"Crucio!" "Experlliarmus!" Spells went flying on both sides and met with frightening force. Power radiated in the room as the two beings circled and dodged curses, spells, and charms. Sirius raced over with James at his heels and helped Dumbledore out of firing range.
Moody appeared through the wreckage that was the Entrance Hall and watched Lily and Voldermort fight. Everyone else was out cold and could not see the duel. The three boys and Dumbledore watched the duel heat up then Voldermort used it. "Avada Kedavra" The killing curse.
The curse went forward to a pinned Lily. Much to their surprise she held up her hand and said in a low voice, "Francistos Amorha" The curse hit a shield and repelled back. Voldermort was able to dodge it but found himself against a wall. Lily's eyes showed nothing as she raised her hand, "Silverus Shadows".
Shadows swirled around him and he fired a parting shot before he disappeared. Lily crumpled and fell to her knees, panting hard, with tears running down her face. After a moment she rose and waved her hand over the Great Hall, "Enervate"
The others started to rise as she dashed out of the room, tears still streaming down her face.
All Lily knew was that she had to keep running. This had been the first of many battles that the two cousins would fight but God it was like fighting her brother. Since he was the closest thing to it.
The only reason she had been able to send him away was the one time she had touched his mind when he was Voldermort. It had been completely by accident but she had seen the depravity, the rot, and the pure evil.
That more than anything had been the wake up call she had needed that told her that this was real and not some bad dream she was going to wake up from. As she entered the Forbidden Forest she morphed to her panther form and raced, as silent as a shadow, through the forest to the one place where she could lose it all for just a little while.
Everyone had been revived by Lily's reviving charm and was being herded into their respective dorms. When everyone had gone the three boys, Dumbledore, and Moody went into the Head Common room.
The moment the portrait hole was closed Moody rounded on Dumbledore, "what did she use? I have never seen a spell do that and I want to know what the fuck it is!"
Dumbledore seated himself on one of the couches and stared into the fire for a few moments before he responded, "that was the Shadow Mace Charm.
It is a charm that can use shadows, which some people believe are the essences of all life, for the castors bidding. Not even Profeesser Flickwick or myself can control that charm since it allows shadows to raid your mind for a split second before control can be established.
In that second madness often strikes the castor sending them into the world that the shadows live in, rendering him completely soulless for as long as his body lives. It is the ultimate charm and can be used for countless things.
Many have tried to control this charm before only to end up in madness. How Miss Evans was able to control it enough to send Voldermort away I do not know." He fell silent and continued staring into the fire.
Remus and Sirius slipped into two chairs by the fire while James remained leaning against the fireplace. Moody paced in agitation, "she never told me of this damn it! Why did she not tell me she could do this charm Dumbledore?"
But it wasn't Dumbledore who answered but James, "think Moody. If anyone, even yourself, knew she could do a charm that powerful, that useful, she would become a thing, something that is used to get or to achieve another's goal. She didn't tell you so that she would only have to use that charm when no other would do.
It goes back to that purpose you all have been teaching us since we got here. What is the point of magic if you can't do that same thing the Muggle way? Nothing."
Everyone stared at James in astonishment, except for Dumbledore who only said, "well said James. You took the words right out of my mouth." James shrugged and went to the portrait hole, "I'm going to go find Lily. I'll be back.
Lily danced. That was her exit. She danced until she couldn't move without collapsing. She had tried cutting but found she couldn't afford the blood loss. She didn't dare try drugs or drinking since she had to always be in control of her power, so she did the only thing that let her escape from reality, dance.
Deep in a town she had forgotten the name of a few miles away from Hogsmeade was a muggle dance club. Music from all over the world was played by a DJ so that teens danced to their hearts content.
Beer was sold here as was the occasional drug but all in all the place was clean. Lily had bought some clothes in town and she was now decked out in black leather strips that wrapped around her legs in spirals until about mid thigh when they became a skirt, and a silver halter top that left her back bare and tied around her neck and just under her breasts.
Her hair was in fiery tangles down her bare back and she wore simple black tennis shoes. Her eyes were closed as her arms were raised above her head as her body moved in a loose swirling rhythm.
The regulars here knew her as Shadow and the newbies were warned away from her. She danced in the throng of people ranging from 15 to 30 her eyes closed and enclosed in her own world where none of the previous hours had existed.
That was where James found her. By tracing some of her known paths and using bribery he had found this little dance club in the middle of no where. He had immediately found her in the packed room alone among the crowd of people around her.
She might not want company, he thought grimly, but there was a snowman's chance in hell that he was going to let her suffer alone.
Lily had come out of another song when someone came up behind her and started dancing rather close to her. Her first instinct to kick whoever was behind her ass but then she caught a whiff of his scent and she knew who it was; crushed sage, James.
What was he doing here… but at that moment he leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, "just let me share it Lily. You no longer have to face this alone. Let me help." So for once Lily relented and she closed her eyes again and pressed her body back into James', reveling in the physical contact.
His arms came around her bared waist and held her to him as they swayed to the dance. For once in her life Lily felt treasured. Tom had loved and cared for her but he hadn't treasured her as she felt now.
So she let the dam on her emotions go and shared it with James as she said she would, and completely let herself go into a music filled oblivion.
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