Chapter 24 Harsh Realities
James hung about the Gryffindor common room on a Saturday morning two weeks after the infamous Halloween pumpkin debacle, waiting for Lily to come down so that they could go to breakfast together. The rest of the Marauders and most of Lily's friends had gone on ahead, but James had decided to wait for Lily, who was apparently off to a slow start this morning.
The weeks following Halloween had been the best ones Lily and James had spent together since the beginning of their short relationship. Finally clear about each other's feelings, neither of them felt quite as awkward with the other as they had felt previously. Simple things like making plans or being together in front of other people were a bit easier now that neither of them was constantly worrying about being dumped.
James had gone about in a constant state of euphoria since that night. Not only had he not been dumped over the jack o' lantern incident, Lily had officially become his girlfriend. Consequently she relaxed a bit more around him, allowing him to see for the first time ever a Lily Evans who neither hated him nor felt awkward round him, and James was finding that he fancied this person very much. Lily was much less uptight and rigid than he'd thought, and was unexpectedly funny. He'd always known she was brilliant, but the more time James spent with her the more he realized how genuinely kind she was as well. Most of Lily's concern for people like Snape and for first years and prank victims didn't come from some sort of obsessive penchant for following the rules, James noticed, but because she didn't want for anyone to be at a disadvantage or to be miserable. James admired this compassion a lot, he found. Never having been a person who thought much about how certain actions or comments might affect other people, Lily's sympathy was something of a revelation to him.
James looked up to see Lily coming down the last step, smiling her brilliant smile at him, and of course James' insides responded with their usual gymnastics.
"Thanks for waiting," Lily kissed James in greeting.
"Naturally," James replied loftily, smirking winningly at her. Lily rolled her eyes, but took James' hand nonetheless and the two made their way to the Great Hall.
* * *
"Took the pair of you long enough," Sirius greeted Lily and James as they slid into the seats he had saved.
Lily shot Sirius a sour look. Ever since James had told them about what she had said about their pumpkins, the Marauders had been ribbing Lily continually about her interest in their prank and about her knowledge of things like Hurling Hexes. So quite naturally, Sirius, who was not surprisingly the ringleader in all of the teasing, was not one of Lily's favorite people at the moment.
James' lips twitched over this exchange between his best friend and girlfriend but knew better than to laugh. His mates' teasing had reminded Lily how dangerous the pumpkin incident could have been and she'd been a bit shirty with James over the whole thing. More than a bit, really, especially after learning that the joke had backfired and the pumpkins hadn't been meant to smash into people. They'd had a fairly magnificent row over the whole thing until they'd remembered that the whole thing HAD actually been rather funny and that no real harm had been done.
Peter, however, sniggered in support of Sirius, happy simply because he was no longer being blamed for the whole practical joke mishap and because the teasing had been diverted from him. He'd found the right spell, after all, he'd just written down the wrong incantation, mistakenly substituting the incantation they'd wanted with the one from the facing page. The Marauders had long since forgiven him after making it perfectly clear that next time he wouldn't be trusted with such an important task and that they would never let him forget it.
Before the situation could get any uglier, the Gryffindors were interrupted by the arrival of the morning post. Lily accepted three letters and her paper from her owl before offering her some bacon rinds. When the owl had flown on, contented, Lily turned her attention to the mail.
One letter from her mum, no doubt detailing more Wedding of the Century plans, one from her friend Marlene McKinnon, presumably full of news about her baby and questions about Lily's new boyfriend; Lily had told Marlene about her and James' relationship in her last letter and Marlene was sure to want more details.
The third letter was written in a hand Lily didn't recognize and there was no return address, just a wax seal. The seal was an intricate letter M, full of loops and flourishes. Lily had no idea who could have sent it to her.
"Er - Morwenna?" James had an identical letter, Lily noticed, as did Sirius and Alice and all of the seventh year Gryffindors that she could see. "Why are your mum and dad sending me a letter?" James asked, seeming as confused as Lily was.
"They're invitations," Morwenna explained, her expression full of suppressed excitement, "invitations to our New Year's party."
"Really?" Alice asked keenly, opening her letter. Even Lily was a bit excited; she'd heard all about the elegant parties her parents threw from Morwenna, who, though she had gone to many of these gatherings, hadn't yet been allowed to attend a New Year's ball. The Marchbankses only allowed adults to attend that particular party.
"I'm finally being allowed to go this year," Morwenna explained. "And my parents told me I could invite a few friends from my year."
"Wow," Dorcas skimmed her invitation. "This sounds amazing."
James scanned his own invitation. It DID sound amazing. His parents, being close friends of Mr. and Mrs. Marchbanks,' went to their New Year's party every year. He'd always known he'd go himself one day and had always looked forward to it; some of the most famous wizards and witches in the wizarding world went to the Marchbanks' on New Year's. And, best of all, James would be going with Lily.
Lily was about to ask Morwenna about the dress code when she was distracted by noises coming from overhead. Looking up, she frowned in confusion. There was another swarm of owls overhead. The post had just come; were these owls late or some such thing?
But these owls didn't look like the usual lot who brought the post; generally the post owls were a jumble of different species, sizes, and colors. These owls were a uniform tawny brown color and were all rather large and dignified looking; they swooped in impressively to land before the addressee and bowed their heads respectfully before swooping off.
Lily was puzzled by this strange occurrence, but most of the others weren't. Lily looked round at James, who had gone white and was staring transfixed at the owls who had yet to deliver their burdens with an expression of horror. He gripped Lily's hand convulsively and on the other side of him Sirius put a reassuring hand on James' shoulder. On Lily's other side Alice was holding on to Frank for dear life and Frank was obviously trying to be brave for Alice, murmuring reassuring words to her, but he looked plainly worried himself.
It wasn't until the cries started that Lily figured it out. The owls must be Ministry owls and they were bringing the worst news possible to Hogwarts. There had been another attack.
Two owls swooped over the Gryffindor table and James gripped Lily's hand even tighter. Alice let out a shaking gasp and gripped Lily's free hand spasmodically. Lily squeezed her friend's and boyfriend's hands, heartsick with apprehension for them.
The owls passed and there was a collective sigh of relief in their wake. Alice, tears streaming down her face, let go of Lily's hand and embraced Frank again, crying silently with relief and sadness. Lily felt the tears welling up in her own eyes. James let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and wrapped Lily in a bone-crushing hug. Then James turned to Sirius; the best friends exchanged a look of understanding that rendered words unnecessary and shared a brief hug.
But it wasn't over; there were still a few owls left and every student in the hall who wasn't mourning their new loss turned his or her face skyward, watching the remaining owls with dread in their eyes.
Two of the remaining owls soared over to the Ravenclaw table, three more came over to Gryffindor and two landed in front of Hufflepuffs. Soon seven more students had added their cries of grief and loss to those that already filled the hall.
The very last owl flew over to Professor Dumbledore, who immediately opened the letter and began to peruse it intently, the expression of sorrow deepening in his face the further he read.
Remus had seized his copy of The Daily Prophet and began to read out loud to them all in a quiet, shaken tone:
"Fresh Attacks Rock the Wizarding World," Remus began.
"The wizarding world is in mourning today after a series of Death Eater attacks that took place between midnight and one o' clock this morning leave approximately fifty dead and twelve wounded.
"Masked, hooded individuals Apparated into over thirty homes at precisely midnight last evening and attacked and in many cases killed the occupants. At least twenty are confirmed dead by use of the Killing Curse, eleven in various explosions, and eight by other acknowledged Dark curses such as the Choking Charm. The use of the Cruciatus Curse has also been confirmed.
"The Dark Mark, a skull with a snake protruding from it, was found above each of the thirty sites, confirming that Death Eaters were in fact responsible for these attacks. The precise reason You Know Who's followers decided to attack these individuals specifically is unknown, though most of the victims were either Mubble born or had openly opposed You Know Who and his followers.
"Ministry officials expressed their grief over this tragedy but declined further comment until the Minister of Magic makes a statement later today."
Lily glanced down the table at the Gryffindors who had lost their families. She felt quite sick suddenly. Muggle borns had been attacked. She could so easily have been one of them if not for Hogwarts' protective walls. It was terrifying to realize that she would be out in that world next year, that she would be so vulnerable to the whims of a mad man and his equally mad followers.
Professor McGonagall, looking rather red about the eyes, came swiftly over to the Gryffindor table, beckoning for Lily, James, and the Gryffindor Prefects to follow her to the antechamber off the Hall.
Once all of the prefects and Head Boy and Girl had been assembled, Dumbledore began to speak. The kindly Headmaster was more formidable than they had ever seen him, and Lily began to understand for the first time why so many said that Dumbledore was the one wizard that Voldemort feared.
"As many of you are doubtless aware," Dumbledore began in a gentle tone, "Death Eater attacks took place last night, attacks many of your peers lost loved ones in, or even their entire families." Dumbldore then explained that all of the Prefects were to assist the professors with the grieving students and make sure those students were left undisturbed, if that was what they wanted, until they could take the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross the next day.
I am asking you," Dumbledore continued, "as students who have been distinguished as role models, to help those who are grieving in your houses and to remember that everyone has been affected by these attacks and not contribute to inter-House tensions." Dumbledore paused significantly; many of the Prefects from other houses had been glaring at the Slytherin Prefects. No one from Slytherin House had received a letter. "This is a time where unity and solidarity are important," Dumbledore went on after a moment. "We are all part of one school and it is important in times such as these to remember that and not blame anyone for things they had no part in."
* * *
Lily and James helped the Prefects keep order in the Great Hall; many of the students who hadn't heard about their families were waiting in the Great Hall for some sort of word and were becoming quite panicky. Others who had lost someone in the attacks had gathered round Professor Dumbledore in a frantic mob, demanding to know when they could get home. It was some time later when they finally returned to Gryffindor Tower together.
They found the rest of the seventh years sitting quietly together in the common room in front of the fire, their expressions grim. Wordlessly and without letting go of one another, Lily and James moved to join them, huddling tightly together on a small sofa near the massive fireplace.
Morwenna looked up. "What's going to happen?" she asked apprehensively. Dumbledore had asked everyone who did not need to go home to return to their common rooms to hear from their families or wait for the Ministry's list of victims to be released.
"The Hogwarts Express is being provided for everyone who needs to go home tomorrow morning," James reported. "And the professors are available to anyone who needs counseling. The official victim's list won't be out till this evening."
James caught sight of his owl, Wronski, perched on Sirius' shoulder. He met Sirius' eyes apprehensively, and Sirius grinned at him reassuringly and held out a letter addressed to James in his mother's familiar hand. James seized the letter and tore it open. His parents were safe. For the second time that morning, James expelled a breath he hadn't been aware of holding.
Most of the Gryffindors, the seventh years included, sat in the common room for most of the day, occasionally speaking in low voices. No one had the will to do homework, or study, or do any of the other things they had planned to do. Several were conspicuously absent from their numbers, and the Gryffindors who hadn't lost their families as they had felt terribly for them. These were their friends, classmates, housemates; they couldn't have been unaffected. Yet at the same time, they were giddy with relief that it hadn't been their own families, and many of the Gryffindors felt terribly guilty over that relief.
James spent most of the day with Lily, the two of them sitting together on the sofa, their fellow seventh years close by. Now that he knew his parents were safe, James was able to process the attacks more clearly.
Many of the people who had been attacked had been Muggle borns, the paper had said. Muggle borns and those who opposed Voldemort and his followers openly. It could so easily have been his parents; James had realized for some time now the terrible danger his parents were in. But it hadn't really occurred to him until today how dangerous it was for people like Lily.
Not only was Lily Muggle born, she was an amazingly talented, brilliant witch and wasn't afraid to stand up to people who felt she had no place in the wizarding world, people like Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange. If not for Hogwarts and more specifically Dumbledore's protection, Lily would be in even more danger than his parents, James realized. His mum and dad at least had the protection of an ancient name and the respect of many influential people; Voldemort wouldn't have them killed lightly. But Lily would be nothing to Voldemort, just a pest to be exterminated before she could contaminate the wizard race.
These realizations were terrifying to James, so he stayed as close as possible to Lily all day, holding her hand when he couldn't keep his arms around her. Normally, for an independent-minded person like Lily, this constant clinging would've been intolerable, but today, lost in her own troubling thoughts, she not only didn't mind, she held onto James just as tightly.
* * *
The families of the attack's victims left early the next morning on the Hogwarts Express, leaving a dismal void in their wake. Hogwarts was rather subdued for most of the next week, the remaining students very aware of the empty seats their classmates had left.
Only the Slytherins seemed unaffected; not one letter had come to their table that fateful Saturday. Naturally some of them seemed stricken by the attacks, particularly some of the younger ones. Not all of the Slytherins condoned Voldemort's actions.
There were plenty that did, however, most notably the seventh years, and most particularly Bellatrix Black. In the face of all of the unease and sadness around her, Bellatrix was blatantly triumphant. She laughed a good deal and went about with a satisfied leer on her face, like some sort of grotesquely insane cat that had lapped up forbidden cream. Many of the professors had trouble tolerating her presence in their classrooms; Professor McGonagall found an excuse to kick Bellatrix out of her class every day that week.
The students, however, did not have that alternative. They simply had to put up with Bellatrix's gloating and reveling. It became a bit hard for people to stomach, and some of the more foolish ones challenged Bellatrix and invariably ended up in the hospital wing.
Snape watched his so-called ally's antics with utter disgust. It was foolhardy to throw people's suffering back in their faces; inevitably they would remember it and seek retaliation. But Bellatrix's confidence in the Dark Lord, her place in his good graces, her influence within the House and without, and in her own magical abilities made her confidence supreme. She was bordering on hubris really, and hubris inevitably led to a fall. Snape reckoned it was only a matter of time.
Severus had had no part in the attacks himself, nor had he known about them, as he was almost certain Bellatrix had. In all honesty he had no opinion on them; they were not the worst the Dark Lord had ever committed, nor would they be the last. He did not necessarily embrace his lord's philosophy regarding Mudbloods and Muggles, but he didn't necessarily oppose it either. A lifetime's indoctrination could hardly be ignored, after all. All his life he'd heard Mudbloods referred to only as filth, as less than worthy people who did not deserve access to the wizarding world because only those who were pure of blood were worthy of magical ability.
This was Snape's family's philosophy, the philosophy of everyone he knew well, and had been for hundreds of years. It was the way things were and the way they would stay. Severus did not personally wish all the Mudbloods in the world dead, it held no interest for him. But it was an aspect of the Dark Lord's plan and Snape knew better than to question by now.
* * *
Once again, the seventh year Gryffindors shared Advanced Double Potions on Friday afternoon with the Slytherins. The Gryffindors had been dreading this prolonged contact with the Slytherins all week; it was bad enough having to endure them during normal class periods, but Double Potions was going to prove to be a test of Tri Wizard Tournament proportions, and a good number of the Gryffindors would have taken the tournament any day.
The tension in the air was palpable all through Professor Colander's directions and remained when the class adjourned to brew the day's potion.
Bellatrix kept glancing at Lily from across the room, her gaze malevolent. Forcibly reminded of what had happened last year round this same time in the Potions corridor, Lily willed herself to stay calm. She'd stick close to her friends when they left, especially James, and it would all be all right.
Lily tried to focus on the potion she was brewing, but it was difficult with Bellatrix glancing at her every few seconds. The class seemed endless
At the end of class, Bellatrix, under the pretense of washing her utensils, made her way to the Gryffindor side of the room. Lily didn't quite see what happened, but one moment her cauldron was simmering gently and the next Bellatrix had managed to spill it over the floor. Lily jumped back quickly, receiving only a small spatter of the hot liquid down the front of her robes.
"So sorry, Professor, Evans," Bellatrix attempted innocence, a completely incongruous expression on her.
"I'm sure, Miss Black," Professor Colander had no great liking for Bellatrix either. "You'll help Evans mop up."
"No!" James exclaimed quickly. "Er - that is - Sirius and I can help Lily clean up."
Professor Colander eyed them beadily. "Very well," she said at last. "Miss Black, I suggest you move along then."
Bellatrix, still preserving an innocent face, made her way out of the classroom. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Alice, and Frank all remained to help Lily clean up, which didn't take long with everybody pitching in, and within ten minutes they were out in the Potions corridor, looking round for Bellatrix.
"It seems you have a guard detail, Mudblood," Bellatrix leaned against one wall, cat-like grin in place.
"What're you playing at, Black?" Lily spat, moving forward furiously before anyone could stop her.
"I merely wanted a private word, but I can see that shall have to wait for another time," Bellatrix's eyes were mocking.
"You won't get a private word," Sirius growled, eyeing his cousin furiously.
"Then I suppose I'll just have to say it now, won't I?" Bellatrix's eyes were mocking. "Let last weekend's attacks be a warning to you, Mudblood," she hissed at Lily. "Nobody insults me and emerges unscathed, especially not filth like you. Just remember, your time will come, your time and your dear filthy Muggle parents' time with you."
Lily strode forward a few more steps and, without warning, slapped Bellatrix with all her strength, causing the other girl's head to jerk to the side. Lily raised her hand again but seemed to think the better of it.
"That's what I think of you and your threats," Lily said in a low tone. "You're nothing but a pathetic, sick, psychotic little girl who wants to know what it is to have power and will do anything to get it. I won't be threatened or intimidated by you and I sure as bloody hell won't allow you to insult or threaten my parents. And the next time you challenge me you will be very, very sorry you tried it."
With that, Lily pushed past Bellatrix and marched up the stairway, leaving the others to follow in her wake.
* * *
Author's Note: Here's the new chapter as promised. I'll try to have a new one up this weekend but it could very well be early next week.
I'm amazed; the 500 review mark! Thank you to everyone who has ever taken the time to review my story and to those of you who've been reviewing regularly; the reviews keep me writing when my inspiration deserts me.
This week's a bit busy; just bear with me while I get through it. Loads of stuff coming up in the next chapters: more Quidditch, Death Eaters, Bellatrix, Petunia and the Dursleys, and of course Lily and James.
James hung about the Gryffindor common room on a Saturday morning two weeks after the infamous Halloween pumpkin debacle, waiting for Lily to come down so that they could go to breakfast together. The rest of the Marauders and most of Lily's friends had gone on ahead, but James had decided to wait for Lily, who was apparently off to a slow start this morning.
The weeks following Halloween had been the best ones Lily and James had spent together since the beginning of their short relationship. Finally clear about each other's feelings, neither of them felt quite as awkward with the other as they had felt previously. Simple things like making plans or being together in front of other people were a bit easier now that neither of them was constantly worrying about being dumped.
James had gone about in a constant state of euphoria since that night. Not only had he not been dumped over the jack o' lantern incident, Lily had officially become his girlfriend. Consequently she relaxed a bit more around him, allowing him to see for the first time ever a Lily Evans who neither hated him nor felt awkward round him, and James was finding that he fancied this person very much. Lily was much less uptight and rigid than he'd thought, and was unexpectedly funny. He'd always known she was brilliant, but the more time James spent with her the more he realized how genuinely kind she was as well. Most of Lily's concern for people like Snape and for first years and prank victims didn't come from some sort of obsessive penchant for following the rules, James noticed, but because she didn't want for anyone to be at a disadvantage or to be miserable. James admired this compassion a lot, he found. Never having been a person who thought much about how certain actions or comments might affect other people, Lily's sympathy was something of a revelation to him.
James looked up to see Lily coming down the last step, smiling her brilliant smile at him, and of course James' insides responded with their usual gymnastics.
"Thanks for waiting," Lily kissed James in greeting.
"Naturally," James replied loftily, smirking winningly at her. Lily rolled her eyes, but took James' hand nonetheless and the two made their way to the Great Hall.
* * *
"Took the pair of you long enough," Sirius greeted Lily and James as they slid into the seats he had saved.
Lily shot Sirius a sour look. Ever since James had told them about what she had said about their pumpkins, the Marauders had been ribbing Lily continually about her interest in their prank and about her knowledge of things like Hurling Hexes. So quite naturally, Sirius, who was not surprisingly the ringleader in all of the teasing, was not one of Lily's favorite people at the moment.
James' lips twitched over this exchange between his best friend and girlfriend but knew better than to laugh. His mates' teasing had reminded Lily how dangerous the pumpkin incident could have been and she'd been a bit shirty with James over the whole thing. More than a bit, really, especially after learning that the joke had backfired and the pumpkins hadn't been meant to smash into people. They'd had a fairly magnificent row over the whole thing until they'd remembered that the whole thing HAD actually been rather funny and that no real harm had been done.
Peter, however, sniggered in support of Sirius, happy simply because he was no longer being blamed for the whole practical joke mishap and because the teasing had been diverted from him. He'd found the right spell, after all, he'd just written down the wrong incantation, mistakenly substituting the incantation they'd wanted with the one from the facing page. The Marauders had long since forgiven him after making it perfectly clear that next time he wouldn't be trusted with such an important task and that they would never let him forget it.
Before the situation could get any uglier, the Gryffindors were interrupted by the arrival of the morning post. Lily accepted three letters and her paper from her owl before offering her some bacon rinds. When the owl had flown on, contented, Lily turned her attention to the mail.
One letter from her mum, no doubt detailing more Wedding of the Century plans, one from her friend Marlene McKinnon, presumably full of news about her baby and questions about Lily's new boyfriend; Lily had told Marlene about her and James' relationship in her last letter and Marlene was sure to want more details.
The third letter was written in a hand Lily didn't recognize and there was no return address, just a wax seal. The seal was an intricate letter M, full of loops and flourishes. Lily had no idea who could have sent it to her.
"Er - Morwenna?" James had an identical letter, Lily noticed, as did Sirius and Alice and all of the seventh year Gryffindors that she could see. "Why are your mum and dad sending me a letter?" James asked, seeming as confused as Lily was.
"They're invitations," Morwenna explained, her expression full of suppressed excitement, "invitations to our New Year's party."
"Really?" Alice asked keenly, opening her letter. Even Lily was a bit excited; she'd heard all about the elegant parties her parents threw from Morwenna, who, though she had gone to many of these gatherings, hadn't yet been allowed to attend a New Year's ball. The Marchbankses only allowed adults to attend that particular party.
"I'm finally being allowed to go this year," Morwenna explained. "And my parents told me I could invite a few friends from my year."
"Wow," Dorcas skimmed her invitation. "This sounds amazing."
James scanned his own invitation. It DID sound amazing. His parents, being close friends of Mr. and Mrs. Marchbanks,' went to their New Year's party every year. He'd always known he'd go himself one day and had always looked forward to it; some of the most famous wizards and witches in the wizarding world went to the Marchbanks' on New Year's. And, best of all, James would be going with Lily.
Lily was about to ask Morwenna about the dress code when she was distracted by noises coming from overhead. Looking up, she frowned in confusion. There was another swarm of owls overhead. The post had just come; were these owls late or some such thing?
But these owls didn't look like the usual lot who brought the post; generally the post owls were a jumble of different species, sizes, and colors. These owls were a uniform tawny brown color and were all rather large and dignified looking; they swooped in impressively to land before the addressee and bowed their heads respectfully before swooping off.
Lily was puzzled by this strange occurrence, but most of the others weren't. Lily looked round at James, who had gone white and was staring transfixed at the owls who had yet to deliver their burdens with an expression of horror. He gripped Lily's hand convulsively and on the other side of him Sirius put a reassuring hand on James' shoulder. On Lily's other side Alice was holding on to Frank for dear life and Frank was obviously trying to be brave for Alice, murmuring reassuring words to her, but he looked plainly worried himself.
It wasn't until the cries started that Lily figured it out. The owls must be Ministry owls and they were bringing the worst news possible to Hogwarts. There had been another attack.
Two owls swooped over the Gryffindor table and James gripped Lily's hand even tighter. Alice let out a shaking gasp and gripped Lily's free hand spasmodically. Lily squeezed her friend's and boyfriend's hands, heartsick with apprehension for them.
The owls passed and there was a collective sigh of relief in their wake. Alice, tears streaming down her face, let go of Lily's hand and embraced Frank again, crying silently with relief and sadness. Lily felt the tears welling up in her own eyes. James let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and wrapped Lily in a bone-crushing hug. Then James turned to Sirius; the best friends exchanged a look of understanding that rendered words unnecessary and shared a brief hug.
But it wasn't over; there were still a few owls left and every student in the hall who wasn't mourning their new loss turned his or her face skyward, watching the remaining owls with dread in their eyes.
Two of the remaining owls soared over to the Ravenclaw table, three more came over to Gryffindor and two landed in front of Hufflepuffs. Soon seven more students had added their cries of grief and loss to those that already filled the hall.
The very last owl flew over to Professor Dumbledore, who immediately opened the letter and began to peruse it intently, the expression of sorrow deepening in his face the further he read.
Remus had seized his copy of The Daily Prophet and began to read out loud to them all in a quiet, shaken tone:
"Fresh Attacks Rock the Wizarding World," Remus began.
"The wizarding world is in mourning today after a series of Death Eater attacks that took place between midnight and one o' clock this morning leave approximately fifty dead and twelve wounded.
"Masked, hooded individuals Apparated into over thirty homes at precisely midnight last evening and attacked and in many cases killed the occupants. At least twenty are confirmed dead by use of the Killing Curse, eleven in various explosions, and eight by other acknowledged Dark curses such as the Choking Charm. The use of the Cruciatus Curse has also been confirmed.
"The Dark Mark, a skull with a snake protruding from it, was found above each of the thirty sites, confirming that Death Eaters were in fact responsible for these attacks. The precise reason You Know Who's followers decided to attack these individuals specifically is unknown, though most of the victims were either Mubble born or had openly opposed You Know Who and his followers.
"Ministry officials expressed their grief over this tragedy but declined further comment until the Minister of Magic makes a statement later today."
Lily glanced down the table at the Gryffindors who had lost their families. She felt quite sick suddenly. Muggle borns had been attacked. She could so easily have been one of them if not for Hogwarts' protective walls. It was terrifying to realize that she would be out in that world next year, that she would be so vulnerable to the whims of a mad man and his equally mad followers.
Professor McGonagall, looking rather red about the eyes, came swiftly over to the Gryffindor table, beckoning for Lily, James, and the Gryffindor Prefects to follow her to the antechamber off the Hall.
Once all of the prefects and Head Boy and Girl had been assembled, Dumbledore began to speak. The kindly Headmaster was more formidable than they had ever seen him, and Lily began to understand for the first time why so many said that Dumbledore was the one wizard that Voldemort feared.
"As many of you are doubtless aware," Dumbledore began in a gentle tone, "Death Eater attacks took place last night, attacks many of your peers lost loved ones in, or even their entire families." Dumbldore then explained that all of the Prefects were to assist the professors with the grieving students and make sure those students were left undisturbed, if that was what they wanted, until they could take the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross the next day.
I am asking you," Dumbledore continued, "as students who have been distinguished as role models, to help those who are grieving in your houses and to remember that everyone has been affected by these attacks and not contribute to inter-House tensions." Dumbledore paused significantly; many of the Prefects from other houses had been glaring at the Slytherin Prefects. No one from Slytherin House had received a letter. "This is a time where unity and solidarity are important," Dumbledore went on after a moment. "We are all part of one school and it is important in times such as these to remember that and not blame anyone for things they had no part in."
* * *
Lily and James helped the Prefects keep order in the Great Hall; many of the students who hadn't heard about their families were waiting in the Great Hall for some sort of word and were becoming quite panicky. Others who had lost someone in the attacks had gathered round Professor Dumbledore in a frantic mob, demanding to know when they could get home. It was some time later when they finally returned to Gryffindor Tower together.
They found the rest of the seventh years sitting quietly together in the common room in front of the fire, their expressions grim. Wordlessly and without letting go of one another, Lily and James moved to join them, huddling tightly together on a small sofa near the massive fireplace.
Morwenna looked up. "What's going to happen?" she asked apprehensively. Dumbledore had asked everyone who did not need to go home to return to their common rooms to hear from their families or wait for the Ministry's list of victims to be released.
"The Hogwarts Express is being provided for everyone who needs to go home tomorrow morning," James reported. "And the professors are available to anyone who needs counseling. The official victim's list won't be out till this evening."
James caught sight of his owl, Wronski, perched on Sirius' shoulder. He met Sirius' eyes apprehensively, and Sirius grinned at him reassuringly and held out a letter addressed to James in his mother's familiar hand. James seized the letter and tore it open. His parents were safe. For the second time that morning, James expelled a breath he hadn't been aware of holding.
Most of the Gryffindors, the seventh years included, sat in the common room for most of the day, occasionally speaking in low voices. No one had the will to do homework, or study, or do any of the other things they had planned to do. Several were conspicuously absent from their numbers, and the Gryffindors who hadn't lost their families as they had felt terribly for them. These were their friends, classmates, housemates; they couldn't have been unaffected. Yet at the same time, they were giddy with relief that it hadn't been their own families, and many of the Gryffindors felt terribly guilty over that relief.
James spent most of the day with Lily, the two of them sitting together on the sofa, their fellow seventh years close by. Now that he knew his parents were safe, James was able to process the attacks more clearly.
Many of the people who had been attacked had been Muggle borns, the paper had said. Muggle borns and those who opposed Voldemort and his followers openly. It could so easily have been his parents; James had realized for some time now the terrible danger his parents were in. But it hadn't really occurred to him until today how dangerous it was for people like Lily.
Not only was Lily Muggle born, she was an amazingly talented, brilliant witch and wasn't afraid to stand up to people who felt she had no place in the wizarding world, people like Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange. If not for Hogwarts and more specifically Dumbledore's protection, Lily would be in even more danger than his parents, James realized. His mum and dad at least had the protection of an ancient name and the respect of many influential people; Voldemort wouldn't have them killed lightly. But Lily would be nothing to Voldemort, just a pest to be exterminated before she could contaminate the wizard race.
These realizations were terrifying to James, so he stayed as close as possible to Lily all day, holding her hand when he couldn't keep his arms around her. Normally, for an independent-minded person like Lily, this constant clinging would've been intolerable, but today, lost in her own troubling thoughts, she not only didn't mind, she held onto James just as tightly.
* * *
The families of the attack's victims left early the next morning on the Hogwarts Express, leaving a dismal void in their wake. Hogwarts was rather subdued for most of the next week, the remaining students very aware of the empty seats their classmates had left.
Only the Slytherins seemed unaffected; not one letter had come to their table that fateful Saturday. Naturally some of them seemed stricken by the attacks, particularly some of the younger ones. Not all of the Slytherins condoned Voldemort's actions.
There were plenty that did, however, most notably the seventh years, and most particularly Bellatrix Black. In the face of all of the unease and sadness around her, Bellatrix was blatantly triumphant. She laughed a good deal and went about with a satisfied leer on her face, like some sort of grotesquely insane cat that had lapped up forbidden cream. Many of the professors had trouble tolerating her presence in their classrooms; Professor McGonagall found an excuse to kick Bellatrix out of her class every day that week.
The students, however, did not have that alternative. They simply had to put up with Bellatrix's gloating and reveling. It became a bit hard for people to stomach, and some of the more foolish ones challenged Bellatrix and invariably ended up in the hospital wing.
Snape watched his so-called ally's antics with utter disgust. It was foolhardy to throw people's suffering back in their faces; inevitably they would remember it and seek retaliation. But Bellatrix's confidence in the Dark Lord, her place in his good graces, her influence within the House and without, and in her own magical abilities made her confidence supreme. She was bordering on hubris really, and hubris inevitably led to a fall. Snape reckoned it was only a matter of time.
Severus had had no part in the attacks himself, nor had he known about them, as he was almost certain Bellatrix had. In all honesty he had no opinion on them; they were not the worst the Dark Lord had ever committed, nor would they be the last. He did not necessarily embrace his lord's philosophy regarding Mudbloods and Muggles, but he didn't necessarily oppose it either. A lifetime's indoctrination could hardly be ignored, after all. All his life he'd heard Mudbloods referred to only as filth, as less than worthy people who did not deserve access to the wizarding world because only those who were pure of blood were worthy of magical ability.
This was Snape's family's philosophy, the philosophy of everyone he knew well, and had been for hundreds of years. It was the way things were and the way they would stay. Severus did not personally wish all the Mudbloods in the world dead, it held no interest for him. But it was an aspect of the Dark Lord's plan and Snape knew better than to question by now.
* * *
Once again, the seventh year Gryffindors shared Advanced Double Potions on Friday afternoon with the Slytherins. The Gryffindors had been dreading this prolonged contact with the Slytherins all week; it was bad enough having to endure them during normal class periods, but Double Potions was going to prove to be a test of Tri Wizard Tournament proportions, and a good number of the Gryffindors would have taken the tournament any day.
The tension in the air was palpable all through Professor Colander's directions and remained when the class adjourned to brew the day's potion.
Bellatrix kept glancing at Lily from across the room, her gaze malevolent. Forcibly reminded of what had happened last year round this same time in the Potions corridor, Lily willed herself to stay calm. She'd stick close to her friends when they left, especially James, and it would all be all right.
Lily tried to focus on the potion she was brewing, but it was difficult with Bellatrix glancing at her every few seconds. The class seemed endless
At the end of class, Bellatrix, under the pretense of washing her utensils, made her way to the Gryffindor side of the room. Lily didn't quite see what happened, but one moment her cauldron was simmering gently and the next Bellatrix had managed to spill it over the floor. Lily jumped back quickly, receiving only a small spatter of the hot liquid down the front of her robes.
"So sorry, Professor, Evans," Bellatrix attempted innocence, a completely incongruous expression on her.
"I'm sure, Miss Black," Professor Colander had no great liking for Bellatrix either. "You'll help Evans mop up."
"No!" James exclaimed quickly. "Er - that is - Sirius and I can help Lily clean up."
Professor Colander eyed them beadily. "Very well," she said at last. "Miss Black, I suggest you move along then."
Bellatrix, still preserving an innocent face, made her way out of the classroom. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Alice, and Frank all remained to help Lily clean up, which didn't take long with everybody pitching in, and within ten minutes they were out in the Potions corridor, looking round for Bellatrix.
"It seems you have a guard detail, Mudblood," Bellatrix leaned against one wall, cat-like grin in place.
"What're you playing at, Black?" Lily spat, moving forward furiously before anyone could stop her.
"I merely wanted a private word, but I can see that shall have to wait for another time," Bellatrix's eyes were mocking.
"You won't get a private word," Sirius growled, eyeing his cousin furiously.
"Then I suppose I'll just have to say it now, won't I?" Bellatrix's eyes were mocking. "Let last weekend's attacks be a warning to you, Mudblood," she hissed at Lily. "Nobody insults me and emerges unscathed, especially not filth like you. Just remember, your time will come, your time and your dear filthy Muggle parents' time with you."
Lily strode forward a few more steps and, without warning, slapped Bellatrix with all her strength, causing the other girl's head to jerk to the side. Lily raised her hand again but seemed to think the better of it.
"That's what I think of you and your threats," Lily said in a low tone. "You're nothing but a pathetic, sick, psychotic little girl who wants to know what it is to have power and will do anything to get it. I won't be threatened or intimidated by you and I sure as bloody hell won't allow you to insult or threaten my parents. And the next time you challenge me you will be very, very sorry you tried it."
With that, Lily pushed past Bellatrix and marched up the stairway, leaving the others to follow in her wake.
* * *
Author's Note: Here's the new chapter as promised. I'll try to have a new one up this weekend but it could very well be early next week.
I'm amazed; the 500 review mark! Thank you to everyone who has ever taken the time to review my story and to those of you who've been reviewing regularly; the reviews keep me writing when my inspiration deserts me.
This week's a bit busy; just bear with me while I get through it. Loads of stuff coming up in the next chapters: more Quidditch, Death Eaters, Bellatrix, Petunia and the Dursleys, and of course Lily and James.