Walking on the Edge
Summary: Lily Evans was walking on the edge. She was the balance between good and evil. Her choice could shape the future of the world, making her mere existence a threat to the life of the people she loved and cared about. When she begins to fall over the edge, tumbling towards the pit of darkness, the only person able to pull her back over is the one boy she can't stand, and she's not ready for that.
Disclaimer: If I owned it I wouldn't be here.
Chapter 1
"There's A War Going On"
The full moon was glowing brightly high in the clear, night sky. The light fell upon the two figures standing in the middle of a remote field of grass, no more than a couple feet separating them. Surrounding them were a circle of masked men and women all dressed in black.
Bodies of the deceased were scattered around both of the figures as if a battle had taken placed just minutes ago. To a normal person, the mysterious thing was that there was no blood splatters, only the empty, haunted look of surprise that greeted each face of the dead suggesting that they were robbed of their life unexpectedly.
"Give it to me!" a chilling, malevolence voice cried. He took a step towards her as his wand was pointed at her, his red eyes standing out against his pale, almost nonhuman face.
The girl no more than nineteen glared at the intruder, her face set in a grim determination. Her hair flew behind her, uncontrollably, as she held a golden chest close to her.
"This is not for you," she stated, her violet eyes flashing dangerously.
A cackle of unimaginable evil filled the air around them. The group surrounding them sniggered.
"Do you think I care, girl?" the voice snarled, "Now, hand it to me before I kill you just as I killed these men and women." White, long, thin fingers pointed to the ground of the fallen men and women. The girl looked down at the fallen heroes, searching for a way out of the situation.
"Don't make me kill you," he said, "you can join me now."
For a moment the offer sounded promising, but then she looked into the eyes of one of the victims. The haunted expression on the face was unbearable. She glanced around her, her eyes darting quickly back and forth. Her eyes landed on the man she had come to see as her father. The man who had taught her everything, who had sheltered her, and fed her, and she knew what she had to do.
The girl before him bravely stood her ground. As she looked into the face of the devil himself she did not blink. She held herself confidently, grasping the chest more protectively than before.
"You will not get it," she said. "I won't allow it."
"It is my duty to keep it safe," she declared, "and I won't allow the mere threat of being killed stop me from fulfilling my destiny, my duty, my job."
She was brought up to do this. She was trained to act calm in this type of situation, but it never occurred to her that after two thousands years she was going to be the one to face the evil that was going to try and steal the chest. Everything felt so surreal. For the past few months she was preparing for this moment, but she had failed to face the truth, he was going to be coming for the chest and for her. Now, the time had come.
Several of the masked intruders advanced upon her their ruthlessness shining clearly in their eyes.
The man turned to his followers. "Do not touch her," he hissed. The masked intruders stopped and stepped backed. He looked back at the girl.
"Foolish girl," the voice hissed impatiently at her, "bravery at the silliest of moments!"
"I've given you a choice to join me."
"I will not join the side of evil!" she declared.
The man laughed at her.
"Evil?" he spat. "There is no good or evil. There is only power!" He pointed at her with one of his long fingers and said, "And I'm offering you a once in a life time chance of having tremendous power at your feet."
"Power comes at a cost," she said.
"Naturally," the man grinned manically, "you can have it if you just give me that chest and your sworn loyalty."
She closed her violet eyes, feeling her heartbeat pounding against her chest. She looked as if she was deciding.
Suddenly she felt another mind trying to penetrate into her thoughts. "Him," she thought. She set up blocks and blocks of walls to block him out.
The man cackled when he realized she was applying Occlumency on him, but he continued trying to penetrate her mind, to see her every thought.
She had to do it now before it was too late, before he had access to her planned actions. She opened her eyes staring straight into his eyes.
He smiled as though he knew he had won the battle. He stretched his arms out as if ready to accept the chest she held close to her.
Unexpectedly, she began to chant incomprehensible words under her breathe just below a whisper.
"What do you think you're doing!" the voice exclaimed in obvious anger at her action.
She continued to chant, ignoring the angry protest. Her eyes were staring hard at him. Her mind was set to one goal and one goal only, to get the chest under the protection of the One. Her chanting sped up, old magic filled the air. Suddenly she began to spin right where she was, and she closed her eyes but not before casting a triumphant glare at the man.
Turning and turning.
"Stop her!" he cried.
His followers advanced rapidly, but were thrown back as the old magic touched them.
The angry growl that escaped his mouth, "You dare defy me!"
His wand aimed at her chest, powerful magic emitting from him.
"Avada Kedavara!" he screeched.
A green flash of light flew out of the tip of his wand and hit his target dead center as if the old magic wasn't even there.
The girl flew backwards, knocked off her balance at the power of the spell. She fell limply to the ground her hair sprawled out around her head carelessly. Her eyes were closed. She was no longer breathing, she was dead, just the way he had wanted her to be.
The man walked over to the dead body with a smirk on his face that did nothing to enhance his looks. His eyes searching for the chest the girl was just holding a minute ago.
The man gave an anguish cry when he realized the chest was no longer there. It had already disappeared, the old magic was done.
The man screamed angrily. He turned to look at his followers.
"I want that chest found," he commanded.
His followers bowed. "Yes, Dark Lord," they obediently answered in unison.
He glared one last time at the dead bodies surrounding him, swept his cloak up, and disappeared right on the spot.
Crack.
His followers swept up their cloaks as well and disappeared into the night.
…
She sat there engrossed in the article. Her legs folded underneath her. Her hands gripped the Daily Prophet tightly. The moving pictures showed a mob of frantic people.
Everything that had happened in the last couple of months seemed like a big, bad dream. Terror filled the mind of every living being in the wizarding world. Muggles were killed almost daily. No one knew who to trust, everyone was under suspicion. Lord Voldemort was a threat, and he seemed indestructible. No one seemed to escape him. Everyone died. There was a war going on.
"Lily?"
Lily jumped up from her seat startled. She quickly stuffed the Daily Prophet behind her.
"Mum?" she asked.
Lily's mum appeared smiling. "What are you doing?"
"Oh nothing," Lily answered, calmly and smiled. She undid her legs from underneath her and stretched them.
"Shouldn't you be in bed, dear?" her mum asked. "You'll have to wake up early tomorrow, September 1st."
Lily nodded. She got up and slyly grabbed the Daily Prophet from where it laid without her mother noticing.
She walked up to her mum. "Night, mum," she said and kissed her on the cheek.
"Night, Lily."
Lily walked up the stairs and into her room. She laid there in the dark, staring at the ceiling.
If only mum and dad knew. They would kill me for not telling them, but if I tell them they'll be sure to say I can't go back to Hogwarts.
Lily sighed. Her owl, Artemis, hooted.
If only they knew of the danger everyone was in at the moment they would understand that I'm safer in Hogwarts than at home.
…
A/N: I'm trying something different. This story, how I'm planning it to be, is going to have much more of a plot line and darker. So I hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review!