CHAPTER 17..:::::.. Because it's not Enough
Disclaimer: I own everything on this planet. Yes, the moon, the stars, the sun, the sea, the camels and South Africa … all of it's mine! But I am not God. I am his sidekick.
*A/N: ARGH! I wrote this chapter as fast as I could to keep you guys occupied while I'm away. I'm going tomorrow … however shall you cope? How shall I cope? Ack, neine! Anyway, leave me lots and lots and lots of reviews to look forward to when I get back … see you in a week's time! Enjoy!
PennyP: Sorry a thousand times. Thanks for loving my stories!
George is Hot-MrsMoony: Lol, you do make me laugh with your short little weird reviews. Sorry about that whole mix up; I uploaded the wrong chapter.
Wing Goddess: Haha, I'm glad Bella creeped you out ... that's what I was shooting for! Lol. And what stuff were you "wrapped" up in? ... Lol, do I want to know? As for italics, you have to save your document as a web page instead of a word document, so when you upload it, it has hmtl or something like that. Once it's in a web doc, you can add all your italics, bolds or what have you.
Kat44: Yes, yes I know! I scolded myself for hours afterwards. In book 5 we learn that Bella is Sirius's cousin, "I thought you were here to avenge my dear cousin!" she says *sobs* after she ... *gulp* kills ... *sobs* him. And before, Sirius shows Harry his family tree and it also shows that he is related to the Malfoys! ARGH!
GoddessMoonlady: Yeah, in book 5 Bellatrix is portrayed as kind of crazy so I wanted to bring that across! Glad you liked it.
Anna: Oh indeed it is.
Little House Girl: Hi, glad you think so! That's always encouraging!
Darkdestiny: Lol, glad you were excited! I love it when reviewers are generally influenced by my story!
Fashiondiva: Lol, red nosed Rudoplhus. Lmao. Thanks; I plan to enjoy my holiday. And the nice weather.
Little House Girl: Hi, glad you think so! That's always encouraging!
Szhismine: Hmm, yes, he does exist but you see, he needs to be in it as he plays a very important part, you see! Lol.
Inkling: Don't worry; I did get your review, for some reason they didn't show up on the site, but they went to my inbox anyway. Thanks for the review; yeah, Bella is supposed to be a bit of a wackjob, but I think Harry must kill her eventually. I hope *winks slyly*.
LauraLou: I know, I think I would go into depression if Lupin dies ... I love him! Just a piece of useless info for you; you know the 3rd film is out soon ... well have you ever watched Black Beauty? The horse thing? Cos, in that film there is a guy called Jerry, (or Gerry, I'm not sure) anyway, it's that guy that's playing Lupin in PoA! I don't know if others agree but that's exactly how I imagined Lupin to look. Not sure about Gary Oldman playing our dear Sirius though; I always imagined him as being rather sexy …
Marauder3Moomy: Hi, thanks! Don't worry; Voldie has a big part to play yet. I love writing him as well.
DemonAngi: I have flo? ... I like that. Lol.
Quidditch Queen: Hi thanks 4 reviewing. Glad I have you hooked! As for Trelawney, it's meant to be the mother, as Dumbledore has to hear the Prophecy from Sybil when he's in the Hog's Head. (She's the granddaughter of the Seer or something like that). Oh, I'm 16.
*HITS PLAY*
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Sirius sat in the Common Room, hours after the incident with Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband had happened, with James, Lily, Peter and Remus. A couple of others who had been roused by the voices and had since heard what had happened, were also sitting down, taking advantage of the quiet approaching morning and getting some work done. Sirius's mouth was dry and for some unknown reason to himself, he felt slightly ashamed by what had happened. Bellatrix was his relation after all, his blood …
"I still can't believe it," he said after some few seconds. "I mean, here? Now?"
"I know," answered James. "I couldn't believe it when I saw her. I thought I must've been seeing things."
Sirius shook his head "Nutter. Always was a total nutter."
James nodded in agreement, recalling her mad eyes as she had figured out his identity and taunted Sirius.
Peter looked fearful. "But … why where they here? James? Why?"
James looked at Wormtail. "I don't really know, but I think Dumbledore does."
"What did he say again?" asked Peter, still chewing his fingernails mercilessly, now bitten right down to the stubby pink ends.
James sighed wearily. "Wormtail, it's two in the morning and I've told you all this already. It's giving me a headache …"
Lily rolled her eyes again at the mention of yet another nickname but decided that now was not really the time to ask. Instead, she made a mental note to ask James at some point. Perhaps he would tell her now …
"I know, Prongs, but it's just … I want to hear it again."
James sighed once more and relayed his and Lily's tale. "We went down to Dumbledore's office straight away and told him what we saw."
"Which was?"
James threw the others an exasperated look but continued at any rate to rest Peter's mind. "Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange creeping about, talking about being caught by Dumbledore. We saw them transform into humans from being a pair of brooms. They're Morphmagus's."
"I still can't believe that," said Sirius, still looking gloomily into the fire. "I never knew …"
James seemed to know exactly what his best friend was thinking. "It's not your fault, Padfoot, you couldn't have known any more than the rest of us. You left that family behind you a long time ago and with good reason. You've got nothing to feel guilty about."
Sirius shot James a thankful look that only the two of them would have understood and his mind was eased slightly. The one person that mattered the most to him did not hold him responsible at any rate.
"So …" Peter prodded.
"Dumbledore said that it was very significant that they had been here. He didn't say why but –"
"Oh, isn't it obvious?" said Lily. They all turned to look at her, and she suddenly seemed to shrink. "Well … I don't know, but it's got to be something Voldemort told them to do, hasn't it? What ever they were going to do, they didn't manage it because they were rumbled as soon as they transformed." She turned to James. "That must have been the first time they transformed, when we saw them, because that crazy woman, Bellatrix, asked if it was safe. They wouldn't have had time to do whatever it was they were supposed to be doing."
Peter looked at her in awe. "I hadn't thought of that! You're clever, you are, Evans!"
Once again, they all looked at him, and he fell silent.
"So, why do you think Voldemort told them to come?" asked Lupin. "He must have had a good reason not to come himself."
"No, it's be stupid for him to come here now, with Dumbledore on the watch and all that," reminded James. He sighed heavily and got out of his chair. "I knew something like this was going to happen, sooner or later."
"What do you mean?" asked Lupin.
"I could just feel it. It was only a matter of time before he tried something with Hogwarts, or Dumbledore. It's been too easy for him. He needed a challenge …"
Lily looked around. "Well, it didn't seem like they were looking for anything, otherwise they'd have been more intent on getting it. It just looked like they were snooping around; almost checking the place."
"For what?" asked Peter.
"I don't know!" snapped Lily; now she was getting to know Peter she was getting a taster of how annoying he could be. Lily had always wondered why the other three where friends with him; but she supposed that they had felt sorry for him at some point, and now it was common practice.
"Well, this is what I think. I think that Voldemort –"
"Don't say the name!"
"Shut up, Peter."
" – sent the Lestranges to check out the security measures of Hogwarts because he wanted to plan an attack."
The faces around him went pale. "An – an attack? On Hogwarts?" repeated Peter.
"But now you've alerted Dumbledore to it, there's no way he'll try it now. The security will be heightened … he'll put more stuff in place … censors, lookouts, spells, stuff that's probably already there but we just never knew about," said Sirius, thinking it through.
Peter leaned forwards. "So, so … no attack?"
"Not yet, I wouldn't have thought so," said James. "But it doesn't change the fact that he's getting bolder. Sending two well-known Death Eaters into Dumbledore's territory?"
"I see what you mean," said Lupin. "Well, you were right on the train at any rate, James."
A silence followed these ideas about what would or wouldn't happen until Lupin spoke again. It brought no joy to any of them that James's ominous warning months before had been, so far, correct.
"So, how did you two hear them, then?" Peter said to Lily and James.
A closed expression came across each of their faces. "What?"
"Well, none of us did, we were all asleep," continued Remus, a smirk playing in the corner of his mouth.
"Oh well, I was – "
"A … and I was – "
"Doing homework –"
"Transfiguration – "
" – Essay."
Sirius smirked widely and leaned back in his armchair as the uncomfortable silence filled the air. "Bet you were studying really hard."
Lily blinked and stammered. "Y … yes, of course we were."
James cleared his throat. "Ahem, right, well I think we should all go to bed and get a few hours sleep. There's nothing more we can do – or talk about," he added, silencing Peter with a look that told him he had had enough.
"Yes, that's probably a good idea," said Lupin, and he took Peter and Sirius by the arms and dragged them reluctantly out of the room. Sirius gave James a wink as he was lead unwillingly from the room.
"Why are we …" Peter began. "Oh …" The dormitory door banged shut and by the sound of it, it sounded as though Lupin was having a hard time hauling the other two away from the door to prevent them from listening through the crack. Soon came lots of "Ouch's!" and "All right! All right's!"
James sat down in the chair once more and ran a hand wearily over his forehead. Lily sat down as well and was looking at him expectantly.
Lily cleared her throat. "Um – thanks for standing up for me."
James's eyes widened. "Oh, uh … that's okay. But – it's not the first time that I have, you know," he added, thinking back to that day by the lake.
"Yes, but if you remember rightly, that was a day when you where airing an innocent party's dirty laundry in front of the whole school."
"Innocent?" said James, looking scandalized at the presumption.
Lily sighed and knew that she would not win that one. "What do we do now?" she asked him, fixing him with a penetrating stare that he could not look away from.
"Well, there's not much more that we can do. I mean, there's no point in asking Dumbledore what –"
Lily cut him off. "No, I don't mean that."
"What … oh. Right." What had happened before the invasion of Bellatrix and Rodolphus was now flooding back to James with full speed. He was once more at a loss as to what he should say. What do you say after something like that has happened? He had never had to think about this before; all the other girls he had been with had always wanted to see him again anyway. He had never had to try with them.
"Well … it's up to you really," he said lamely, not really knowing what else he could say.
"Up to me?"
"Well, yeah."
"Why me?" asked Lily indignantly.
James blinked. "Well, because … because you know how I feel."
"No, I don't," she said sharply. "You know, you've never actually told me what you want."
James blew out, playing for time. Where was Sirius when you needed him? "Well, I have –"
"No, you haven't. Tell me, James. What do you want?"
James closed his eyes; all he could say was the truth. If she didn't want to know after that, there was nothing else that he could say or do. Taking a deep breath, he opened them again.
"I want to be able to be with you, all the time, and not just snippets during the day because … because it's not enough. I want to be able to hold you when you're upset and be there for you when you need me to and not get glares from your friends or a snide comment from you. I want to be able to be happy when you're happy and for you to laugh with me like you mean it. I want to be able to kiss you without feeling bad about it or ashamed and to know that when I look in your eyes that you feel the same way about me." James exhaled shakily. "Because if you didn't then it wouldn't mean anything." That had sounded so cheesy. She was bound to laugh … any second now …
Lily's frown had turned into one of rapt attention. Her mouth was slightly open as though this was the last thing that she had expected. In truth, it was.
"That's what I want," he added lamely with a weak smile.
Slowly, but surely, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. James, whose heart had been sinking lower and lower with every second that had passed since his little revelation, felt enlightened at her smile. It was as though when she did, nothing else mattered. Before he could even believe what was happening, she stood up and was walking over to him. He was immobilized; he could not move. His hand, which was clenched tightly on the sofa beside him with fingernails digging into his palm, was what she held her hand out for. Taking it in hers, she held it lightly and smiled a true smile, swinging her arm slightly.
James stood up, shaky on his legs and faced her. She did not draw back as he had expected her to. "Okay," was all she said.
James frowned. "Okay, as in … I thought you didn't want me to ask you out?" he said, confused.
"I don't," she said quickly, but then inclined her head. "But, okay to whatever you're asking."
James looked thoughtful. "All right then, I'll ask … a question, like, um – like … will you?"
The smile that she had been threatening finally broke out. Will you? How silly was that? And yet she couldn't refuse … "Yes, I will," she said, not trying anymore to stop the chuckles that were escaping her.
"What's so funny?" asked James.
"You," she said. "You've completely changed. For me. I thought that you'd mess it all up and I might change my mind."
James faked a glowering face. "Don't get too used to it, Evans," he said, beginning to laugh as well.
"I don't plan to … Potter."
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"So are you going out?"
"What did she say?"
"What did you say?"
"Did you kiss her?"
James was plagued with questions as he returned to his dormitory and found them all equally amusing. "You know something, fellow Marauders, this is something I'm not sharing every single detail on."
There was a chorus of complaint at these words, and James relished the power. "No."
"Prongs!" whined Peter.
"Come on, now, Wormtail, leave him be. If he doesn't want to talk about it, that's fair. Right, Padfoot?" he added, giving Sirius a stern look.
Sirius glowered. "Fine. But I expect all of the gory details once they're married. Is that fair?"
They all burst out laughing and collapsed onto their beds as the impossibility of the absurd suggestion was made.
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"So, in other words, you failed?" hissed a terrifyingly chilled voice. Voldemort was standing; always a dangerous sign when he was not at ease in his red armchair.
"M – my Lord, we did see some of the protection spells and …"
"Did you detect any ancient magic or how to overcome it?"
"Well, no …"
"Any particular censors? Can you confirm whether the entire layout and structure of the castle has remained the same?"
Rodolphus began to stammer. "W – well, my … my Lord, there were factors …"
"SILENCE!"
Bellatrix jumped and Rodolphus remained silent, his heart pounding.
"My dearest Lestranges," he said, as though he were trying with all his power to keep his voice as level as possible before he burst. It was done without visible strain; Voldemort had a gift of being extremely dangerous both angry and calm. "There were good reasons as to why I chose you two for this particular … job, but now, as you have failed me, it poses a problem. You were detected, therefore that Muggle-loving fool Dumbledore will be wise to my moves. He does not need a student to spell out what you were doing there … he will be wise to the plan. It is now impossible for an invasion of Hogwarts School. Security will be heightened and every single witch and wizard who can move will be on the lookout. So it is my wish to congratulate you, my faithful followers for almost jeopardizing my entire rise to power."
A silence followed this speech on the Lestrange's part. Voldemort sighed deeply.
"My Lord, please … we beg for forgiveness …"
"I do not wish to hear your snivelling apologies," he spat.
Bellatrix stepped bravely forwards, trying to salvage some of the lost situation. Voldemort eyes her with pitiless red eyes, his slit like nostrils dilating.
"My Lord, the boy that came across us … it was a Potter."
Voldemort straightened up in his chair, faintly interested. "A Potter. How interesting. I have not heard that name for a long time. Dumbledore has done a very good job of keeping the activities of that family very quiet …"
Bellatrix bounced on the balls of her feet. "Ooh, my Lord, do you remember the grandparents?" she said with obvious delight like a child asking for a particular treat.
"Bella, you were but a child at the time … but yes, yes I do. They could have been magnificent …"
"The boy was rude," she said with an almost sad face, as though she had been hoping for something else.
"That does not surprise me," said Voldemort quietly.
"And the company he kept …"
Voldemort looked a little horrified and paused for a second. "Are you informing me that it is possible that another pureblood family will be … contaminated?"
Bellatrix smirked and raised an eyebrow. "It's possible, my Lord."
Voldemort clicked his teeth and began to pace. "I do not understand it, like I did not understand my mother. What a fool she was."
Bellatrix and Rodolphus were silent. It would not do to interrupt him at this point.
"So, I am being told that I have been denied the overthrow of Albus Dumbledore because we were defied by a little boy and a little girl?"
The Lestranges nodded. "If we had stayed, my Lord, and continued out work, it was possible that they children would have alerted someone."
Voldemort scowled. "And you are saying that it was not possible to … silence them?"
Bellatrix shook her head. "Not without a fight or possible noise, my Lord, and you did say yourself; if Dumbledore caught us …"
"I am perfectly clear on what is aid, thank you, Bella," he said softly and Bellatrix fell silent. "Well if that is the case, then we shall simply have to put our energies elsewhere."
Rodolphus stirred. "Are you referring to the Prophecy, my Lord?" he said.
Voldemort's mouth curled into a sneer. "Yes, that pesky little thing that is soon to be made. I want to know all that is possible to know about a Prophecy before it is made."
"My Lord, before it is made … it's not possible …"
"Then I suggest you find someone who says it is possible."
The Lestranges nodded and bowed their way out, knowing that they were going to have to find a Seer who could See past what had not yet been Seen by another Seer. It sounded even complicated in their own minds.
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A young man called Magnus Forelingdon sat in darkness, terrified. He knew very well why he was here; it had only been a matter of time before Lord Voldemort required his assistance. It would be stupid if he refused, however, the Death Eaters that had come to his house and taken him with them had not given him much of a choice. Magnus was a short man with wispy greying hair and a toothbrush moustache and was well known amongst Death Eaters as a very accomplished Seer. This was not due to him; his brother had been a Death Eater, by the name of Mullciber. Magnus had an idea of what this was all about; he had been seeing flashes in his mind of what was to come … but he couldn't tell them all that he knew because it would put innocent lives in danger. He would have to be careful though, as Voldemort was a very powerful Legilimens, and would know when he was being lied to …
"The Dark Lord will see you now," came the voice of Rookwood, another Death Eater, stationed at the door to the room where Voldemort was waiting.
Magnus gulped and entered.
"Ah, Magnus, we meet again. Have you seen your fellow brother lately, if you don't mind me asking?"
Magnus stammered. "O – oh, no, not at all, … no I haven't."
Voldemort swivelled in his chair and faced Magnus. His eyes were dilating, his pupils small and slit like. "Magnus, could we establish a lack of open hostility? If you are going to work for me, as I only hope you will, you will either call me Lord. Is that clear?"
"Oh, yes … yes, - my Lord."
"Good, good. Now, I have a little job for you. I know that you cannot See upon command, but I am asking you to go away and consult your star charts or what have you, and tell me something."
"A – and what would you have me do? My Lord?" he added hastily.
Voldemort rose from his chair and went over to the window from which he could see the gloomy sky outside. "I have heard tell," said Voldemort quietly so that Magnus had to strain to hear every word, "that a Prophecy is to be made shortly, concerning myself. You do not need to know how or why I know this, but I wish to know what it entails. This way, I shall be prepared for whatever will come, before anyone else."
Magnus blinked slightly, as he weighed up the odds of actually being able to do what Voldemort was asking him. "My Lord … it's, well it's not impossible, but … knowing a prophecy before it has been made … the odds of finding out any important details beforehand are … minute –"
"My good friend Magnus, there was a good reason as to why I chose you to help me with this little problem I have. Is it or is it not so that you were trained by the famous and now ancient Bertha Trelawney? "
"Well, yes, my Lord, but that doesn't mean –"
"And that you do indeed possess remarkable Inner Vision?"
"Yes, but –"
"But nothing. It is my wish that you do what you can, Magnus, and I only hope that you will."
"Please, my Lord …"
"You may go. I will send my Death Eaters to escort you back here in a few days time so that you can report your findings."
Magnus mouthed wordlessly, knowing that no good could come of this. There was no point in speaking now; his new Lord had spoken and if he did not leave right that second, something terrible would happen. Magnus knew this, as he could feel it and sense it with his Seeing mind. He exited, not turning his back on Voldemort, and once he was outside, Rookwood escorted him rather more roughly that was needed back to where he had been found.
Voldemort rubbed his long spider-like fingers together, getting the feeling that at last, something was going to go his way. Of course, if something went the way of Voldemort, nothing good could come of it. A knock at the door brought him to his senses.
"Come in," hissed Voldemort lazily, as Antonin Dolohov sidled into the room.
"You wanted to see me, my Lord?" said Dolohov.
"Yes … yes I did. I have been thinking, Antonin …"
"You have, my Lord?"
Voldemort curled his mouth into a sneer. "Yes. I think that as knowledge about this soon to be made prophecy is drawing near, we should strengthen out numbers."
Dolohov nodded. "You mean gain more supporters, my Lord? Grow our army?"
"That is exactly what I mean."
Dolohov smiled cruelly and listened to a number of names that Voldemort said. The names Voldemort came out with where ones he had been keeping a tab on, trying to decide whether or not they were worth pursuing for joining his army. An army that he wanted to use to take over the wizarding world and rein Darkness. Of course, any who resisted joining or stood up against him would die. He mentally logged them in his brain, ready to tell Rosier and Wilkes who would be aiding him in the mission. "Any more, my Lord?" he asked as Voldemort neared the end of his list.
"No … yes," he said, changing his mind.
Dolohov turned. He had just been about to go out through the door, but stopped.
"One more. I almost forgot."
"Yes, my Lord?"
"Severus Snape."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* *A/N: Tada! Sort of a cliffhanger I guess. Sorry, sorry, but I don't have much time. I'm catching a plane in a few hours! I have to love you and leave you. Hot weather and sandy beaches await …