six Death Eaters, not counting Voldemort himself, plus I don't really think Danielle and her friends would be too happy to see us." Remus said as they hurried through the forest as quietly as they could. "Besides," he began as he stepped over a particularly large tree root, "didn't you hear what I said? Michelle, Voldemort's after you and Lily."
"Yeah," Sirius said as he paused a moment to listen to something he'd heard in the woods. "And going back there would be as good as handing you girls over to Voldemort. Not to mention, we'd practically be begging him to kill us. And I'm not very keen on having either of those happen."
Suddenly, they froze as they heard a hauntingly sinister voice from just ahead of them, "Well, then, you should learn to be more quiet, shouldn't you?"
Michelle and Remus both sucked in their breaths as they recognized the voice. The Death Eater stepped out from behind a tree, pointing his wand directly at Michelle, who looked as if she might faint. "It's been a long time, hasn't it Michelle? You know, my Lord will be pleased with me for finding you and the other girl. And for bringing him a nice bunch of playthings," he said, indicating the Marauders. "And Remus?" The man said, recognizing the werewolf. He and Michelle remained quiet, but it was clear from the expressions on their faces that they knew who this man was.
The others looked at their friends in confusion. How did they know a Death Eater? The man began talking again, as he removed his mask, revealing startlingly familiar icy blue eyes, and short red hair.
"My master will be pleased indeed," he said, sounding as if he'd won some sort of award. "He might even find a use for you as well, Werewolf, once he finds out what you are."
Suddenly, Remus seemed to come to life as he said viciously, "I'll never work for Voldemort!"
The man's face lost his evilly elated expression as he sneered at the younger wizard, "You'll do whatever he wants, Werewolf, if you know what's good for you. And I'd suggest that you learn some respect. He doesn't tolerate back talk from his servants."
"We are not his servants," Michelle said angrily, "and we never will be. Now leave us the hell alone."
"Such language," the man said condescendingly, as he moved toward her and Remus. "I thought I taught you better than that, my dear Michelle." Before Michelle could respond, he raised his wand, and something indistinguishable but bright green shot out of its tip. Evidently, this was some sort of flair, as seconds later, more Death Eaters had converged on their location, along with Lord Voldemort himself.
"Very good, David," he said, looking around at the students who'd been captured. "You've found the little runts. If they'd returned to the school, our plans could have been ruined. You shall be rewarded."
"Thank you, Master," the man, David, said as he bent down and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. "It is an honor to serve you, my Lord."
"Yes," Voldemort said, sounding pleased. "I may even allow you to play with your daughter before we use her and her friend."
Sirius stepped forward then, sounding much braver than he actually felt as he snarled, "You'll have to take all of us if you want to get Michelle and Lily!"
This only caused Voldemort to laugh cruelly, saying, "My dear boy, did you think we would just let you and your little friends go? No, we're going to have to kill you as well."
Suddenly, another, incredibly fat Death Eater stepped forward and bowed low, saying, "My Lord, may I speak?"
Voldemort turned to the man, curiously, and sneered, "You may speak, Goyle, if you've got something worth hearing."
Still bowing, the man said, "Yes Master. I only wanted to point out the fact that that boy is a Black. That family is known for its power. Perhaps we could use him, as well? He could join us, and be a powerful asset."
Voldemort looked please with this information and nodded, telling Goyle, "Very good, Goyle. That is indeed useful. Perhaps I will allow you to have a little 'fun' with the other girl, as a reward."
Goyle glanced at Lily, and seemed to be very excited by this prospect. Lily shuddered in fear, wondering what Voldemort could possibly want with her and Michelle.
Not wanting to be outdone with useful information, David stepped forward eagerly. "My Lord, you should know that this boy here is a werewolf." He said, indicating Remus.
Voldemort was looking happier by the moment. "Well, it seems that all of you could serve some purpose within my ranks. Join me, as some of your classmates have already wisely done, and I shall spare you lives. Attempt to deny me, and you will die."
"We'd never join you!" Sirius said angrily. "We won't reduce ourselves to being slaves for some snake-eyed tyrant with delusions of grandeur!" His friends nodded resolutely, and prepared themselves to fight.
Voldemort's cruel smile immediately turned into a vicious sneer, as his Death Eaters hissed in anger that someone had dared to defy their master. "You will learn to respect me, Black, and you will learn fast." Then, without warning, he aimed his wand at Lily and shouted, "Crucio!"
Lily fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Her friends watched in horror as she writhed on the forest floor, trying but failing to smother her screams of pain. She felt as though she was being stabbed by a thousand knives at once, and was wondering vaguely how long it would take her to go insane when the curse was lifted. Lily was helped unsteadily to her feet by James and Peter, who both looked paler than death.
"You see? You can not fight me. Soon, you will all know how truly powerful I am," Voldemort said, sneering at them.
"Oh yes," Michelle said, more bravely than she felt. "Attacking a bunch of students, two of whom are unarmed, really must make you feel so powerful. I mean, we're such a threat to you right now, aren't we?" Really, Michelle and her friends were just trying to keep Voldemort distracted, keep him from doing whatever it was he'd planned to do, hoping that some of the teachers would come to their rescue. They knew they'd never be able to fight Voldemort and his Death Eaters on their own, though they would certainly try their best if it came to that.
It didn't. Just as Voldemort had raised his wand to attack Michelle, a blinding streak of light flashed from the trees and hit him straight in the chest. The spell didn't seem to have much effect, but it did serve to turn Voldemort's attention away from his prisoners. Looking in the direction the light had come from, Michelle saw many more spells flash out and hit the Death Eaters, bringing them down.
Voldemort watched in shock and anger as Dumbledore stepped out of the trees, followed by Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and Cartwright, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The students were relieved – with Dumbledore there, they knew they were safe.
Their Headmaster radiated power, and it was clear why he was so revered by the wizarding world. "Tom, you will leave these grounds immediately." Dumbledore said, raising his wand.
"I take no orders from you, old man!" Voldemort yelled before shouting a spell no one had ever heard before at Dumbledore.
He blocked the curse easily, his wand creating a giant shield. As he and Voldemort dueled, the other teachers began attacking the Death Eaters. The students were frozen in fear, before Flitwick hurried over to them, saying, "Come with me! You can't help here; I'll lead you out of the forest. You are to go directly back to Gryffindor Tower; you can see Madame Pomfrey later."
They nodded, and followed the tiny Charms Professor back out of the forest. As they reached the edge, they could still hear the sounds of the battle taking place in the woods. Hagrid, who was carrying a giant crossbow, ran up to them when they finally exited the forest. "Professor, you can tell the Headmaster that I've contacted the Ministry, they'll have Aurors here as soon as possible!" He said breathlessly.
Professor Flitwick nodded and told Hagrid, "Please escort these students back to their dormitory. Then get Madame Pomfrey, and have her see to their injuries in Gryffindor Tower. Dumbledore doesn't want them leaving their common room until You-Know-Who has gone."
Hagrid looked as though he was about to protest, but nodded anyway. As Flitwick returned to the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid turned to the students, and said "All right, you lot, let's get you back to the castle." Noticing that Remus was carrying Michelle, Hagrid told him to pass her to him, so that he could carry her back to the castle.
