A/N: I'm sorry everyone, but we've hit the end of my winter break. I'm leaving to return to Spain this weekend. I will try to update while I'm there, but no promises! Also, if I usually review your story, don't be surprised if you don't hear from me for awhile. I will be back in March, though, so my next update will be on or before 21 March. I'm really sorry about this – especially after the way this chapter ends. It's not exactly a cliffhanger . . .

Also, I'd like to ask for your help. I was recently alerted by an anonymous reviewer that my first story has been copied by an author called Sagar Meetra. Well, despite my best efforts, I can't find this author or the story. If you happen to run across it, please let me know in a review or an email. Plagiarism is one of my pet peeves, and I want to make sure that all my work remains as my own. Thank you for your help!

Thank you again for your patience, and for you interest in my story. I love you all! You're the best!

I don't own Harry Potter.

Shock and Horror

"You've done well for me, Peter."

Peter managed to keep from smiling at his master's praise. "Thank you, my Lord."

"I'm impressed with your ability to play both sides. It's something not everyone can manage." Voldemort leaned back in his chair, and rested his fingertips together under his chin. "As you know, we are currently planning Friday's attack on Hogsmeade. Have you heard it mentioned by Dumbledore or his followers?"

"No, my Lord."

"Very well. I will ask my Ministry connections if the Aurors have heard of our plans. You may go, Pettigrew."

Peter left the office silently. Once in the hall, he allowed his face to light up in a smile. He had managed to do something for the Dark Lord that he never had for his own father: to make him proud. He would have to continue his work to keep the approval of his new master. He knew his job. This attack must remain a secret. The Dark Lord trusted him – needed him – to keep his secret. He would never let him down.

"James, we need to talk."

James looked up from the essays he was correcting with concern on his face. "This doesn't sound good."

Lily smiled as she sat down next to him on the couch. "It's not bad," she said. "I'm just afraid it could start a serious debate."

"Well, let's start debating," James replied as he put down his quill. "What is our topic tonight?"

"We need a name for the baby."

James's eyebrows shot up. "You're right. That is a loaded topic."

Lily giggled. "I think we can handle it. Besides, we need to have something for when your parents come for dinner tomorrow."

James rolled his eyes. "Mum needs to give it a rest. We still have over six months before the baby is born! That's plenty of time to choose a name."

"Well, we have to at least have a couple of names that we're considering. Come on, James, this is her first grandchild! I think your parents are more excited than we are!"

"That's not possible," he smiled. "How are we going to do this? We don't know if we're having a boy or a girl!"

"We'll have to pick a name for a boy and one for a girl."

"All right, then. You start."

Lily nodded, apprehension sneaking into her eyes. "If we have a girl, I'd rather like to name her for my mum."

"Brenna?" James asked.

Lily nodded again, still nervous that he wouldn't like the idea. She wanted so much to name her daughter after her mother, but if James didn't agree, they'd have to come up with a different name. "If that's all right with you?"

James smiled, and touched her cheek. "I think it's brilliant. Do you have a middle name chosen for her, too?"

She shook her head, feeling happiness flood through her. "No, not yet. Any suggestions?"

James thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Can we use my aunt's name? Elizabeth?"

A picture of thirteen-year-old James struggling to be strong as he returned to school following the Death Eater attack that had killed his aunt raced through Lily's head. Tears began to form in her eyes at the very thought.

"If you don't like it, we can use something else," James said quickly. "I just thought it might be appropriate, you know?"

"Of course," Lily said softly, blinking back her tears. "It's perfect. Absolutely perfect." She closed her eyes, and placed her hand over her abdomen. "Brenna Elizabeth. I love it. She's going to be a tough little girl, with namesakes like those."

James smiled, thinking of how pleased his father would be to know that they would name their daughter for his sister. "And what if we have a boy instead of a girl? Have you chosen a name for him, as well?"

"Not yet. But I picked the girl's name. You pick the boy's."

His eyes widened. "That's a pretty tall order, Lil."

"You can do it."

"Well . . ." James trailed off in thought. After several moments, he looked at her with an apologetic smile. "I have no idea. Can we get back to this later?"

Lily laughed, and kissed his cheek. "Of course. Like you said, we have six months. And now we have one name to give your parents tomorrow. I think that should placate them for awhile."

"A very little while," James replied with a grin. "But it'll buy us some time." He leaned over to kiss her lips. "But I'm sure we can find something to do with our time now."

He kissed her again, lowering her down on the couch. She shifted her position so that he could lie down with her, and giggled.

"What?" James asked.

"I don't know . . . I guess I would hate to think of my parents in this position – and we're almost parents now."

James laughed. "Well, as you are one of two children, your parents were in this position more than once. And if you want more children than little Brenna Elizabeth or . . . whatever name I pick, we're going to be in this position more than once as well."

Lily ran her fingers through his hair, and kissed his neck. "I hope we are for more reasons than just that."

James looked down at her for a moment, then kissed her again. For the time being, all thoughts of their baby were forgotten.

Lily fluttered around the house, throwing spell after spell at the dining room table. James watched her with a grin.

"You know, my mum already knows that you can cook," he commented. "There's no need to throw the perfect dinner party at this point."

Lily gave him a tolerant smile. "You are such a man. Every dinner party has to be perfect." She brushed a strand of red hair back from her face. "And as much as your mother loves me and I love her, I will always feel the need to impress her."

James frowned. "I don't see why. You're right; she does love you already."

Lily smiled again. "James, I took you away from her. You were her little boy, and now you're my husband. However much she loves me, I'll always have to live up to her expectations of me."

James shook his head. "You women are ridiculous. You know that, don't you?"

Lily giggled, and kissed his cheek. "We just love you, that's all."

"Well, I love you, too." He kissed her lips.

Two soft pops sounded, and James stepped back from Lily. He grinned as his parents appeared in the foyer, and went to join them.

"Mum! Dad!"

"Hi, James."

James hugged and kissed his mother, and shook his father's hand. Lily put down her wand, and entered the room, where she was greeted with hugs and kisses from both of James's parents.

"How are you feeling, darling?" Mrs. Potter asked, touching Lily's cheek.

"Fine," Lily replied with a smile. "James has been taking very good care of me."

"And that's no easy task," James grinned. "I can barely convince her to sit still for more than five minutes at a time!"

"You need to rest for the baby, darling," Mrs. Potter said with concern in her voice. "You haven't been doing any more dangerous assignments for the paper, have you?"

"Oh, no, not at all!" Lily replied. "When I told Dorcas about the baby, she relegated me to desk duty. Minnie has been doing all the reconnaissance work on her own recently." She made a face. "As much as I love writing, I really wish I could be out there, gathering information on my own."

Mr. Potter chuckled. "You and James truly are perfect for one another, you know. I think half the reason he never wanted to be an Auror was that he didn't want to have to follow orders about his missions."

James laughed. "Your other son is the family Auror trainee, Dad."

Mr. Potter laughed. "Well, Sirius won't be in training much longer. Moody and Frank have told us that the trainees will be ready to move into full Auror status by the end of March."

"So soon?" Mrs. Potter asked, concern darkening her eyes again. "I don't like the idea of Sirius and Olivia putting their lives on the line like that."

"To be fair, they do it already," Mr. Potter said gently. "The trainees we've brought in the past few years have been shorted the 'training' part of their program. We need everyone we can get to fight." He sighed, and ran a hand over his face. "It isn't right, but it's what has to happen. And, to be completely honest, the trainees we've had move up during the war have been better trained than any I've seen in my career."

An uneasy silence fell as everyone thought of exactly how the Aurors had received that training – through difficult, firsthand experience. Lily cleared her throat, hoping to clear the mood.

"If you want to come into the dining room, dinner is ready."

Her comment worked; easy conversation began as they took their seats around the dining room table. James said grace, and they began eating the meal that Lily had prepared.

"This is delicious, dear," Mrs. Potter said, giving her a warm smile. "You have wonderful cooking abilities."

Lily smiled, and flushed. "I made this meal the Muggle way – no magic."

"Really?"

"Really. It's how I learned first, so it's what I know best."

Mrs. Potter smiled. "You'll have to teach your daughters Muggle cooking tricks."

"Of course," Lily replied, thinking of how much fun she would have with her little girls in the kitchen, teaching them how to cook.

"Which reminds me," Mrs. Potter said, looking at both Lily and James, "have you two considered baby names at all?"

"We have a name chosen for a girl," James said quickly. He had to admit that it felt good to tell his mother that much. Lily had been right to insist that they come up with a name.

"And?"

"We chose Brenna Elizabeth," Lily said softly.

"Brenna for your mother?" Mrs. Potter asked.

"Yes," Lily said, blinking back tears as she thought of how excited and proud her mother would be to know that she would be a grandmother.

"And Elizabeth for . . .?" Mrs. Potter's eyes swung to her son's face.

James nodded. "For Aunt Liz."

Mr. Potter cleared his throat, and blinked several times. "That's a beautiful name," he said with feeling. "Beautiful. Aunt Liz would be proud to know that your daughter has her name."

Mrs. Potter reached under the table to squeeze his hand. He gripped her fingers firmly, fighting for control. It had been so long since his sister had died . . . so long since he had even spoken of her. Even so, it was still painful to think of her, and to hear her name. But, somehow, it was healing to know that James's little girl – his granddaughter – would bear her name.

"Do you know for sure that you're having a girl, then?" Mrs. Potter asked.

"No," James said. "Lily chose Brenna and I chose Elizabeth for a girl. We haven't decided on a boy's name yet."

"I told James he has to come up with a first name," Lily added. "Once he does that, I might help him out with the middle name."

"You're lucky you still have almost seven months, dear," Mrs. Potter laughed. "James can deliberate forever!"

Their laughter was cut off by a buzzing sound. Mr. Potter looked surprised, and released his wife's hand to reach into his pocket. He pulled out a clear globe that looked almost like a small crystal ball. Words were running across it in purple, and it was humming softly as it vibrated.

"What is that?" Lily asked curiously, leaning across the table to see the device.

James and his mother exchanged glances. Mr. Potter looked at them all apologetically.

"It's a summoning globe," he said. "All Aurors carry them. They are used to call us to situations. See the script? It gives me my Apparation point and a brief description of what to expect."

"So you have to go, then?"

"I'm sorry, Lily," he said, his expression showing that he truly was sorry. "I didn't expect to be called for duty tonight; in fact, I'm not even an on-call Auror this weekend." He frowned slightly. "This could be a bad situation. Margaret, stay with James and Lily as long as you want, then just go home. I'll come back there instead of coming here" He gave Lily a smile. "We have to get our new mother off to bed early."

Mrs. Potter forced a smile. "You'll be careful, won't you, Harold?"

"I always am," he smiled. He kissed her gently. "I'll come back to you."

"I know," she said, kissing him again. "Good luck."

"Thank you." He pulled away from his wife, and smiled at James and Lily. "We'll try for a nice dinner next weekend, shall we?"

"I insist," Lily smiled. "I'll even let you pick the menu."

"Deal," he grinned. He stood, and walked around the table to kiss her cheek. "Thank you for a lovely evening – or what would have been a lovely evening."

"You're welcome."

He put his hand down on James's shoulder. "Take care of my two favorite girls, all right?"

"I always do."

With one last smile at them all, Mr. Potter Disapparated. Mrs. Potter sighed.

"That Ministry," she said. "They always call him away at the most inconvenient times! And poor Lily, you even did all this without magic!"

"Well, that was just the food," Lily laughed. "Getting everything on the table like this involved quite a bit of magic."

"I was afraid to come in for a bit," James added with a laugh.

Mrs. Potter shook her head with a smile. "Oh, you two."

"Lily made a fantastic dessert, too," James said. "Shall I go get it now?"

"Let's let our food settle first," Lily said. "We can wait a minute before we start it."

James nodded, and started to say something else; his words were cut off by a flash of white light. A golden phoenix feather fell in the middle of the table. They all stared at it for a moment. Mrs. Potter sighed, and picked up the parchment that accompanied the feather.

"It is a difficult situation," she said tensely. "We've been called in to assist the Aurors."

James was around the table in a flash to read the parchment bearing their instructions.

"I'm going to help Harold," Mrs. Potter said, standing up. She looked at Lily. "You take care of that baby," she said earnestly.

"Of course," Lily replied, taken aback.

"I'm serious, Lily," she said, the tension returning to her voice. "No chances, no heroics. Take care of your baby." She looked at James. "And you take care of them both."

"I will," James replied.

Mrs. Potter surprised him by pulling him into a tight hug. "I love you, James." She looked over his shoulder at Lily. "I love you, too, Lily. You and the baby."

Lily nodded, surprised by the desperation in her mother-in-law's demeanor. She normally didn't panic like this. James was obviously having the same thoughts.

"Mum, are you all right?" he asked.

"Fine," she said tensely. "I just – I have an odd feeling about this battle. But I have to go help your father."

With that, she Disapparated. James looked at Lily, then back down at the parchment.

"There's been an attack in Hogsmeade," he said.

"Just let me get my wand, and I'll be ready," Lily said. "What's the Apparation point?"

"No, Lil, you're not going."

She turned to look at him as though he had lost his mind. "What did you just say?"

"I said you can't go."

"Since when do you make statements like that?" she asked angrily. "The Aurors are in trouble! They already called your dad out on his day off, and now they're summoning us! They need all the help they can get!"

"Not your help," James said firmly. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Lily, you can't go into battle tonight. You need to take care of yourself."

"I've always taken care of myself. I'm a good fighter, James."

"I know you are. You're one of the strongest fighters I know. But I also know that in battles like the ones we fight, anything can happen. You and I have both taken Unforgivable Curses, and we've both spent time in St. Mungo's as a result of battles with Death Eaters. You can't take those chances, Lil. Not now. You need to protect the baby."

"The baby," she muttered, reaching down to touch her stomach.

"Yes, the baby," James repeated. "You stay here and take care of Brenna . . . or . . . whatever name I pick."

Lily giggled in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "You'd better get on that."

"I will," he smiled. He kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied. "Take care of yourself."

"I will," he promised. "You take care, too – of both of you."

"I will."

James put his wand into his back pocket, and closed his eyes to Disapparate. As she watched him, panic unlike any she had ever known filled Lily's being.

"James, wait!"

His eyes flew open. "What?"

She kissed him again, hard. When she pulled back, tears stood in her eyes.

"Hey," he said, reaching up to brush away a tear that slid down her cheek. "What's this?"

"I just want to be there to know that you're all right," she said, her voice shaking. "I love you, James."

"I'll come home to you, Lil," he promised. "I love you – both of you."

Another tear fell. "We love you, too."

He smiled, and touched her cheek, then Disapparated. Lily sank down onto her chair, and let herself cry.

"Oh, God, protect him," she whispered. "I don't think I can live without him. I need him." She put her hand over her midsection again. "We need him."

"Potter, what in God's name do you think you're doing?"

James jumped at the growling yell. "Apparating as instructed," he replied.

Moody glared at him. "Get that wand out of your pocket! Are you trying to maim yourself?"

Sirius grinned. "Think of the conversation starter that would be. James would be able to tell the story of how he blew off his arse at every party he went to for the rest of his life!"

"Black, you are within months of becoming an Auror! Now is not the time to start taking things lightly!"

The grin instantly slid off Sirius's face. It was replaced by the emotionless Auror mask that James had known all his life. Although he had seen it on his father's face more times than he could count, it was incredibly odd to see it on the face of his best friend.

"Where's Lily?" Moody asked.

"At home," James said. "She can't fight now. The baby could be hurt."

Moody nodded. He looked as though it cost him no small effort to hold his tongue.

"How did she take that?" Sirius asked, his eyes beginning to twinkle again.

"Not well," James said, seeing in his mind the tears swimming in his wife's eyes, "for more reasons than one."

"Well, let's get to it, then," Moody growled. "We didn't come here to chit-chat. Black, you and Potter go secure the south end of High Street. Remember, send up red sparks if you need help."

Sirius nodded, his Auror mask back in place. "Let's go, James."

James nodded, and followed his best friend into danger, knowing there were very few people on earth he trusted as much as he trusted Sirius Black.

"All right," Lily muttered to herself. "Sitting her crying isn't going to help anyone. I need to calm down."

She waved her wand at the dining room table, sending dishes and leftover food into the kitchen. She followed them in, and, with a few more spells, put the food away and left the dishes washing themselves. With that accomplished, she went back into the living room, and sank down on the couch. She noticed James's essays on the coffee table, and picked on up. She smiled as she read the title.

"'Practical defense against common jinxes,'" she read aloud. Her eyes skimmed the heading. "Fourth year. That seems a bit late for this topic, with his new curriculum. I wonder . . ."

Her musings were cut short by a soft pop. She gasped, and jumped to her feet, tossing the essay aside. She looked around wildly, desperately trying to remember where she had left her wand.

"Lily?"

She frowned, trying to place the familiar voice. "Yes?"

Alice Longbottom walked into the living room. Relief instantly flooded over Lily.

"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed. "I was afraid you were . . . I don't even know who. I was just afraid."

Alice smiled. "That's why I came over. I couldn't stand being alone in my house, just waiting . . . I thought you might need some company, too."

"I know exactly how you feel," Lily said, lowering herself onto the couch again. "Please, sit down. Can I get you anything to drink?"

Alice shook her head as she sat down next to Lily. "I'm too jumpy to even consider sipping tea right now." She smiled apologetically. "This is the first time Frank has gone into battle without me. I don't know how to sit at home and wait for him. I want to be there, helping in the fight." She sighed, and touched her midsection. "I guess I'd better get used to it."

Lily smiled. "When is your due date?"

"August fifth."

"Really?" Lily exclaimed, a grin lighting up her face. "Mine is the fourth of August!"

"That's fantastic!" Alice exclaimed. "Our babies will practically share a birthday! They can bond over that long before they become dorm-mates at Hogwarts."

Lily grinned. "If you're a little early, they can share a birthday."

"Oh, no," Alice laughed. "This one is coming late, if anything. I'm going to need every day I can get to make sure I have everything ready for him."

"You know it's a boy, then?"

"Yes. Frank and I couldn't stand the wait."

Lily giggled. "Does he have a name yet?"

"No, not yet," Alice sighed. "We've been debating the past few days, but we can't seem to agree. I have a feeling one of us will have to give up on a name we love in the end."

Lily giggled again. "I can't wait for them to get to know each other."

"They're going to be great friends," Alice smiled.

"The best," Lily agreed. "Hopefully, without our penchant for throwing themselves into dangerous situations. If I'm this worried about James, I don't even want to think about my baby fighting Voldemort."

"Hopefully, they won't have to," Alice said. "Hopefully, this whole war will be over by the time they're born."

"This isn't really the best time to be pregnant, is it?" Lily asked softly.

"There never is a good time," Alice replied, her eyes taking on a far-away look. "Something is always happening. When Frank and I were first married, we had just become Aurors. You can't have a baby when you're just starting your career, can you? So we agreed to wait until we were established. Then, when we first started talking about trying to have a baby, Voldemort surfaced. The entire Auror department was thrown into chaos. We knew we couldn't start a family then. We didn't even discuss it; we just dropped the topic."

She smiled sadly, and continued. "Then, about five years ago, we realized that Voldemort wasn't going away in the foreseeable future. But part of what he's doing to take over our world is to force us to stop living our lives. Frank and I are Aurors and Order members. We can see his game plan better than anyone. We decided that we weren't going to let him stop us from having the life had always wanted. So, we started trying for a baby." Her smile faded. "For five years, we couldn't get pregnant. Five years. Can you even imagine? We went to Healers, to specialists . . . I thought it was hopeless. We had given up when I realized that I was pregnant."

She smiled again, and leaned forward, taking Lily's hand in hers. "No, Lily, this isn't the best time to be pregnant. But after five years of thinking this was impossible, I don't care about finding a good time anymore. I wouldn't trade the chance to have a baby for anything. After all these years of waiting, trying, hoping, and crying, I will never take my little boy for granted."

"James, to your left!"

Without thinking, James swung left. "Stupefy!"

The sound of a thud told him that his stunner had hit its target. He turned back around just in time to duck a jet of red light.

"Stupefy!" he yelled again.

"Impedimenta!"

"Protego!"

"Reducto!"

James screwed up his face at the sound of breaking bones as the Death Eater's legs snapped. He looked at Sirius, who shrugged.

"Moody has me trained to do worse. And it was effective, wasn't it?"

"I've used it before," James admitted. "We've all done worse. But that doesn't mean that I like it."

"This is war, James. That's what it's all about. None of us like what we're doing – but we do it."

A crash split the air as the window behind them shattered. Both young men jumped out of the way of the flying glass, and spun around, their wands held steadily in front of them.

To their surprise, no one came charging into the store they had been trying to secure. James glanced at Sirius with raised eyebrows.

"They're trying to bait us out," Sirius said. "They want us to come outside."

"We have to go," James replied. "We're not doing anyone any good staying in here."

"I know that. But we have to be smart about this. There could be hundreds of them out there."

James raised an eyebrow. "Hundreds?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "All right, dozens. Is that better?"

"Yes."

"My point is, we can't just go running out there. We need to go slowly, to make sure we're prepared to battle whatever we have to."

"I never thought I'd see the day that you planned ahead for anything, let alone battle."

"Blame Moody," Sirius grinned. He gripped his wand. "All right, I'll go first. Cover me."

"Are you sure you want to go first?"

"You have a family, James," Sirius replied. "You have Lily and your baby to think about. I just have me. Yeah, I want to go first."

Without even leaving James time to reply, Sirius kicked down the door and stepped out into the darkness.

"Your move."

Lily looked up from the chess board with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Alice. I just can't seem to concentrate."

"You have to," Alice replied simply. "You need to take your mind away from what's happening in Hogsmeade."

"How can I think of anything else when James is in danger? How can you be so calm about Frank being there?"

Alice ran her hands over her eyes. "James is a good fighter, Lily. He'll be fine. He and Frank will come home to us in no time."

Lily sighed. "It's different for you, Alice. Frank is an Auror. No, not just an Auror. He's one of the best Aurors the Ministry has. You know that he can take care of himself."

Alice looked away for a moment, and wrapped her arms around herself. "I know that Frank is one of the best fighters we have on our side. And I know that he will do his best to come home to me. I also know that some fantastic fighters have fallen to Voldemort." She shivered slightly. "Frank and James have the Aurors and the Order on their side, Lily. I know they'll all take care of one another to the best of their ability."

Lily nodded slowly. Yes. James did have some incredible allies. She knew that Sirius and Olivia were there, fighting as Aurors with all they had in them. She knew that Laura, Remus and Peter were there, fighting with the Order. Their friends would protect James. She also knew that his parents were there, and that they would give their lives to protect their son – the same way she would give her life to protect her own child.

"Avada Kedavra!"

James slammed his body flat on the ground as the Killing Curse flashed over his head. It continued on, striking a Death Eater. Without a sound, the victim fell to the ground. James winced. That could have easily been him.

"Reducto!" he shouted, pointed his wand at the Death Eater who had tried to kill him. He heard bones breaking, followed by the thud of a body hitting the ground.

"How many are there?" James asked as he jumped to his feet again.

"At least ten," Sirius replied. "Shit, James we should have stayed in the house! Stupefy!"

"Crucio!"

"Protego!"

James's Shield Charm went up just in time to save Sirius from the pain of the curse. Sirius turned to him with a smile.

"Thanks, mate."

"Anytime."

They separated again, each doing battle with as many Death Eaters as they could. James wondered if Sirius had been low-balling it with his estimate of ten Death Eaters. Every time one fell, it seemed that there was another to take his or her place. Would the supply of evil never run out?

"James!"

James looked up at the sound of a new voice. His father was running at them, his wand out in front of him.

"Stupefy!"

A Death Eater fell, and Mr. Potter made his way over to his son.

"Why didn't you send up red sparks? You and Sirius are in way over your heads!"

"We didn't exactly have time," James replied. "Impedimenta!"

"You two will be the death of me," Mr. Potter said.

He jumped into the battle with them, helping the two younger men to stop and contain the Death Eaters. James felt energized with the arrival of his father. Now, with three of them, they stood a better chance of making it. He turned around, and began dueling with another Death Eater.

As they circled one another, firing curses at rapid speeds, a new shout filled the group.

"Avada Kedavra!"

James turned to see a jet of green light rushing toward Sirius's back. Deep in battle, Sirius had no idea that there was even a Death Eater behind him.

"SIRIUS!" James bellowed, feeling his throat close.

Sirius turned in time to see the jet of light. His face registered surprise, but he was frozen, unable to move.

A figure charged at him, knocking Sirius of the way of the Killing Curse. While Sirius rolled out of the way, his savior took the curse, and fell to the ground with a sickening thump.

"NO!" James screamed.

Lily rose from her seat, and crossed to the window. She looked out on the calm evening with a slight frown.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it? That there could be a battle raging somewhere right now? I mean, this street is completely peaceful. There's nothing going on. There's not even a stray dog wandering around. How could a world that is so peaceful be in such upheaval?"

Alice stood to join Lily at the window, and shook her head. "I don't know, Lily. I really don't. But this is how it is. Battle can't be everywhere at once. For every battleground in the world, there's a street just like this one."

Lily sighed. "I just want this to be over, Alice. I just want to live a normal, calm, war-free life. Is that so much to ask for?"

"No, of course not." Alice put her arm around Lily's waist, drawing her against her side. "You're helping that to happen, Lily. That's why you joined the Order."

Lily shook her head. "I joined the Order because one of my friends was killed by Death Eaters. If Kathleen was still with us, I don't know that I would have done this."

"Yes, you would have. I know you, Lily. You fight for what you believe in. And this – stopping this evil that is trying to dominate our world – is something you believe in."

Lily nodded. "I just wish there was another way. I wish this could be fixed without so many innocent people dying."

"We all do," Alice said, hugging her close. "We all do."

Sirius held his wand up over his head, and shot up red sparks. Within seconds, Aurors arrived, working to contain the Death Eaters. The situation under control, Sirius limped over to his best friend.

"James?" he asked softly.

James looked up at him with a tear-streaked face. "He wasn't supposed to die."

"I know." Sirius dropped down to his knees next to James. His hand shook as he reached out to grip James's shoulder. He carefully averted his eyes from the sight of the body that James was holding in his arms.

"Damn it, Sirius! This is my dad! The one man who was supposed to be invincible! The one who was always supposed to be there for me! He wasn't supposed to die! He wasn't supposed to leave me!"

"I know," Sirius said again, tears welling in his eyes.

He finally brought himself to look down at Mr. Potter. The man who had been like a father to him since he was twelve looked back up at him, his eyes unseeing, his face frozen in the surprised expression that was characteristic of victims of the Killing Curse. Sirius choked back a sob, and gripped James's shoulder even harder.

"James . . . I'm so . . . It should have been me."

James rounded on him, his eyes flashing. "You're right. It should have been you."

Sirius flinched at the cold anger in his friend's eyes. "James . . ."

"You killed him!" James yelled. He shook Sirius's hand off his shoulder, and reached up to grab his throat. "You killed my father!"

"No!" Sirius choked. "James, I didn't want your dad dead! I didn't even see him coming, I swear! I don't know how he got there so fast, I don't know why he threw me out of the way, I don't know why he took that curse for me, I don't know . . ." Tears began to fall down Sirius's cheeks. "I would take the curse to bring him back for you, James. You know that. I would never do anything to hurt your family."

"Why did you let him do that?" James whispered. He released his grip on Sirius's throat, and began to sob uncontrollably, leaning over his father's body.

"James," Sirius muttered. He put his arms around his friend, trying to pull him away from the body.

"Oh, God," James moaned. "How could this happen to my dad?"

Giving in to the sobs that were shaking his body, and let himself slump against Sirius. Sirius held him tightly, his own tears sliding down his cheeks.

"Remus!"

Remus looked up from Healing the arm of a little girl to see Peter running toward him. Even though he had been kicked out of Healer training, he had learned quite a bit, and the Order and Aurors weren't so quick to quibble about details like certification. Remus found his expertise, lacking though it was, to be much appreciated at battle scenes.

"Peter?" he asked.

"We have a situation," Peter said tensely. He looked close to breaking down.

"What is it?" Remus asked, gripping his wand tightly, already mentally preparing for battle.

Peter shook his head. "It's not a fight. The – the Death Eaters are pretty well contained."

"What is it, then?"

Tears formed in Peter's eyes. "It's James."

The color drained from Remus's face. "James?" he whispered. What is going to happen to Lily? And the baby? James shouldn't have come, he shouldn't have tried to fight. He should have stayed home with Lily.

"He's all right," Peter said quickly, realizing that he had scared unintentionally Remus to death. "But – his dad took a Killing Curse."

"Are you saying -?"

Peter nodded. "Mr. Potter is dead."

Remus swallowed with obvious effort. "Where are they?"

"Come on. I'll take you there."

Remus nodded, and got to his feet. He absently patted the head of the little girl with the newly-healed arm.

"You're fine now, sweetie," he said. "You can go find your mum."

The girl smiled, and bounded of in the direction of her mother, who was waiting to welcome her with open arms. The woman laughed as her daughter ran to her, and swept her up, crushing her against her chest. Remus watched the scene, and blinked. That was how it was supposed to be. Parents were supposed to be there for their children.

"Let's go," he said to Peter in a hollow voice.

Peter nodded, his eyes wide and haunted. Without a word, he began to walk toward the scene where Sirius was trying to comfort James. Remus silently fell into step beside him. He wasn't any more inclined to talk than Peter was.

Peter stopped as they drew closer. "There," he said hoarsely, pointing at the place where James was leaning on Sirius's shoulder. A body lay in front of them.

Remus sucked in his breath quickly. Even though he had believed Peter from the first, he could now see for himself that this was real. Mr. Potter was truly gone. He shook his head as though trying to clear it.

"Come on," he whispered. "They need us."

Peter nodded, and followed Remus to their friends. Remus dropped to his knees in front of James.

"James?"

James looked up, his face streaked with tears and misery. "My dad, Remus," he whispered.

"I know," Remus said softly. "Peter told me."

James swallowed. "My dad's been fighting for years, Remus. He's been an Auror longer than I've been alive. How could he die?"

Remus shook his head. He didn't have the answers James so desperately needed. He reached out to grab James's shoulder.

"You know we're here for you, right?" Remus looked at Sirius, then turned to look at Peter, who was standing behind him. "Sirius, Peter and I aren't going anywhere."

"I know." James cleared his throat, and ran his hand over his eyes. "I need to tell my mum. She's here somewhere . . ."

"I'll find her," Peter volunteered at once.

James looked up at him, and tried to smile. "Thanks, Wormtail."

Peter nodded, and stepped back from his friends.

Peter walked across the empty battlefield that had been a bustling village only hours before, searching for Mrs. Potter. If he was honest with himself, he would have to admit that finding her sounded like torture. He didn't want to take her back to James. He didn't want to be the one to show her the body of her dead husband. He didn't want to be the one who broke his friend's family apart – the one who smashed it to pieces.

But he was. Everything that had happened – this attack, this battle, this death, this shattered family – it was all his fault. He had known that this would happen. Well, not that Mr. Potter would die, but he had known that the Death Eaters would attack Hogsmeade. He was a spy for the Dark Lord. He had information that others could only dream of acquiring. He had known!

And yet he had done nothing – nothing – to stop it. He had remained silent, keeping the details of the attack a secret, not going to Dumbledore with all that he knew. Dumbledore could have stopped this. He could have prevented the senseless death of one of the most well-respected, powerful wizards in their world.

But could he? Dumbledore hadn't saved so many people. He hadn't saved Dana's father. He hadn't saved Lily's parents. He hadn't saved Kathleen.

Tears began to roll down Peter's cheeks. He stopped, leaning against a tree for support. Would it have done any good if he had told Dumbledore what he knew? Would it have made a difference?

If he had gone to Dumbledore, he would have had to admit his Death Eater status. How could he admit that to Dumbledore? How could he tell the most powerful wizard aside from the Dark Lord that he had joined the ranks of his most bitter enemy? How could he stand to see the disappointment that would flood Dumbledore's eyes?

Peter began to sob, sliding down the trunk of the tree to the ground. He pulled his knees up to his chest, and clutched his hair in a gesture reminiscent of James.

James. What had he done? How could he make it right?

"James?"

"Yeah?" James asked, lifting his head from his hands.

Remus swallowed. "I don't know where Peter is, mate, but your mum is coming."

James was on his feet in a second. "Where is she?"

"Over there."

James followed Remus's pointing finger to see his mother walking toward him. He swallowed, and ran his hand through his hair. "I have to go meet her. She can't see my dad like this – not without knowing first."

Remus nodded. "Sirius and I will be right here."

Sirius looked at James with haunted eyes. "Do you want me to come with you, mate?"

James considered him for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I want to be alone with her right now. I know she'll want to talk to you, though."

Sirius nodded in understanding, and gripped James's shoulder. "Good luck, mate."

James nodded, and left them. As he walked toward his mother, he tried desperately to come up with a good way to tell her what had happened. In his mind, he remembered doing the same thing as he had crossed Lily's parents' backyard, preparing to tell her that her mum and dad had died. He had managed to do that successfully. Could he do the same this time?

"James!" Mrs. Potter rushed toward him, and pulled him into an embrace, crushing him against her. "I saw the red sparks over here, and I was so worried that it was you! Are you all right? Who were you fighting with? Where's Lily?"

"Mum, I'm fine," James said, pulling away from her arms. "But there's something I need to tell you."

"Who was your partner, James? Not Lily?"

"No, I made Lily stay home," James said quickly. "She's fine."

"Thank God. I was so worried about her and the baby."

"Mum, please, you have to listen to me for a minute."

Something in his tone made her stop her line of questioning. She looked searchingly into his face, tears already beginning to gather in her eyes.

"James, something terrible has happened, hasn't it?" she whispered. "What is it? Tell me!"

James drew a deep breath, and put his hands on her shoulders. "Mum, Sirius and I were fighting the Death Eaters over there. They had baited us outside the store, and were attacking us – it was awful. We didn't even have time to shoot up red sparks for help. There was nothing we could do. I thought we had lost for sure.

"Then Dad appeared out of no where. He started fighting with us, and I thought we had a chance. I thought we could beat them."

Mrs. Potter's eyes widened, and a tear slid down her cheek. "Did something happen to Sirius?"

"Almost," James said, drawing another deep breath. "A Death Eater shot the Killing Curse at him. I saw it, but it was too late – I thought he was dead for sure. It was going straight at him, and he didn't have time to react, he couldn't jump out of the way –"

"But you said he's all right," Mrs. Potter interrupted.

"Yeah," James said. "Yeah, Mum, Sirius is all right. But that's because Dad – Dad – well, he jumped in front of Sirius, and knocked him out of the way."

"Thank goodness," Mrs. Potter breathed. "So they're all right, then."

"No, Mum," James said, his own tears beginning to fall again. "Sirius is all right because Dad knocked him aside, but Dad . . . Dad took the Killing Curse for Sirius."

Mrs. Potter blinked. "What?"

James nodded, his tears falling faster. "Dad died, Mum."

"James . . ." An odd expression crossed her face. Was it disbelief?

"Come with me," James said, taking her hand.

He led his mother, who was now completely silent, across the street to the place where his father lay. She held his arm with her free hand, clinging to him as though afraid he would leave her. Sirius and Remus were standing guard over Mr. Potter's lifeless body, their faces ashen.

One look at the faces of two of her son's best friends should have been all the confirmation she needed. But she let her eyes drop, and fall upon the body of her husband. As she looked at the man she had loved for the majority of her life, she began to shake. She gripped James's arm, her nails biting into his flesh through his robes. James winced, but did not say a word. He knew he couldn't fault her any emotions that were running through her.

Without a word, she dropped to her knees, releasing James's arm. He knelt down next to her as she reached out a shaking hand to touch her husband's face.

"You're so cold," she whispered, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. "You're so – Harold! How can you leave me like this? How can you leave James? He's your son, Harold, he needs you! Your grandchild needs you! You can't leave us! You can't!"

James grabbed his mother's shoulders, turning her face back to him. She looked at him for a moment, and, with a heart-wrenching cry of misery, buried her face into his chest. James held her tightly as she sobbed against him.

"Excuse me?"

A stricken man looked up at Laura. "Yes?"

"Hi," she said. "I'm Laura Lupin, a member of the Magical Law Enforcement division of the Ministry. If it's all right with you, I'd like to get a statement about today's attack."

"Will this be in the paper?" he asked warily.

"No, sir, I'm not a reporter," she clarified. "I just need statement to help in the prosecution of those responsible for today's attack."

The man nodded. "All right, then."

Laura smiled, and took out her quill and parchment, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that something wasn't right. She wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with her, but she felt incredibly odd.

"Are you all right, miss?" the man asked. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," Laura said.

The man nodded. "All right. Where do you want me to begin?"

"Well . . ." Laura's voice died as spots of light appeared before eyes. "Maybe I'm not all right," she admitted, lowering herself to a sitting position.

"Listen, is there someone I can get for you?" the man asked, concern showing on his face.

Laura looked up, and realized how obscured her vision had become. Feeling panic take hold, she gasped. "My husband – Remus –"

Blackness filled her field of vision, and her eyes rolled back her head as she fainted.

"Remus Lupin!"

Remus, who had been sitting with Sirius a short distance away from the Potters, jumped to his feet. "Right here!"

A man he had never seen before ran over to him. "Your wife . . ." he panted.

"Laura?" Panic seized Remus. "Is she all right? What happened?"

"I don't know," the man said. "She was going to get a statement from me, and just passed out! I don't know what happened to her!"

"Where is she?"

"Over there," the man said, indicating the general direction. "I can show you . . ."

But it was too late. Remus was off at a run.

"Laura?"

Laura opened her heavy eyes to see Remus standing over her. She had never seen him like that – he looked almost panicked.

"Hey," she said hoarsely.

"Thank God," Remus muttered. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck."

"A what?"

Laura tried to smile. "I thought your grandmother was a Muggle."

Remus smiled, relief showing on his face. "Thank God you're back."

"What happened?"

"You passed out."

"Why?"

"I'd like to know the same thing," Remus said grimly. "Where you hit by any spells today?"

"Nothing abnormal. Nothing that slowed me down."

Remus nodded tensely. That didn't make his job of diagnosing her any easier.

Laura looked thoughtful, then her eyes lit up. "Remus! Could I be pregnant?"

Remus smiled sadly. "No. I already did a spell to test for that."

"When?"

"Just before you woke up. I'm sorry, love."

Laura smiled. "Well, I guess we'll just have to try harder, then."

Remus shook his head. "Not until we know for sure what happened to you, love. We're not doing anything that could put your health in danger."

"Remus?"

Remus turned from Laura to see Sirius standing uncertainly in the entrance to the medical tent. He crossed the make-shift room, and stepped outside with his friend. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to take James back to Lily," he said. "I just wanted you to know."

"What about Mrs. Potter?"

"She's going to St. Mungo's. James wanted her to be checked over. Once we tell Lily, James wants to go there. I'd imagine Lily will, too."

Remus nodded. "All right. Let them all know they're in my prayers."

"Will do," Sirius said, running his hand over his eyes. "I'll see you later."

"Sirius?"

Sirius turned to face Remus. "Yeah?"

"Are you all right, mate?"

Sirius shrugged. "I have to be, don't I?" He turned around again, and walked away.

Remus watched him disappear, wondering how Sirius himself was going to cope with this tragedy. He was being so strong for James, but he was going to have to deal with this as well. Mr. Potter had been like a father to him, and, no matter how much everyone denied it, Remus was sure that Sirius would blame himself for his mentor's death. It was only a matter of time before the emotion took over and Sirius exploded. But, after his break up with Olivia, who would be there to pick up the pieces?