No matter how deep you are thinking or wallowing. Even if you are in the deepest panic and bordering on hysteria, (and it was fair to say James qualified under all these headings) certain things can bring you back to earth with a bump.
The words aveda kedevra being followed immediately by a brilliant green light definitely qualify in this category.
He'd already done the ignorance thing once, and it hadn't worked that time. But this time it wasn't as if there was any choice in the matter. Someone was dead, James guiltily thought for a moment that he hoped it was one of the trio. The marauders were his brothers. Then it hit him full force that Harry was his child and suddenly his priorities changed. The light was blinding and it took a good few seconds for the multicoloured blobs which danced in front of his eyes to disperse, clearing his view a little. Even though his sight was flawed he could feel the energy brush past him, a burst of wind blasted through the room, ruffling up his hair and from that sound of tearing, scattering parchment everywhere.
He had never been present when the killing curse was cast, and it was something he was grateful for, but the books they had to read in fourth year said nothing about blinding lights and mini hurricanes. It was no secret though that Voldemort was a powerful wizard, possibly one of the strongest of all time. Maybe the environmental changes were a direct result of the power unleashed through his wand. A violent reaction for a violent man.
The shapes started to settle down and implode within themselves, clearing James' vision some more. Three figures…one slumped on the floor. It could have been Remus, Peter and Sirius or it could be Ron, Hermione and Harry. James secretly and rather guiltily hoped for the latter.
His eyes swept the room, eyes stopping on the remaining marauders, 3 people all standing up looking with pale faces across the room. James continued his sweep until he saw the trio again, two kids kneeling down and one on the floor. Through his tear filled eyes from Lily he couldn't really make out who was who. He blinked a few times in frustration trying to clear the picture.
He partially wished he hadn't. On the floor was Harry, with his eyes closed he looked scarily like James; it was like he was seeing his own death. In fairness what he was seeing was 20 times worse, it was his son's death but he forced that to the back on his mind. The messy hair was the instant give away, his face lolled slightly to one side and his glasses askew.
Then there was his scar, usually meticulously hidden behind his fringe now it was impossible to hide with the scarlet blood, Harry's scarlet blood, working its way down his cheek. Harry was dead and nothing is as simple as dying. The boy he had spent the past few weeks with was no more; all that remained was a lifeless corpse lying on the floor.
But surely he wouldn't give in that easily. He'd got away before; surely he could do it again. Maybe he had natural immunity to the killing course, maybe surviving it the first time was the problem, maybe it was like mumps. Or maybe James was just clinging on to straws. Ignorance had been replaced with denial.
And yet he stood still, hands still entangled in Lily's auburn hair. He couldn't do anything; there was nothing he could do for them; except exact revenge.
James surveyed the scene with new passion in his eyes, his mind perfectly clear and engaged on the task ahead. He would not let that bastard ruin anyone else's family. He'd lost a brother, a friend and a son all at the hands of him. No way was he going to let him do the same to anyone else.
James stood up, holding his wand firmly by his side and looked to the front of the classroom.
The desk was slightly raised so the teacher could observe their class from high, supposedly making it easier to spot the troublemakers like James before anything occurred.
The blackboard was in the middle of the room, still covered with notes from that day, fourth year work from the looks of it, a simple potion which changed eye colour. The same potion supposedly Sirius thought Harry was using when he first appeared. James altered his attention back to the job in hand. Thinking about Harry hurt as if someone was slowly garrotting him. James felt as if he was going to heave, but the killing curse tended to have that effect on those around when it was uttered. God knows what it felt like when you knew it was going to hit you.
The blackboard was flanked by 2 tall bookcases, one side filled with books which hadn't been looked at for sometimes with the ridiculous amount of dust which rested on the top of them.
The other side had the more obscure potions ingredients, the kind which were only used once or twice and therefore didn't have to be bought by the pupils. Round bottom flasks containing purple liquids or small sample bottles with orange crystals, all different shapes and colours making the shelves look disorganised. Some plants where on the top shelf and obscure stones contained within the wooden boxes on the floor.
The room had little light, only windows where 6ft up and the room was only 7f high making the situation worse. This room didn't have plastering, or wooden panelling or any colour. It was all dark stone which was known to be damp in long periods of inclement weather. Everything about the room looked depressing.
But this had been seen thousands of time before, or at least seemingly thousands, potions had never been James' favourite subject. What James was craving to see wasn't there, he was blind from determination.
He wanted to see Voldemort, he wanted to see him standing proud and tall. He wanted to see the smirk on his face as he finally defeated his enemy. He wanted to see the foul creature for the snake he was. And he wanted to kill him as slowly and painfully as possible. He wanted to use something worse than crucio, he wanted a curse which would reflect just how bad he was feeling at this moment in time. Death was too good for Voldemort, but it was the best James could deliver.
But he wasn't there. The dark lord, wherever he was, was not in the dungeons of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Anyone want to beta this story? I need a Mr Brooke, someone to get my work and red pen all over it giving me ideas on how it can be better, what plot twists need to be clearer and what dialogue needs to be extended or cut. I need someone to show me where my spelling and punctuation need sorting out. Please consider it, you know my email (it's in the last paragraph of this a/n.)
I apologise for the delay in the updates, exam season is upon us. Out of pure superstition during my exams I wear my school tie in my hair. Never had a problem in the past, but some person changed the tie in the new HP movies and now everyone thinks that it's part of my obsession, and I'm getting agro. It isn't my fault – my school uniform just happened to be red and gold.
12th Feb 05, 1pm Liverpool Street Station, London. Everyone is invited, it promises to be a laugh. First time I went on one I knew no one and made some really good friends from it, there are over 20 of us going and some of them have never been before. www(dot)vegetablerevolution(dot)com for more information. I'm going to arrive at King's Cross at 12.45 so if anyone wants to meet there and I'll show you who the others are just email me littlemissskiz(at)aol(dot)com
Please read and review.
