Lily struggled to keep up with Regulus as he hurried down the wide, marble staircase and across the Entrance Hall. He sprinted towards the dungeons, heedless of the students who scurried out of his way. The Aurors that stood guard at the castle doors stiffened, like hounds catching a scent.

Lily slowed her pace. She gestured at the badge affixed to her robes. "Just prefect business!" she called, hoping she sounded suitably unconcerned. "Nothing to worry about…"

The Aurors relaxed, exchanging glances. Relieved, Lily turned towards Regulus, but he was nowhere in sight.

Her heart pounded in her chest, urging her to hurry. Aware that the Aurors were still watching her, she forced herself to stroll casually yet purposefully towards the door that led to the dungeons.

Regulus was waiting a short distance ahead of her, shifting from foot to foot. As soon as she reached him, he broke into a run. "Come on."

She jogged behind him. "Where are we going?"

"Salazar's Corridor," he replied, not slowing his pace. He was obviously much more familiar with the dungeons than she was; he turned down one corridor after another without hesitation.

After traversing the dungeons for at least fifteen minutes, during which she became increasingly lost, the corridor split off in two directions. Regulus took the left-hand corridor, and his pace slowed. "Good," he said. "They're not here yet."

The only light in the dim corridor came from wall-mounted torches with snakes carved into the handles. Even so, Lily recognized their surroundings at once. The corridor was lined with statues, all depicting the same man, and a large painting hung on the wall at the end.

Inside the painting, the young Salazar Slytherin looked up from a star chart and watched them approach, eyes narrowed.

"Regulus," said Lily hesitantly. "What — what're we doing here?"

Regulus didn't appear to have heard. He continued past each of the statues until he had reached the portrait at the end of the corridor. Inside the painting, the young Salazar Slytherin actually leaned towards him, listening intently to what he had to say.

"Change of plans," Regulus muttered.

The young Salazar looked past Regulus, at Lily. "What is she doing here?"

"You can trust her," said Regulus. "She's here to help."

"You told her? I thought we agreed, nobody can know but —"

"Things have changed," snapped Regulus. "Mulciber knows you're here, and he intends to kill us both."

That was news to Lily. "Erm, sorry," she said. "But what the hell is going on?"

Young Salazar smirked at Lily, then turned back to Regulus. "So you haven't told her."

"There wasn't time," said Regulus. "We have to go. I'm going to bring you out."

He touched his wand to the canvas and muttered an incantation that sounded strangely melodic. Inside the painting, the young Salazar Slytherin grew sharper and more defined, until he looked hyperrealistic, more like a photograph than a painting. There was a speck of dirt under one of his fingernails, and even the individual threads that embroidered his robes were visible; Lily could have counted every hair on his blonde head.

The canvas began to bubble. A pale hand emerged from the painting and grabbed onto the frame. Then the young Salazar, now flesh and blood, tumbled onto the stone floor of the dungeon.

Regulus steadied him. "Easy, now. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Five months, three weeks, and four days," muttered the young Salazar. He drew a wand from his robes and passed it across his face. Immediately, his pointed features began to soften. His heavy brow receded, his hooked nose straightened and shrunk, and his jaw grew distinctly rounder, more feminine —

Lily's mouth fell open. It couldn't be. "Sally?"

"Hello, Lily," said Sally Dearborn.

Without the charms disguising her features, she looked awful; her cheeks were sunken, and her normally bright hair was dull and plastered to her head. She looked like she'd been imprisoned.

Sally turned to Regulus. "How much time have we got?"

"Minutes, probably," said Regulus. "Mulciber and his gang know you're somewhere in the dungeons. This corridor is hard to find, though, and I don't think they've ever been here."

Sally nodded shortly. "Are you on good terms with them?"

Regulus barked a laugh, which startled Lily: he sounded so much like Sirius. "Severus used Legilimency on me against my will. Draw your own conclu—"

Footsteps sounded at the end of the corridor.

"Shh!" said Sally, and Regulus stopped talking at once. "Someone's coming." She drew her wand and motioned for Lily and Regulus to do the same.

"Regulus, stun them as soon as you have visual," she whispered. "Lily, cast a Shield Charm. I'm going to collapse the ceiling."

The sound of footsteps grew louder, echoing off the stone walls.

"On my count," said Sally. "Three… two…"

A blur of black robes and brown skin sprinted into the corridor.

"WAIT!" cried Lily, and she forced Regulus' arm down. His Stunning Spell went wide, blasting the head off one of the Salazar statues. "It's alright," she said. "It's James Potter, it's alright…"

James caught the marble head and tossed it back to Regulus. "Careful, Reg," he said amiably.

"I told you to stay put," said Lily.

"True," said James. "And I would have — love folding linens, you know — except I thought you lot would like to know that there's a gang of about five Slytherins heading your way. Should be here in, say" — he pulled an old piece of parchment out of his pocket and glanced at it — "three minutes."

"That's plenty of time," said Sally. "Potter, was it?"

"That's right," said James gamely. His eyes slid past Sally as if he was completely oblivious to the state she was in, and he began to contemplate the torches on the wall. "If it'll help, I can turn these into actual snakes in about thirty seconds."

Regulus blanched. "They can't see me here with you all. They'll — they're going to —"

"I know," said Sally. "It's alright. Show me how to put you into that painting. Lily — you're decent at Charms, aren't you? Can you make him look more like Salazar?"

Lily bristled — she was a good bit better than 'decent', after all — but it obviously wasn't the moment to argue her Charms prowess. She pulled out her wand obediently and ran it through Regulus' hair until straight blonde locks tumbled over his shoulders and down his back.

In the meantime, Regulus explained to Sally how the spell for the painting worked. It sounded terribly complicated, though Sally seemed to have no problems following his explanation.

As Lily finished enlarging Regulus' nose, the back of her neck prickled. James was watching her steadily.

"What?" she asked.

He nodded appreciatively at Regulus' new appearance. "You're better than decent at Charms."

"I know," she said. "So are you, apparently."

"How d'you mean?"

"Well, how did you find us?" He must have used some sort of tracking charm that she didn't know about.

"Erm," said James, "would you believe me if I told you it was a hunch?"

Lily narrowed her eyes. "No."

"Right, well, never mind then," he said breezily.

Regulus put his hand to the canvas, and Sally began to recite the incantation he had taught her. As she spoke, the paint began to bubble, and Regulus' hand melted into the canvas.

Regulus took a deep breath and climbed into the frame headfirst. His body dissolved into dark, gooey puddles of paint that oozed across the canvas. The wet globs of colour swirled as if mixed by an invisible brush, blending with the earthy brown hues of the painting to form entirely new colours: swaths of pale yellow and emerald green, with the occasional dash of grey. Slowly, Regulus' painted form took shape. As the last of the paint dried, he began to move.

"It worked," he said, sounding somewhat surprised. He lifted his chin in a passable imitation of Salazar Slytherin. "How do I look?"

"Brilliant," said James, whose nose was nearly touching the canvas as he examined the painting. "You need to teach me how to do this, I can think of so many uses — the Fat Lady for one, I've always wanted to get my hands on the wine she and Violet —"

"Save it, Potter," said Sally, cutting him off. "Regulus, good work. We'll get you out, after… "

She broke off. The pounding of footsteps echoed through the dungeons, growing steadily louder. Sally raised her wand and snuffed out the flames of the torches on the walls. Darkness, heavy and complete, settled over them.

The footsteps stopped abruptly at the entrance to the corridor.

"This is it," muttered a voice. Severus, thought Lily. She tightened her grip on her wand.

"Are you sure?" said another voice. "It's pitch black, can't see a thing —"

"Ooh, I know, I know!" said a childish, yet strangely familiar voice. "Lumos."

A flickering yellow light filled the corridor. Edmund Avery was standing, wand lit, beside Mulciber and two seventh-year Slytherins. Lily tried to remember their names — Wilkes and Rosier, weren't they? And lurking behind Mulciber, looking batlike in his oversized robes, was Severus Snape.

Nobody moved. The Slytherins stared at Sally as if they couldn't quite believe what they were seeing.

Avery nudged Mulciber. "Augustus, that's Sally!" He was attempting to whisper, but his voice was still loud enough to carry down the entire corridor. "Sally Dearborn! Are we going to kill her, Augustus?"

Sally's wand was trained on Mulciber. There was venom in her voice as she spoke. "I would love to see you try."

Severus stepped cautiously around Mulciber. His lip curled at the sight of James, but when he spoke, he addressed Lily. "We don't want to fight," he said slowly. "Hand over Dearborn and we'll let you go. Nobody has to be hurt."

Lily gripped her wand so tightly her knuckles went white. "You've got some nerve. As if I would ever let you put your greasy hands on Sally."

"Charming," said Severus drily. "I assume you'll allow me the courtesy of asking a question, at the very least? How did you find her?"

"I'm not telling you that."

He took a few steps towards her. "Is Regulus here?"

"No." She kept her eyes trained on a point just above Severus' head. He needed eye contact to do his mind magic, didn't he? She couldn't let him figure out the trick with the painting.

"Lily —"

She darted forward, slashing her wand through the air. "STUPEFY!"

Severus' eyes widened. The jet of red light knocked him off his feet; he flew backwards and collapsed in a senseless heap on the ground.

Wilkes and Rosier glanced at each other, drawing their wands reluctantly.

"What are you waiting for?" growled Mulciber. "Get them!"

At once, the corridor erupted in a blinding flash of light as a barrage of spells streaked towards Lily, James, and Sally. Lily dove, and a jet of silver light missed her by inches. She smacked her knee hard against the floor and rolled, aiming her wand at Avery. "Depul —"

A hand hauled her up by her robes just as a spell blasted into the statue next to her, shattering it into pieces. "Protego!" said James' voice in her ear, and the bits of broken statue clattered harmlessly to the floor.

Lily scrambled to her feet, preparing to dodge another hex, but none came: the Slytherins' spells were ricocheting off James' Shield Charm, which was large enough to fill most of the corridor.

"Ha!" said James triumphantly as the Slytherins sent hex after useless hex towards them. "You like that?"

"James," said Lily, "maybe now's not the time to antagonize —"

"Nah, it's fine," said James. He picked a marble arm off the floor and waved it at the Slytherins. "Let's see your best shot, go on, then…"

Mulciber's features contorted with hatred. The dim light carved shadows under his eyes. For a moment, Lily was back on the Hogwarts Express, transfixed by the inhuman face of the Reaper.

Mulciber took aim at Sally. "Avada Kedavra."

A jet of green light streaked towards them. Lily screamed. There was nowhere to hide in this narrow corridor, and Sally wasn't trying to hide, anyway, she was stepping in front of Lily and James with her wand drawn, her eyes hard and fierce —

At the last possible instant, her wand hand twitched, and something round and white, like a large boulder, hurtled towards the Slytherins.

The marble head from the ruined statue collided with the jet of green light, and the corridor exploded.

The force of the blast flung Lily off her feet. Shards of stone and white marble flew in all directions — one narrowly missed her eye, stinging her skin as it grazed her cheek. Her head knocked hard against the stone wall, and she cried out in pain as she was thrown to the ground. Her wand clattered out of her hand.

A wave of heat from rushed over her, so intense she thought the hair would singe from her head — the air was thick with dust and debris, she couldn't breathe —

A nearby voice coughed weakly. Lily forced herself to open her eyes, ignoring the throbbing pain in her head. James was on the floor beside her, covered in soot but not seriously injured. And Sally — Lily looked around frantically, pushing herself up —

"Stay down!" ordered Sally. She was still on her feet, her teeth bared as she pushed back against the force of the blast. She made an upward motion with her wand, and the pile of marble shards at her feet pieced themselves back together, forming the marble head of Salazar Slytherin. Another swipe of her wand, and the head barreled towards the group of Slytherins at the opposite end of the corridor. Like Muggle bowling, Lily thought wildly.

The marble head smashed into Wilkes' face. He stumbled, then slumped to the ground, bleeding profusely from his nose. Avery let out a high-pitched scream, then dropped his wand and fled the corridor, Evan Rosier at his heels.

As soon as Avery's wand clattered to the floor, the light coming from its tip was extinguished, and the corridor was plunged into darkness once more.

"Incendio," said Sally in a low voice, and the torches on the wall flickered to life.

Only Mulciber remained at the far end of the corridor, standing over the limp forms of Severus and Wilkes.

"Drop your wand, Mulciber," commanded Sally.

Mulciber's lips curled over his teeth. "Or else what?"

With a sweeping wand movement, Sally sent a spell at him, which he parried. At Mulciber's feet, Severus stirred.

He's awake, thought Lily. Reflexively, she reached for her wand, but it wasn't there. In a panic, she began to sift through the rubble.

James crawled towards Lily. He was bleeding; debris from the explosion had cut him badly across the jaw. "Alright, Lily?"

"My — my wand —"

James looked around. "Oh — there it is, let me —" He staggered to his feet.

As James bent to pick up her wand, Severus' eyes flickered open, gleaming like polished onyx in the dim light. He immediately looked at Lily, and it took everything she had not to scream at him, to shout that this was where his curiosity had led him, to a ruined corridor and injured students, and it was a lucky thing they weren't all dead —

Perhaps Severus sensed her anger, because he glanced away quickly, taking in the destroyed corridor. Mulciber and Sally had begun to duel, though Mulciber was clearly outmatched —

"There you go," said James. He was standing above Lily, holding her wand.

"Ah," she said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He ran a hand through his hair, as though making sure it wasn't too tidy. The gesture was so ridiculous that Lily laughed.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing." How could she explain it? He was covered in soot, and his robes were torn in several places, but he still thought he needed to muss his hair. It was almost endearing. "You just…"

She sensed movement out of the corner of her eye and trailed off. Severus was watching them. His face twisted with disgust, and he reached inside his robes for his wand, which he pointed at James. His mouth moved.

"No," cried Lily, "Sev, NO —"

The curse hit James in the center of the chest. A dark, crimson stain bloomed across his robes, growing larger by the second, staining his torso, his arms —

James looked down, mouth slightly open. Then he toppled over, Lily's wand clattering from his hand.

Lily's senses dulled, and then sharpened. She was an apprentice Healer. She knew how to handle herself in an emergency.

She scrambled towards James' limp form, heedless of the spells that were shooting past her, heedless of Sally, who was screaming at Severus and Mulciber. She could heal him, she could, she could — there was no room for doubt in Healing, not when someone's life depended on you —

James' breaths were coming short and shallow. His eyes had glazed over, and there was so much blood. Her wand, she needed her wand —

She snatched her wand up off the floor and used it to cut his robes away. There were several deep gouges across James' chest and torso. Her vision swam; she forced herself to take several slow breaths.

Healer Fenwick's voice echoed, sing-songy, in her mind. Air goes in and out. Blood goes round and round. Any variation on this is bad.

She touched her wand to the deepest cut and began to murmur the countercurse that would knit him back together. The wound resisted her efforts, but she continued, focusing on the incantation, on the magic that flowed from her wand to his skin. There was so much damage.

James' eyelids were half-closed as he stared at something beyond Lily. He was trembling. She took his hand.

The gash began to close. She gave his hand a squeeze and let go; she'd need both hands to knit his skin back together, one to cast from her wand and one to control the flow of magic. As careful as she was, when she had finished there was still a pale, raised line running along the length of his chest, contrasting with his skin. Some curses left scars.

She started on the next cut, which ran from the hollow of his armpit to his abdomen. The corridor was quiet, except for her songlike incantation and James' ragged breath. She was vaguely aware that the fighting had stopped; Sally was binding Mulciber and Severus in conjured ropes.

The next cut. The next scar. James was no longer shaking, but neither did he look any more alert. His eyelids kept drifting shut. She paused just long enough to gently shake his shoulder.

"Stay awake," she said. "You can't go to sleep yet."

"'M tired," muttered James.

"I know. But you have to stay awake for me. Alright?"

James moaned.

The last cut stretched from his collarbone to the base of his neck. The scar would be visible above the neckline of his robes.

Sally knelt beside her as she closed the final scar. "He's lost a lot of blood. I don't know if he'll make it to the hospital wing for a Blood-Replenishing Potion —"

"I've got one with me," said Lily, and she suddenly felt very grateful for Healer Fenwick's foresight.

"Where? I'll get it for you."

"In my bag," said Lily. "It's the dark red potion in the inner pocket."

Sally obliged, and Lily took James' hand. "I'm going to give you more blood," she told him, not sure if he was capable of understanding her. "But to do that, you have to wake up enough to swallow a potion. Can you do that for me?"

James moaned quietly. Lily took that as a 'yes' and dragged him into a sitting position, propping him against the wall.

"Open your mouth for me," she said. James' mouth was slack, but she wasn't sure if that was because he had heard her or because he was barely conscious. She touched his jaw gently to open his mouth, avoiding the cut on his chin, which continued to ooze.

Then she unstoppered the potion and placed a drop of dark red liquid on his tongue.

"Swallow," she said, and she helped him close his mouth. "That's it. Let's do that again."

She gave him one drop at a time until the phial was nearly empty. James didn't look any more alert; on the contrary, his skin had turned an ashen grey.

Sally stopped her from giving him the last of the potion. "Try a Gemino Charm," she said, indicating the contents of the phial.

"Will that work?"

"It should. Not as well as if you had more Blood-Replenishing Potions — the effect of the charm will be weaker every time you cast it — but in a pinch, it'll do."

Lily muttered a Gemino Charm and the phial filled to the brim with crimson liquid, only slightly more watery than the original potion had been. She gave James drop after drop, and when the phial was nearly empty, she cast another Gemino Charm and repeated the process. She did this again and again: each time, the phial filled with a lighter colour of potion, as if it was being diluted with water.

A voice in the back of Lily's head wondered what would happen when the Gemino Charm no longer worked. "He'll be okay," she responded out loud, ignoring the strange look Sally gave her. Lily wasn't sure how much of the potion James would need, how much blood he had lost, but he was going to be okay, he had to be —

Halfway through the fourth phial, James began to swallow the potion on his own, and Lily dared to give him more than just a drop at a time. After the fifth phial, a hint of colour returned to his lips. After the seventh phial, he opened his eyes.

"James?" asked Lily.

"Mmm?"

"How're you feeling?"

"Better," rasped James. "I was… so tired… But I feel better now."

"Good. How would you rate your pain, out of seven?"

James considered this. "Four."

"Four is good." She resisted the urge to collapse onto the floor with relief. He's alive. He's going to be okay.

James looked at Sally. "You're alright, then?"

"Of course I am," said Sally. She sounded confident, but privately Lily thought she looked worse than ever. She was covered in dirt and debris from the explosion; combined with her malnourishment and unwashed hair, she looked like she had just crawled out of the sewers.

"I'm glad," said James. "What do we do now?"

Sally glanced at the portrait of Salazar, clearly calculating. A blond Regulus stared worriedly back at her. Though the canvas had been torn in several places, Regulus himself was unharmed.

"We'll come back for you," Sally told Regulus. He nodded, looking resigned. "In the meantime, I think Slughorn needs to know what his students have been up to. We'll take them to his office."

She gestured at Mulciber, Severus, and an unconscious Wilkes, who had all been bound together. Mulciber's mouth was moving, but no sound came out; Sally must have magically silenced them. Severus was glaring daggers at Sally, though he didn't bother with trying to speak.

"And after that?" asked James. "Are you just going to waltz into Gryffindor Tower and have a nice, long sleep in your bed like nothing's happened?"

Sally didn't smile. "No. First, I…" She hesitated. "I suppose I should tell my father that I'm alive."

"Oh," said James. "I can help with that, actually." He groped for his bag, which was several feet away from him, and pulled it towards him by the strap. "Sirius Black," he said, pulling out a small hand mirror.

Lily supposed she shouldn't be surprised by anything James did anymore, but she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows as Sirius' face appeared in the mirror.

"Finally," said Sirius. "Prongs, why're you're covered in — tell me that's not your own blood. Holy —"

"Everyone's alright," said James. "Including me. Listen. Can you get in touch with your friend from the Order?"

Sirius' eyes widened. "I mean, technically, yes. But she said to only contact her in an emergency —"

James gestured to his blood-soaked robes. "What do you think this is, genius? Tell her that Caradoc Dearborn needs to come to Hogwarts as soon as possible."

"Dearborn? Why would —"

"Sally's alive," said James. He angled the mirror at Sally so that Sirius could see.

Sirius let out a string of Muggle expletives that Lily had never heard used in that particular order. "You're joking, Prongs. How did you — why are you —"

"I'll explain later."

"You'd better," said Sirius. "Alright. I'll let Dorcas know, as long as you promise not to get yourself killed in the meantime. Fucking arsebugger, James..." Still muttering odd curses to himself, he faded from the mirror.

Sally scowled at James. "I was planning on sending my father an owl."

"Come off it," said James. "An owl? He's your dad. I'm sure he's been worried sick. When he finds out that you're alive, nothing in the world is going to stop him from seeing you."

Sally looked sceptical, but she settled for waving her wand at the bound Slytherins, making them levitate slightly off the ground. "Let's go, then. We need to get both of you to the hospital wing."

Lily decided it best not to point out that months of confinement had left Sally in far worse shape than either she or James. Although James wasn't exactly the picture of health, either: he swayed a little as he stood up from the floor.

"Careful!" said Lily, steadying him.

"'M alright," said James, blinking owlishly. "Little lightheaded… can't really see much…"

"That'll be the blood loss," said Lily. "Go slowly, alright?"

She cast a backward glance at the portrait of Salazar — Regulus lifted a hand in farewell — and helped James through the dungeons, Sally leading the way.

When they reached Professor Slughorn's office, Sally rapped on the door, but there was no response.

"Is he asleep, d'you think?" asked James, who was leaning rather heavily on Lily.

Sally shrugged and deposited the bound Slytherins on the floor outside the office. "If he is, they'll just have to wait here until morning."

"What if someone comes along, though, and cuts them loose?" asked Lily.

"Impossible," said Sally dismissively. "I tied the ropes using Gordion's Curse. I expect even Slughorn will have trouble getting them free."

After the Slytherins were taken care of, Lily and James followed Sally out of the dungeons. It was slow going, as both James and Sally needed to stop frequently to rest. Sally seemed to have an especially hard time climbing the staircase that led to the Entrance Hall. She was breathing heavily as she reached the top, as if she'd been winded. It occurred to Lily that taking the stairs might be the most exercise Sally had had in months.

As soon as they emerged in the Entrance Hall, several passing students began to stare. Even the Aurors who were guarding the oak doors glanced their way, alarmed. Lily supposed they were quite a sight: she and James were covered in blood and dirt, while Sally resembled nothing so much as a half-starved prisoner.

Sally ignored the dozens of pairs of eyes that were on her; she climbed the marble staircase stiffly, her back ramrod straight.

At the first floor landing, they were met by a flurry of tartan robes. Professor McGonagall approached them nearly at a sprint. "There you are," she said. "Professor Slughorn told me — Sirius Black said something about —" she drew up short, staring at Sally.

Sally raised her chin. "Hello, Professor."

It seemed Professor McGonagall was not prepared for the state Sally was in. Behind her glasses, her eyes grew momentarily misty. "Miss Dearborn," she said, her voice thick. "I am so glad to see you again." She sniffed, pulling herself together, and turned towards Lily and James. "And as for you two — Potter, is that blood…?"

"Yeah, but it's mine and I'm alright, so don't worry," said James. "You should tell Slughorn that there's a bunch of Slytherins tied up outside his office, though."

"Tied up? Potter, surely even you —"

"We had no choice," said Sally. "I couldn't take any chances, not after one of them cast the Killing Curse."

Professor McGonagall's mouth fell slightly open. "Miss Dearborn, such an accusation is very grave. You're certain of this?"

"I was the target," said Sally. "Cast Priori Incantatem on Augustus Mulciber's wand if you need confirmation."

"You — the target…" Professor McGonagall faltered. "Miss Dearborn, where have you been?"

"It's a long story," said Sally. "I'd rather only tell it once."

"I see," said Professor McGonagall. "In that case. May I ask you three to accompany me to the Headmaster's office?"

Sally nodded. She tilted her head upward, considering the many towering staircases that led to the seventh floor. Then she began to climb, one careful step at a time.

Lily and James exchanged a look and followed suit.

James had to give Professor Dumbledore credit; the old man hadn't even blinked when Sally Dearborn walked into his office like a ghost from ages past. In fact, Dumbledore had taken one look at the three of them, waved his wand, and conjured out of nowhere three comfortable armchairs, a tea tray, and a blazing hearthfire.

"I am interested to know where you have been since October, Miss Dearborn," said Dumbledore. He had waited until they nearly had their fill of tea and scones to begin talking. Beside him, Professor McGonagall was considerably more impatient; every time James reached for another scone, she sighed loudly, tapping her fingers on the desk.

Sally was on her fourth scone and showed no sign of slowing down. "Well," she said around a mouthful of scone, "My father began to suspect over the summer that I would become a political target. Between his work at the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and — our family history… My mum, you know…"

She trailed off. James shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He couldn't imagine what it was like to have a dead mum, much less a mum who was murdered for being a Muggle. He made a mental note to hug his own mother extra tight the next time he saw her.

Dumbledore nodded. "Your mother was a wonderful woman who was taken from her family far too soon."

"She was," said Sally firmly, as if she expected someone to suggest otherwise. "But given what the Knights of Walpurgis did to her… and given the Muggle-born Protection Act that my father wrote…"

"It seems fair to assume that you thought yourself at risk," said Dumbledore.

"Yes," said Sally, who seemed torn between maintaining her decorum and scarfing down another scone. "But that's nothing new. My father and I had several close calls with the Death Eaters growing up. You know about that, of course," she added. Dumbledore inclined his head to show he understood.

"I'm not completely helpless," continued Sally. "Never have been. My father's been training me, you know, ever since my mum…" She shook her head a little. "Anyway. We knew that the Muggle-born Protection Act would make us a target. When I returned to Hogwarts in September, I was prepared to be attacked. And I was."

Professor McGonagall's eyes flashed behind her glasses. "When?"

"In September," responded Sally. "Term had just started. It was during our first Hogsmeade weekend. I —"

She broke off. The fire in the hearth flared brightly. Tall, emerald green flames licked upwards, and green sparks shot across the hearth, landing on the plush rug. A head appeared in the fire, followed by a set of broad shoulders, and —

Caradoc Dearborn stepped into the room. He was an enormous man, as tall and broad as Sally was short and slender. As he straightened, his head nearly scraped the ceiling. He could have been Hagrid's cousin, though Hagrid was all bushy hair and rounded body. Caradoc, on the other hand, was as muscled as a gorilla. He looked dangerous.

"My daughter," he bellowed, looking wildly about the room. "Albus, I was told that my daughter —" He caught sight of Sally, with her dirtied face and torn robes, and the words died in his mouth.

Sally stood immediately, facing Caradoc the way one would a drill sergeant. James half-expected her to salute. "Father."

Caradoc made an odd, abrupt gesture, as if he were about to embrace her but thought better of it. Instead, he said sternly, "What was your mother's favourite fruit?"

James looked at Lily, at a loss. Was this some sort of weird Muggle greeting he had never heard of? Lily shrugged, clearly as confused as he was.

"Plums," said Sally. "We had a plum tree in the garden that she loved."

Caradoc's eyes grew misty. "My daughter," he said throatily. "It is you." And he knelt, enveloping her in an embrace.

Sally stiffened, as if unaccustomed to being touched. After a moment, she hugged him back. Beside Dumbledore's desk, Professor McGonagall wiped her eyes.

"What happened?" said Caradoc Dearborn, drawing back. "Dorcas received a tip from one of her sources, but nobody at the Order could say —"

"It's a long story," said Sally. For the first time, her steely exterior wavered; she seemed nearly on the verge of tears as she looked at her father.

Dumbledore tactfully conjured a large armchair for Caradoc to sit in. "Miss Dearborn was just explaining the events that led to her disappearance in October."

"Yes," said Sally. "As I was saying. In September, I was attacked in Hogsmeade — I sent you an owl about that," she added with a glance at her father, who nodded. "I fought off my attackers, but they tried again the next month. On Halloween."

Caradoc's expression was murderous. "Who are these attackers you speak of?"

"Augustus Mulciber — he's in Slytherin," said Sally. "He's got a gang he goes round with, but I think he's the leader. The others are — prefects and things. They're not nearly as sadistic as he is."

Professor McGonagall frowned. "You think Mulciber was intentionally targeting you? Because of your father's politics?"

"The first time, in Hogsmeade, I wasn't sure," said Sally. "Mulciber's got a long habit of hexing Gryffindors for sport. But then I noticed him watching me. Like he was planning. And then, on Halloween, they cornered me again."

Sally took a deep breath, clenching her fists. "I got away. Again. But I knew they wouldn't stop. So I disguised myself, and I hid — inside a painting. There's a spell for it. I'm sorry for being gone for so long," she said tearfully, turning to her father. "I was going to come back at the end of the year, to sit for my N.E.W.T.s, I thought it would be safer — I didn't mean to make you afraid, I'm sorry —"

Caradoc clasped her small hand in his meaty ones. "You did everything right," he said. "You followed your training perfectly. If there is a threat to your life, you must do everything you can to ensure your safety. Even if you must hide from those you love most."

"So you've been hiding in a painting since October," said Dumbledore, and Sally nodded. "I am not familiar with that particular spell. Very ingenious — it explains why we have had such a difficult time locating you. You said you were planning to reemerge during N.E.W.T.s — what happened tonight to change those plans?"

Sally hesitated. "Lily and James came to the corridor where I was hiding. I'd seen Lily there a few times before — I think she had been trying to find me. I revealed myself to them, and they told me that Mulciber was on his way with his gang — that he was going to attack me. So I came out of the portrait, and they defended me against the Slytherins. They saved my life."

Well, that was a stretch, in James' opinion. Sally had done the bulk of the fighting, after all. And she hadn't even mentioned Regulus.

Dumbledore turned to James and Lily. "Is this true?"

"Yes, sir," said Lily before James could respond.

"If that's the case, then you have done Hogwarts — and myself — a great service," said Professor Dumbledore. "Not only have you rescued Sally Dearborn, but you have surely saved her life as well."

"Er," said James, "That's a bit of a —"

"Thank you very much, Professor," said Lily, giving James a warning look.

Dumbledore continued. "I am tempted to award House points, but I am afraid such a trivial gesture would undermine the depths of gratitude I feel."

"I mean," said James, "I wouldn't say no to a few hundred extra points. Gryffindor's aiming for second place this year…"

Professor Dumbledore chuckled.

Tears were flowing freely down Sally's cheeks. "I'm so sorry for not telling you, Father. Mulciber — he was using Unforgivables, I couldn't risk — I was lucky to get away at all —"

Caradoc Dearborn began to cry, as well. James wished he could be anywhere else; he felt like he was intruding on something very private. Lily seemed to feel the same way, judging by how intently she was studying her nails.

Dumbledore caught James' eye and smiled knowingly. He checked his pocket watch, and his eyes widened behind his half-moon glasses. "I'm afraid the hour grows late," he said. "Potter, Miss Evans, it is high time you got some well-deserved rest. Before returning to your dormitories, however, I must insist you stop by the hospital wing for examination. I will notify Madam Pomfrey of your arrival at once."

With a sweeping gesture, Dumbledore ushered them out of the office. As soon as the door closed behind them, James realized just how exhausted he was. He felt sore all over, like he'd had a bad fall off his broomstick.

"Right," he said. "I'm knackered, so I'm going to pass on going to the hospital wing. Say hi to Poppy for me, alright?"

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to let you go to the dormitory without being examined," said Lily. "I will drag you to the hospital wing if I have to."

"Why?" said James. "You already healed me. I'm fine."

"James. I am an apprentice. I had no idea what I was doing."

"Well, I'm still standing, aren't I?"

"For now," said Lily. "But I didn't have much practice with that countercurse. Suppose I did a shoddy job of it? Your skin could split back open in your sleep."

He winced. "That's gruesome."

"Yeah, well, welcome to Healing," she said. "You're going to the hospital wing. Now."

James yawned. Then he lay down in the middle of the corridor.

"Oh, my God," said Lily. "Are you honestly —"

James grinned up at her. "I propose a compromise."

"I don't like where this is going." Lily crossed her arms.

"Hear me out," said James. "Sirius and I invented a spell that makes things fly. If I teach it to you, will you charm my robes and levitate me to the hospital wing? That way you'll have a clean conscience, and who knows, maybe I could get a nap in…"

Lily was trying to hold back a smile; he could tell by the shape of her eyes. "Fine," she said, drawing her wand. "How's the spell go, then?"

Madam Pomfrey promptly declared Lily to be in good health, aside from a few bruised ribs. However, she insisted that James spend the night in the hospital wing. James, of course, took extreme umbrage at being made to stay in the hospital wing overnight, and flatly refused to believe that Madam Pomfrey could have his best interests at heart. After tremendous amounts of cajoling by both Lily and Madam Pomfrey, he finally lay down on a cot. No more than two minutes later, he was soundly asleep.

Madam Pomfrey pulled Lily aside before she left. "You did an excellent job on those lacerations," she said in a low voice. "Anything less, and he might not have lived to tell the tale."

For the first time all evening, hot tears pricked at the corner of Lily's eyes. "Did you see his scars?"

"Lily." Madam Pomfrey's voice was affectionate but firm. "Not even I could have healed him completely. You did an excellent job — far better than I could have done at your age."

Lily knew that ought to make her feel better, but it didn't. After leaving the hospital wing, she spent five minutes having a good cry in the lavatory. When she had finished, she washed her face, took several deep breaths, and returned to the dungeons.

It was well past midnight, yet a trio of Aurors continued to guard the doors in the Entrance Hall. Lily expected them to send her back to her dormitory, but they paid her no mind. In fact, one of them even dipped his chin at her in acknowledgement as she passed.

Lily frowned. News of Sally's rescue couldn't have travelled that quickly, could it?

It took her an additional half an hour and several wrong turns, but Lily finally found Salazar's Corridor. Now that she'd gotten some distance from the whole situation, the corridor looked even worse than she remembered. Part of the ceiling had caved in, and most of the statues had been completely pulverized by the explosion. Large chunks of stone had even been ripped from the floor, exposing patches of dirt beneath.

Regulus was still in the portrait at the end of the corridor. He fidgeted anxiously as she approached.

"Are you alright?" Lily whispered.

"Fine," said Regulus. "Did Sally — I'm assuming you went to McGonagall, but Sally — she didn't mention me, did she?"

"No," said Lily. "She made it sound like hiding in a painting was her idea. Your name didn't come up at all."

Regulus visibly relaxed. "Good. And Potter?"

"He's in the hospital wing. He'll be alright."

"That's surprising. Severus tried to kill him."

"Tried and failed," said Lily. "Your little friends are in so much trouble, by the way."

"Good," said Regulus. "They deserve it for interfering with my plan."

The harshness in his voice surprised her. She looked at him. "Are you still under the influence of Veritaserum?"

"Yes, and I've been going mad in this painting. I can't breathe in here, it's too cramped. Have you got your wand? I can show you how to take me out…"

A few minutes later, Regulus was standing in front of her, looking no worse for the wear. He prodded his wand clumsily at his own face, trying to Untransfigure his appearance.

"Oh, come here," said Lily, taking pity on him. "I can put you right, hang on…"

"I wonder how she did it, all these months," said Regulus as Lily restored his hair to its usual glossy black. "It drove me mad, sitting there for a couple of hours. Half a year, though…"

"What happened to the original Salazar?" asked Lily. "I'm assuming this used to be a real portrait of Salazar Slytherin, right?"

"Oh, him," said Regulus. "Yeah, he's fine. I paid him to stay in one of his other portraits, he'll be back in June. I don't think he minded, honestly — he's got frames in the Ministry and Walpurgis Abbey, which have got to be more interesting than this mouldy old corridor."

Lily laughed. She finished shrinking Regulus' eyebrows down to a manageable size and they began the long walk back through the dungeons.

"There's one thing I still don't get," said Lily as they walked. "The painting thing was your idea, right?"

Regulus nodded.

"Then why did Sally let you help her? You two weren't exactly on the best of terms before she disappeared."

"That's putting it mildly," said Regulus. "Well. I gained her trust when she saw me Obliviate Edmund Avery."

"You what?"

"Yeah, she realized I was serious about helping her pretty quickly after that. Although, to be honest — I wasn't helping her so much as trying to keep myself from being expelled."

"Oh, obviously," said Lily sarcastically. "I'm sure that was your only motivation in all this."

"It's the truth," said Regulus. "Mulciber and his gang… They're friends of mine. I knew what they were trying to do, and I knew that they were going to be caught. Mulciber's no great tactician, you see."

"So you took matters into your own hands? Hid her away before Mulciber could get to her?"

"I'm more clever than that." Regulus gave her a small smile. "Hurting Sally wasn't Mulciber's idea. He'd been given orders, you see. I simply found a way to fulfil those orders with minimal bloodshed — and without getting the lot of us expelled."

"Well, until tonight, at least," said Lily. "I can't imagine Mulciber continuing at Hogwarts if McGonagall examines his wand and sees that he really did cast the Killing Curse."

"Typical of him," said Regulus. "Even when I save his sorry arse, he still finds a way to mangle things."

Lily decided to push her luck. "Who were the orders from?"

"You oughtn't ask me questions like that. Not when I've taken Veritaserum. It isn't fair."

"But I'm curious," said Lily. "So, who gave the order to hurt Sally Dearborn?"

Regulus groaned. "Nobody you've met. A cousin of mine who works with the Death Eaters." After a moment, he said, "She knows, you know."

"Who? Your cousin?"

"Yes. She knew where Sally was."

Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing. "She — what? Your Death Eater cousin knew where Sally was hiding?"

"Of course. I had to tell her. The Dark Lord likely knows, too."

"What? Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? She wanted us to 'take care of' Sally Dearborn. And I did. My cousin actually helped me do it, you know."

Lily's voice was flat. "Your Death Eater cousin helped you hide Sally Dearborn."

"Yes. She owled me things for Sally, at least at first. Extra food, soap, things like that. She even practised Occlumency with me, just in case."

"Occlumency?"

"How to hide thoughts that you don't want people to know. Bella was almost too helpful, honestly. I think she might have had her own plans for Sally. But... things changed after the attack on the Hogwarts Express."

"How so?"

"I couldn't go to Hogsmeade anymore, to buy food, and my cousin's been busy with... other things. She couldn't send me supplies as often. I'm afraid Sally might have suffered for it."

"I'm sure you did the best you could," said Lily, though she wasn't entirely certain that was true.

"That's true," said Regulus, "All things considered, I've done quite well. I made Bella happy because I fulfilled her orders. And my plan was better than Mulciber's, because nobody had to murder anyone, and nobody died, or got expelled. I haven't been expelled, at least, and that's what matters."

Lily was gobsmacked. "You really were trying to save your own skin."

"Of course I was. I told you that already." Regulus' expression darkened. "It would have worked perfectly, too, if Severus hadn't stuck his great nose into things."

"Severus figured out what you were doing?"

"Yeah. He took it upon himself to play detective. He jumped to conclusions, wouldn't let me explain... But that's all over now. I'm sure Bella won't be very happy with him."

They turned a corner, passing Slughorn's office. The Slytherins were no longer tied up outside, but a light shone from under the door. Slughorn must be inside, Lily thought. She listened hard, hoping to hear some scolding, but no sound came from the office.

"He's sending some strongly-worded owls to parents, no doubt," commented Regulus.

Lily snorted. "How d'you think that goes? 'Dear Mr Mulciber, sorry to bother you at this hour, but your son has been very naughty — I shall have to take three points from Slytherin…"

Regulus actually chuckled at that.

"You know," said Lily, "you can claim you were being practical all you like, but I don't believe it. I think you helped Sally because you couldn't live with her death on your conscience."

"Those are your morals," said Regulus. "Not mine." But the humour had gone from his face; he looked suddenly resigned.

They walked in silence until they reached a stretch of plain stone wall. "This is the entrance to the common room," said Regulus, coming to a halt.

Lily bit her lip. "Will you be alright in there?"

"I'll manage," said Regulus. "Worst case, I'll sleep in the painting." He hesitated. "Lily…"

She knew where he was going with this. "We can't be friends," she said. "Not while you're still part of Mulciber's gang."

The tension left Regulus' shoulders. He looked relieved that she understood. "I'm sorry."

"I am, too," said Lily. "Lord Voldemort's making students fight his battles for him, isn't he?"

Regulus sucked in a breath upon hearing Voldemort's name. "Don't — don't call him that. That name — it's for his inferiors. You don't understand —"

"If that's the name he wants Muggle-borns like me to use, then all the more reason to use it," said Lily. "I'm not ashamed of what I am."

"You're being foolish," said Regulus. "Say that name and you'll put a target on your back."

"Well, it won't be the first, will it?" snapped Lily. "I've had a target on my back since I was six years old and making flowers bloom in winter." She glared at him, daring him to call her foolish again.

Regulus looked away. He seemed to be fighting with himself over something. At last, he said, "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Just me?" asked Lily. "Or all Muggle-borns?"

"Anyone," he said. His face twisted in disgust, as if he was admitting some terrible secret.

"I have bad news for you, then," said Lily. "We're at war. Every day, people are hurt — especially people like me. At least until someone kills your Lord Voldemort."

"He can't be killed. They say he's immortal."

"Well," said Lily, "there's only one way to test that theory, isn't there?"

"Impossible," said Regulus. "No Muggle-born has ever defeated a Dark wizard."

"That's because no Dark wizard has ever met me."

A small, incredulous smile danced across Regulus' lips. "That's true. If anyone can do it, you can," he said. "Give them hell, Lily Evans."

And he leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth.

Then he turned and vanished into the stone wall, muttering a password too quietly for her to hear.

Lily stayed where she was, rooted to the spot. I just got kissed by a Death Eater, she thought. She didn't know whether to cry or laugh. She could still feel his lips, dry and rough, against her mouth. He'd smelled of turpentine.