Chapter Twenty Three

"Midnight, get back here!" Lily called out into the darkness. She heard a faint meowing in the distance, though she only saw blackness. Dodging trees and bushes, blinded by the tears she was trying to subside, all thoughts of James she was trying to erase, all feelings for him she was trying to hide away, though nothing was working.

Then, as she was wiping her tears for clearer vision, she suddenly ran into something, causing her to fall over backwards. When she opened her eyes, there was Midnight by her feet.

"There you are, you mangy cat." she said quietly. When she leaned over to grab the kitten, however, she saw something that made her arm freeze and her breath catch - a pair of human feet. She pulled her hand away slowly and backing away, she looked up, only to find the vicious grin of Bellatrix Black.

"Well, well, well, Master. Look who we have here."

As Bellatrix turned to the man standing behind her, Lily gasped in fear as she recognized at once a man she had never met before. A tall hooded man, though his face was shadowed, she could tell he had shoulder length brown hair and attractive manly features. But the thing that struck the most fear to her soul was those eyes - red slits of eyes that shone through the darkness of the night. They looked deadly and dangerous as he lowered his hood to reveal a evil grin. But those eyes - that was a sign that the evil darkness had completely overtaken him.

This was Lord Voldemort.

"Ah, Miss Lily Evans." he said, in a deep loud voice. "Well, now Bella - this is a coincidence. Now this saves me the trouble of sneaking you onto the grounds of that silly school to bring her to me."

"You're . . . you . . . you're . . ." Lily stuttered as she scrambled on the ground.

"Yes, my dear. I am Lord Voldemort." he said with a bow. "And you - you are Lily Marie." he said, offering her a hand to help her up, but she only leaned up against a tree for her balance. "You are ever more beautiful than the poem gives you credit for, my dear. And those eyes . . . such eyes I have never seen. Have you, Bella?" Lily was grateful when he turned away, for his probing eyes were terrifying her.

Bellatrix only smirked. "They're nothing special."

"Oh, but you're wrong, Bella. They are very special." He said, turning back to Lily, wrapping a strand of her thick red hair around his finger, causing her to tremble in fear as he leaned closer, his ice cold breath on her face. "You see, they may appear to be normal green eyes to anyone else. But eyes are the windows to our souls, Bella. Eyes show our every emotion, our every weakness. They show pain, anger, hatred, jealousy, compassion - even love." he said mockingly, dropping her hair.

"But I see beyond all that. I know that deep down inside you, beyond those sparkling emerald eyes, there is a power."

A power? Lily wondered.

"Yes, Lily Marie, a power." Lily was definitely feeling panicked, as he knew her name, but her shock only grew as he continued to speak.

"A young teenage beauty,
at the school of The Four,
holds the power of life
and yet, so much more.

With hair like fire,
and emerald green eyes,
the three words 'I love you,'
will be her demise.

Yes, the green of her eyes
the power is strong enough,
not of hatred or jealousy,
but the purest of love.

Yet the power of life
she holds in her hand,
to conquer over evil,
and against darkness stand.

Yes, exceptional knowledge,
a witch like no other.
A kind, loving wife,
yet, a more loving mother.

And the power of this love,
though for one man unfurled,
While it may cost her family,
it may save the world.

Now Lily Marie,
so brave and so bold;
and so this, her story,
has yet to unfold."

Lily was speechless. This couldn't be talking about her, now could it?"

"Yes, my dear, of course, it is talking of you. And the power you have - I must have it. Therefore, you must die." he said simply, taking out his wand.

Lily froze. Her heart jumped in her throat, her stomach seemed bottomless and her mind went blank. She began muttering inaudible words under her breath, hoping in anyway to sway him as he slowly began to walk towards her.

"No, no, please . . ."

"Goodbye, Lily Marie."

"LILY!"

All heads turned at the voice of James Potter, as he was running through the woods in their directions, being trailed by his three friends.

"Get away from her, you disgusting monster!" James said, walking towards them in fury.

"Oh, my Bella - what's this? Mr. Potter, back from the dead?" Voldemort chuckled mirthlessly.

James pulled out his wand at lightening speed as he approached them, but he wasn't fast enough.

"Imobulous." said Bellatrix simply, flicking her wrist with ease. Suddenly, James was floating in the air, unable to speak or move. Lily, Sirius and Remus all gasped in fear but Peter only slowly backing a safe distance away to watch in horror.

Voldemort then started to laugh. "Oh, never mind. I forgot - that old bloke had a son, did he not? You look just like him, you know? He too had a face of fear and shock right before we killed them, eh?" he said, pulling James down by the collar of his shirt to be face to face. James only glared hatefully at his evil face, struggling under the spell.

"Oh, put him down, Bella." Voldemort said with a chuckle, walking away. Bellatrix grinned and slammed him down on the ground. As Remus and Lily helped him off the ground, Sirius took a step towards them.

"What the hell, Bellatrix? Where did you get that wand from?"

"Oh, my wonderful Sissy brought it back tome over Christmas holiday at the House of Black, in fact. You were sorely missed, by the way." she cackled loudly.

"Damn that stubborn witch for being so bloody Slytherin!" Sirius said angrily.

"Well, of course, we're all Slytherin. You were just too cowardly to join us." Bellatrix smirked.

"What makes you think I'd want to join ranks with you? You disgusting little-"

"All right, all right children! Play nicely. No name calling." Voldemort said with an amused smile.

"I left the House of Black a long time ago, Bella." Sirius said, placing a hand on James' shoulder. "This is my family now."

"Only because I killed off his bloody parents!" said Voldemort, causing Bellatrix to laugh. James and Sirius lunged forward, but Remus stopped them. Lily looked around; where on earth was Peter? She finally found him, cowering behind a tree in the distance. Figures.

Now both Bellatrix and Voldemort were laughing. "Ah, yes - those silly Potters. Bursting in on our little meeting, ay, Bella? Well, we had no choice in killing them, they were good for nothing after all."

This time, Remus and Sirius made no attempt to stop James as he approached Him. Lily stood in his way momentarily. "James, please don't . . ." but James didn't hear her. Sirius only took her arm and pulled her away. "Let him go, Lily." he whispered.

"Yes, my boy. Come closer let me get a good look at you. You know, you do look just like your father; right before he died, of course."

"And you will pay dearly for it." said James ferociously, whipping out his wand.

"Oh, yes? How about I give a taste of how your parents died?"

James only smiled.

"Crucio!"

Sirius could only hold Lily off for so long, as she watched James fall to the ground, twitching and screaming in pain. She could only take so much . . .

She suddenly broke from Sirius, ignoring his voice calling her back. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, as fast as she could get to James. She tackled Lord Voldemort to the ground, causing him to drop his wand.

"Don't hurt him!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, punching him repeatedly in the face. All the stress she had felt over the past few months about Travis and James, all her pent up feelings, all her lack of sleep - all her emotions were taken out in each of her administered punches. Her arm came back to deliver one final blow, but a hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her off him.

"How dare you lay a disgusting hand on the Dark Lord, you filthy mudblood!" Bellatrix said venomously. Remus held Sirius back as he was screaming obscenities to Bellatrix, while Peter had come out of hiding to help James off the ground.

"Let go off me, you horrid wretch!" Lily said, back-handing Bellatrix across the face in a slap, causing her to take a step back. She narrowed her eyes and turned to attack Lily again, but a large masculine arm was in her way.

"Calm yourself, Bella. We'll just see how she likes a taste of death." said Voldemort, wiping the drip of blood coming from the corner of his mouth and lifting his wand once again.

"No," James murmured from behind them.

"Avada-"

Suddenly, as if out of no where, a single green spell hit Voldemort directly in the chest, flipping him over backwards before hitting the ground with a thud.

"Dumbledore," Lily said in a sigh of relief, as everyone had turned back to see who had administered the spell. Lily rushed back to where Remus, Sirius, Peter and James, then turned to watch as Dumbledore apparated directly in front of Voldemort, who Bellatrix was helping off the ground.

"Dumbledore, you old codger - how the hell are you?" Voldemort said with a smile, rubbing his sore chest.

"Leave, Tom. Now."

"Why leave? We were just starting to have some fun." he said, throwing a wink at Lily, who shuddered.

"You are out of your bounds here, Tom. Leave." said the calm, authoritative voice that only belonged to Dumbledore.

"Oh, fine. Come, Bella. We're not wanted here."

Dumbledore nodded, and turned away from them. Lily watched in horror as Voldemort pulled out his wand and shot a red nameless spell at his back. She screamed and covered her mouth, but Dumbledore turned and blocked the spell.

Dumbledore glared at Voldemort until he finally backed away. "Only joking, Dumbledore." he said.

"Yes, you better leave now, you cowardly bastard! And if you ever come near Lily again, I swear on my life, I will kill you!" James yelled, only Sirius holding him back.

Voldemort and Bellatrix only laughed before they disapparated. Dumbledore sighed with relief as he walked up to them, herding them all out of the forest and back to the station.

"All of you, come with me. Once we are safe and back on Hogwart's grounds, I will explain everything." Dumbledore said.

They all walked back to the boats, and with James arm over her shoulder, Lily felt safe once again.

---

A/N: Okay. That should last for a while. I'll try to post this weekend sometime. -huggles- I love you guys! Review, kay? Byez!