Author's Note: This chapter is rather long but full of action and very important to the story as it introduces the main plot. Please read, review, and enjoy. I will post James' POV after about chapter 12 of this story and will let you know when I have. So again, please enjoy!

Chapter 8

The days leading up to Christmas proved to be both entertaining and relatively dangerous for all members and guests within the Potter household. I had at last been roped into the prank war – almost literally – despite my desire to remain neutral. It happened three days before Christmas when I had passed Lily in the hallway, and she had asked me to hold a rope in which she was tying a series of intricate knots. I soon came to realise that Lily was concocting an elaborate pulley system, the purpose of which seemed to be similar to that of a bear trap. I looked at her satisfied face as she stepped back to survey her handy work.

"Er, Lily, what exactly – " There was a surprised cry and I whipped my head around just in time to see an unsuspecting Albus being hoisted into the air by his ankle.

"Lily you little…" He managed to get out, his face quickly turning scarlet as all the blood rushed into his head.

"Careful there, Al. I may be the one who trapped you, but I'm also the one who knows how to let you down. So watch your words."

"…Angel." He finished lamely. Then his gaze fell on me. I was still holding the main rope and barely coming to the realisation that I had just unwittingly signed myself up as the target of hundreds of overly- elaborate pranks devised by Albus Potter. "Vera!" He exclaimed in shock, "You joined Lily's side? LILY'S?"

"N-no." I stammered. "I didn't mean to!"

"You realise this means war?" Said Albus as he revolved slowly in the air by the ankle.

"Oh lord Albus – "

"War!" He pronounced firmly.

And so I was thrust into a whirlwind of trick stairs, charmed doorways, and hidden dungbombs. I decided to form an alliance with Lily, as she seemed to be the leading prankster, and soon experienced what it must be like to be a soldier in war and be constantly paranoid of an attack. Although the attacks I would be experiencing were thankfully not fatal. Not yet at least.

The afternoon of December 20th found me in the courtyard performing some of the daily Chaser's drills that James insisted on doing whenever he caught sight of me. Rose had come over with the expectation of spending time with me, and had been roped into the affair as well. I was enduring one of James' dull and endless Quidditch talks, made slightly more entertaining by Albus who was standing behind him and imitating his gesticulations and fist pounds, when Mrs. Potter called me from inside the back door,

"Vera, could you come here a moment? We need to speak to you about something."

Curious but thoroughly relieved at being released from James' Quidditch tirade, I zoomed back to the ground, skipped over and followed Mrs. Potter into the house. I stopped in the doorway. Mr. Potter, Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, and several other grim-looking aurors stood around the kitchen table, pouring over two photographs laid out across the table's surface. They all looked up when I entered. Some of them, including Mr. Weasley, glared at me openly.

"What's going on?" I asked, suddenly alert.

"Vera, could you please sit down? We would like to ask you a few questions." Mr. Potter said, his tone unrecognizably formal. I saw in his bespectacled eyes that I was not in trouble. Hesitantly I took a seat across from him and clasped my hands nervously in my lap.

"So, Vera, first question. Do you know where your parents are?" I stared at him, bewildered by his inquiry.

"No." I replied honestly, suddenly realizing that I had absolutely no idea of my parent's whereabouts. One of the aurors made a noise of disbelief. Mr. Potter ignored him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"And they haven't tried to contact you since they saw you off on the Hogwart's Express on the 31st of August?" Cut in Aunt Hermione.

"Well," I said, thinking. I couldn't tell if they were trying to get me to incriminate my parents. "They did send me a letter a few weeks into term, but it didn't say much."

"I see. Is that letter still in your possession?" Mr. Potter asked, as a stir of interest rippled through the surrounding aurors.

"Yes I think it's in my trunk somewhere." I replied off handedly. In reality I knew exactly where in my trunk I had stashed it: in the special place where I kept all the letters and presents I had received from my parents in the last six years.

"May we see it?"

"Sure." I said, standing. Aunt Hermione rose as well and followed me up the stairs and into the guest room. I liked Rose's mum. She had the same sparkling, chocolate colored eyes as her daughter as well as bushy light brown hair framing a kind, pretty face. She also smiled at me politely as she walked beside me, instead of watching me suspiciously. However I did notice that she kept her wand out.

Upon reaching the guest bedroom I knelt and began shifting through the contents of my trunk, to make it appear as though I was looking for something. Finally, I reached into the corner and pulled out my mother's most recent letter and handed it to Mrs. Weasley. She took it and examined the outside carefully.

"She also sent me this." I said, pulling out the Egyptian style necklace. Mrs. Weasley peered at it closely. After seeming to determine that it was not cursed, she took it as well and strode back downstairs. We were around the same height but I still had to skip every couple of stairs to keep up with her.

She handed the letter to Mr. Potter and set to work running her wand over the necklace. I was amazed at how effortlessly she performed non-verbal spells, a feat with which I was still struggling at school. Mr. Potter was also magically examining the letter. I was briefly reminded of a story I had heard several years ago wherein a man was sent a suspicious and anonymous letter by owl. Upon reaching the end of the letter, his memory had been wiped completely blank. I wasn't sure my parents were above such a thing if some aurors came poking around our possessions. They didn't like when the Ministry interfered in their business.

Mr. Potter seemed to deem the letter safe for reading, for he opened it and began scanning it. Upon completing it he passed the letter to the other aurors, who read it as well. Some made disbelieving faces when they took in the material, others performed several other spells over it with seemingly disappointing results.

"What do you think?" Mr. Potter asked the red-haired Mr. Weasley.

He shrugged, looking down at the letter again. "Other than expressing a rotten high opinion of herself, Mrs. Malfoy doesn't seem to have said anything of note. Anything with that necklace, Hermione?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. It has a few magical properties but not anything dark or dangerous."

The aurors exchanged several stumped expressions before a thin, dark-haired man leaned over and said,

"But what about this part here? She mentions that she and her husband are out of the country but she failed to say where."

"Good point, Wallace. You and Eliza go back the office and analyze this. Seamus, Jacob, go with them and try to find the origin of this necklace. Ron, Hermione, Hunter, come with me."

Wallace, Eliza, Seamus, and Jacob set off immediately, reminding me irresistibly of worker bees. Mr. Potter stood, but before he could move toward the door I piped up,

"Excuse me – uh – Harry, if I may, why are you looking for my parents?"

"They aren't in any trouble, at the moment at least. We would just like to question them."

"Question them about what?"

He fixed a grim expression on his face before for sliding the moving photographs across the table toward me. I stared down at them, shock splitting my face.

"Theodore Nott was murdered in the early hours of this morning."

I stared down at the first photograph. I barely recognized the bloody face of Mr. Nott, who I had met several times while at social occasions with my family. In the center of his chest was a gaping wound, through which his no longer beating heart and no longer breathing lungs were visible. His blank eyes stared into the camera eerily. I pushed it away, sick to my stomach.

"We don't consider your parents suspects, but as they were fairly close to the victim, we would like to question them about anyone who may have wished to harm Mr. Nott. His wife and his daughter are perfectly intact, you may be happy to know, and we have them under constant surveillance."

I only half listened to him. I was staring at the second photograph. It was of a long stretch of white wall on which a rhyme was written in what was unmistakably blood.

To those whose blood runs thick with prejudice

Prepare to meet your ultimate nemesis.

To those who have lived beneath their hateful hands,

Prepare to rise up and take command.

I'll be your saviour and your guide.

Together we will not have to hide.

Prepare my friends for a great progression,

It is time for the Half-Blood Prince's ascension.

Too long they've had unrightful power

So join me know, take back the hour.

Change is tangible in the air

So pure-blood families beware.

BEWARE THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE.

The poem was odd and badly structured, but the message came across loud and clear. Someone had it in for purebloods.

"We haven't identified this person yet, nor his or her precise intentions. We don't know if he is targeting all pure-blood families or just the ones who – uh – have had a previous association with muggle haters like the Notts." Said Mrs. Weasley. It sounded as though she was trying to reassure me with very unreassuring words.

"Bloody rotten death eaters, she means. Like your dear old dad and granddad." Interrupted Mr. Weasley. I felt my chest tighten furiously at his words, but I decided that getting cheeky with a well trained Ministry official wouldn't be in my best interest.

"Ronald Weasley you – you heartless git!" Exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, hitting her husband over the head with a small beaded handbag. "You have no subtlety!" She continued to shout at him, hitting him with her purse all the way out the door.

"Lover's quarrels." Said Mr. Potter, rolling his eyes. "But really Vera," He turned his attention back to me. "I'd appreciate if you would stay in the house for the remainder of the holidays. We don't know exactly what this mad hatter wants but it can't be anything good, and as a pureblood associated with the Notts, you ought to watch yourself. You may be a target as well."

I nodded, barely paying attention to what I was agreeing to.

"Alright then. See you later." He followed his friends out the door. Albus, James, and Rose entered barely a second later. Albus looked worried, James looked irritated, and Rose simply looked speculative.

"Vera! What's going on? Why is half the Ministry of Magic in our kitchen?" Albus launched into questions the second his feet cleared the threshold. I didn't answer him. I was too busy puzzling over the identity of the strange new character calling himself the Half-Blood Prince.

"What's wrong?" Al asked upon registering my blank expression. "Vera?" When I didn't answer he knelt down in front of me and took my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. "Vera? Talk to me."

I stared up into his green eyes. "Theodore Nott is dead."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rose and James' shocked looks.

"What?" Albus stuttered. "How?"

"Murder."

"Huh?"

I pulled the two pictures of the table and handed them to him as he rose back onto his feet. He grimaced at the first photograph then passed it to Rose. She made a small noise of disgust before passing it to James, who turned slightly green. We all looked at Albus who was still reading the rhyming words in the second photo. He passed it along to Rose, his expression suddenly grim.

"Are you gonna be okay?" He asked. I shrugged. I knew I would be fine. I was just recovering from shock at the moment and of course pondering my own potentially gruesome fate.

Death is a strange thing, I contemplated as the other three continued to puzzle over the visuals of Nott's murder. I had never been particularly fond of Mr. Nott. He'd been huffy, snobbish, and gossipy. I still remembered his short and fat stature, his shiny bald scalp, and his beady black eyes set in his meaty face. Mr. Nott had not been a good or attractive person, but he had still been a person. A person I had met, a person I had spoken to. A person with a wife, a daughter, parents, and even grandparents. He had had hopes and dreams, perhaps not good ones, but hopes and dreams nonetheless. Now he was gone, and all the years of his life, all of his memories, and all of his personal thoughts were gone with him, and there seemed to be an empty hole somewhere in the world where Mr. Nott should have been.

"Oh Vera." Said Rose as she finished reading the Prince's warning. "You must be so scared." I shrugged again, still thinking. Time passed, though how much time I didn't know. I ignored Rose and Al's whispered conversation. I ignored the snow falling outside. I ignored the creaking of the floorboards under Lily's feet on the floor above. I even ignored Rose the first few times she tried to get my attention.

"Do you have any idea who this person could be?" Rose asked as I finally turned my eyes to her.

I shrugged. "Plenty of ideas. The Notts weren't what you'd call popular. Mr. Nott was a miserable old sod, and Mrs. Nott and Adrian aren't exactly peachy. I'd have thought someone tried to kill them just to get them to shut up if it weren't for this message." I shook my head dejectedly. "Everyone hates my family. Everyone hates anyone who was involved with Voldemort. I'm sure plenty of people are happy to see Mr. Nott dead. I'm sure plenty of people would be happy to see my family dead. Because of that, the list of suspects goes on forever."

Rose lapsed back into silence. For the first time, I turned my eyes onto James. The expression on his handsome face was unreadable.

"Do you have any idea?" I asked of him.

He looked up at me, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well everyone knows you run the 'I hate Malfoy' campaign at school. I bet you know plenty of people who would want to murder a member of a death eater family." I could hear the harsh, cutting edge in my voice, but I made no attempt to soften it. My emotions were spinning around like throwing stars at the moment and James Potter was the nearest person for me to logically take my anger out on.

"What are you trying to say? That I was involved in this – in this awful thing?" His anger seemed to rise to match my own.

I rose to my feet, staring him boldly in the eye. "You tell me." I said coolly.

James' face twisted into a million different expressions in the space of about two seconds. "You – you filthy death eater. How dare you suggest that I – I – "

"That you what? Behave the exact way you always do?" I demanded, smarting as his insult cut through me.

He seemed absolutely speechless. Feeling a strange mixture of triumph, guilt, and sorrow for the way I had just spoken to James, I grabbed my cloak, threw it over my shoulders and marched out the door.

As usual, I ran. I sprinted across the frost- covered ground, tripping occasionally and sprawling in the snow. I was tired of it. Exhausted in fact. Exhausted of James treating me like a criminal simply because of my surname. For once I just wished he would smile at me. Give me a chance to show him he had judged me much too early. I wanted him to look at me the way he had in the changing rooms that day, like I wasn't a terrible sight to behold.

I continued to run until I came upon one of the orchards that occupied the areas surrounding Ottery St. Catchpole. I sat down against one of the tree trunks and muttered the charm for a portable fire I'd learned in fourth year. A small blue flame crackled to life before me, floating an inch above the ground and warming me. I sat there until the sun went down, taking big lung fulls of ice-cold air, and trying to still my spinning mind.

In the distance I could see the tall, crooked outline of the Burrow where Al's grandparents lived. On the other side of the valley, I could see the much smaller, straighter outline of Rose's house. I also knew that Lorcan and Lysander, some of Lily's friends whose mother was very close with Mr. Potter, lived just over the distant hill, and Mr. Longbottom and Alex lived one town over. The Weasley family was quite odd in this manner. They seemed to love spending time with friends and family, so much so that when Mr. Potter and his friends decided to settle down, they built their houses in sight of one another and Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur.

I had never experienced this in my house. I loved my family, and they loved me, though none of us would ever say this out loud. In fact, the only time I ever saw my parents was at dinner over the breaks, and sometimes not even then, as my dad was a curse breaker for Gringott's and he and my mom travelled a lot. The lavish gifts they brought back from foreign countries were enough to satisfy Scorpius, but I was continually wondering what it would be like to have full-time parents. To have a mother who would take me shopping and ask me about my friends and school and be honestly curious about it. To have a father who cared enough to remind me to keep the bedroom door open when I had a boy over, and scare the living daylights out of that same boy if he ever tried anything with me. I sighed at these thoughts. I knew my friends were annoyed by things like that when their parents did them, but I personally felt that my friends took small acts like getting a hug or pat on the back from their parents for granted.

It had long since become dark when I heard footsteps crunching in the snow just outside of the orchard. I opened my eyes to find Albus standing before me, wearing a heavy winter jacket and carrying a steaming cup of tea. His face was solemn.

He sat down in front of me and held out the cup of tea. I took it gratefully and gulped it down. He stared at the fire I had conjured, not speaking. It seemed he was out of apologies and comforting words. I was glad. I'd heard enough of them to last me a lifetime. At last the night became too cold. I stood and Albus rose to his feet beside me. As we began walking, Albus said,

"I told mum you probably wouldn't want to come to dinner tonight, so I'm gonna take you to eat down in the village, and we can go back home after my brother is asleep."

I noticed his choice of words when mentioning his brother, but didn't comment. Instead I sighed and said,

"Alright. But then I think I'll go back to my house tomorrow."

Albus looked at me, his eyes suddenly wide. "What? Why?"

I shook my head sadly as Albus directed our feet toward the distant spots of light down in the village. "You have a great family Al, and I don't want to mess that up. You are all such wonderful people, and you deserve to have a happy Christmas. Somehow I think me being here won't help that."

Anger suddenly flared in Albus' eyes. He stopped and grabbed my shoulders, turning me around to face him. "Seriously Vera how thick are you?" I made a small 'huff' sound. That wasn't the first time in the last few days someone had told me I was thick. "I think we've all made it pretty clear that we want you around, no matter what my arse of a brother says. Besides, you aren't safe at your house and the Head of the Auror Office has ordered you to stay with us so you're just gonna have to suck it up. Now stop being such a Gryffindor. No one likes appreciates that noble, self-sacrificing rubbish right now. Now please, stay. Do it for me alright?"

I stared at him. Albus had never been one to yell. I'd rarely even heard him raise his voice. He had always had this skill of solving problems in a very calm and logical tone, a skill I envied. It was this, his intense and uncommon frustration, that impressed upon me how serious he was, and therefore convinced me to say,

"Alright."

"So you'll stay?"

"I suppose I don't have a choice do I?"

"No you don't." He said, appearing thoroughly satisfied with himself. "Now let's go. I know this muggle diner you'll like."

We passed the rest of the walk in a considerably more cheerful manner, and found relief from the freezing cold in a small, toasty diner on the edge of town. We took a seat in a booth beside the frost-encrusted window and were promptly greeted by a pretty girl with honey blonde curls who seemed about our age. She was short but dainty with a heart-shaped face and wide blue eyes.

"Hello, I'm Holly. Can I get you two something to drink?" Her voice was high and bell-like. Her eyes passed over my strange attire before coming to linger on Albus. Seemingly oblivious to staring he said,

"Oh something warm. Hot chocolate?"

"Same." I said. Holly made a note on her notepad, gave Albus a significant look and strode away to fill our orders.

"She fancies you. That girl Holly." I informed him. His head snapped up from his menu.

"What? No she doesn't."

"Oh yes she does. I'm a girl, trust me."

He rolled his eyes at my use of the girl card. "Whatever it doesn't matter. I have a girlfriend."

"How is she by the way?" I asked, looking down at my own menu.

"Okay I guess."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed. "She hasn't written me back yet."

"Really? Not even for your birthday?"

He shook his head, sadness gripping his features.

"I see." I said, unable to think of a better response. "I'm sure she's just busy."

"Yeah." Said Albus, looking as though he hoped this himself. Trying to take his mind off these darker subjects I said,

"What time is it anyway?"

Albus pulled out his brand new golden pocket watch that he had received for his 17th birthday and looked at it.

"I'll let you know when I figure out how to read this thing."

I chuckled quietly and he began to smile slightly as well. Holly returned at that moment with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate.

"Here you are." She said, setting them down before us. "Are you ready to order?"

We gave her our orders and in no time had plates of hot food in front of us. I looked around the diner as I ate, taking in the leather booths, the warm golden glow of the lights, the steady hum of the coffee machine. We were some of the few customers in the diner. There was an elderly gentleman in the corner with a pale blue cap and wool gray jacket, a plump auburn haired woman sipping a cup of coffee at the counter, and a pale, dark haired man in the corner by the door. I gave a sharp intake of breath as the man looked up at me. His eyes, as black and empty as holes, bore into mine with a furious intensity. I dropped my gaze, suddenly feeling a strange sense of foreboding.

"What are you looking at?" Albus asked, noticing my reaction.

"Nothing. There's just a strange man in the corner."

"Hmmm…Leaky Cauldron strange or Knockturn Alley strange?"

"Knockturn Alley."

"Weird. Well don't worry. He's probably not much more of a nutter than the other ones."

"I suppose." We returned to eating. A moment later, the door opened and another man stepped in, followed by a swirl of snowflakes and cold air. He was tall with ash blonde hair, pale skin, and an enormous scar running the length of the left side of his face. He shot me a filthy look when our eyes met, and once again I dropped my gaze and returned to my food. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw the blonde man join the dark haired man. They set to muttering and (Was I imagining it?) casting Albus and I meaningful looks. My sense of foreboding increased.

Holly strolled up to the pair, preparing to take the second man's order, but he shooed her away, eyeing me the whole time.

"Are you done eating?" I muttered quickly to Albus.

"No. Why?"

"We need to go."

"Huh?"

"Those men over there. They're looking at us. I think we should go back to your house." I raised my hand and requested the check from Holly. She took her time delivering it, eyeing Albus flatteringly the whole time.

I began to tap my foot, half out of impatience, half out of nervousness.

"What's up with you?" Albus asked sounding slightly irritated.

"Nothing. I just have a bad feeling. We really need to go."

He stared at me intently for a moment then said, "Alright."

Holly came with the check a moment later, looking slightly put out. Albus pulled out several oddly colored strips of paper with a woman's face on them and place them on top of the bill.

"Keep the change." I muttered to Holly as I grabbed Albus' wrist and pulled him out the door. We strode out into the gently falling snow and began walking quickly back in the direction of the house.

"Vera calm down. I'm sure they are just shifty looking muggles. It's not like they're following us – oh."

I glanced back. The two men had exited the diner and were walking behind us at a distance.

"Alright, well that's just a coincidence. I'm sure they are just heading this direction as well. I know there is an inn up ahead."

I nodded, hoping very much that Albus was correct. The snow crunched underneath our feet as we walked quickly along, past houses, closed shops, a bank, a muggle post office… At last we passed the inn Albus had been referring to. I glanced back at the men several moments later, and found that they had passed up the inn completely.

My heart sped up in terror. I grabbed Albus' wrist with my left hand, and slid my right into my pocket to wrap around my wand. Then I muttered,

"Al, when I squeeze your hand, run."

He nodded grimly, suddenly just as paranoid as I was. I glanced back at the men once more and then squeezed Albus' hand tightly. Together we broke into a run. Just then, a jet of red light shot over my shoulder and hit a snowdrift ahead. I began sprinting, pulling Albus along behind me. Another streak of light shot past us, this time narrowly missing my ear. I turned around and shot a stunner at the dark-haired man. He dodged it and threw a jelly legs jinx at me. I noticed that they didn't seem to be aiming for Albus. I ran faster, positively yanking Al along behind me. He entered the dueling by shooting a series of jinxes back at the pair, all of which missed by inches.

We were at the edge of town now, all signs of civilization falling away quickly. We reached the hill. Now we just have to run up this hill and the Potter house will be in sight and then we'll be…the snow suddenly gave way beneath me. The last spell sent at me had hit the snow at my feet, causing me to trip and slide all the way back down to the bottom of the hill.

"Pretego!" I screamed at the precise moment the fair-haired man exclaimed, "Stupefy!"

The stunner bounced off my shield and hit the roof of a distant house, causing several feet of snow to spill onto the ground. I struggled to my feet. Albus was now dueling both men. The two seemed unwilling to hurt Albus, so he was primarily trying to defend me. I joined the fray and began shooting all manner of spells at the two men.

"Albus!" I yelled as I dodged a stunning spell. "Get your dad!"

Albus nodded and turned toward the house while I covered his back. "Expecto Patronum!" He waved his wand and an enormous elephant shot out of the tip before coming to stand at attention in front of him. "Get dad and bring him here. Go!" The elephant galloped off.

"An elephant, Al? Really?" I asked as I dodged another spell. Albus didn't get a chance to answer. At that moment a jet of red light hit him in the chest. He was thrown off his feet and landed several yards away where he sprawled in the snow, motionless.

"Albus!" I screamed. Fury mounted in my chest as I turned to face his attacker. "Reducto!" My spell caught the fair-haired man in the stomach and threw him twenty feet back into edge of the town. I began to spin to face the other man but I wasn't fast enough. A spell hit me in back and I collapsed. Pain. Unimaginable, indescribable pain was splitting my spine.

I'd been injured before. In second year I'd broken my leg after tripping over Fred Weasley's foot. In fourth year, a group of Slytherin girls had pinned me down in the third floor bathroom and burned the words "Bloodtraitor" into my arm. Last year, I'd been rampaged by a crowd of angry hippogriffs set on me by some of my brother's friends and had lived to tell the tale only through Hagrid's quick actions in saving me. All of that had hurt, but nothing had been like this. This was agony. Pure, unadulterated agony. I knew it could only be one thing. The Cruciatus Curse.

Then the pain stopped. I turned onto my back, trying to see through my suddenly blurry vision and grasped around in the snow for the wand I had dropped.

"Crucio!" The man's harsh voice said. The pain raked through me again. I heard a terrible, agonized screaming and realized it was coming from my own mouth. Then there was a pop andsomeone said,

"Stupefy!" And the pain stopped. The spell was followed by two more popping sounds. I breathed heavily, trying to fill my protesting lungs with air. I heard people muttering. I heard the crunch of snow as someone knelt beside me and brushed the hair from my eyes. I peered up through my blurry vision. A tall, thin figure was leaning over me. I could barely make out messy black hair and amber brown eyes.

"She's alive." I heard James call to someone. "How's Al?"

"Fine. He's just stunned. Enervate!"

I heard a gasp and then Albus' voice, "Vera! Vera? Run!"

"It's alright Al." I heard Mrs. Potter murmur.

"Where's - ?"

"Vera's over there. She's alive too." I heard the crunching of snow again and someone knelt down on my other side. I felt Albus' hand slip into mine as he said,

"What's wrong with her?"

"That bastard was torturing her. Don't worry. Dad got him. And I think we were here in time."

"Yes we were." Mr. Potter said. He sounded closer now. "But you three get back to the house. There may be more of them around. I'll call the magical enforcement squad. Ginny, can you help me round these men up?" Mr. and Mrs. Potter began muttering again as someone scooped me off the ground and held me against his chest. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck.

"Hold on tight, both of you." James muttered. Then we were turning on the spot. The air seemed to be pressing hard on us from all sides as though we were being squeezed through a narrow tube. I twisted one of my hands in the front of James' t-shirt, wanting the unpleasant sensation to stop. It did.

I took in a breath of fresh air and forced my eyes open. We were outside of the gate that marked the edge of the Potter property. Lily stood in the doorway, looking out at the three of us with concern as we approached the house. Then we were through the door. I closed my eyes, enjoying the all around warmth that suddenly enveloped me and wishing it could penetrate some of the cold still resolutely residing my chest.

I felt James setting me down on the couch in the sitting room. He tried to pull away then, but I furled my hands even more tightly into his t-shirt. I opened my eyes to find his face inches from mine. He gazed at me with a bemused expression, his eyes flitting briefly across every inch of my face. Our staring contest was ended when he at last sighed and sat down beside me, allowing me to curl up to his chest and absorb his warmth. I closed my eyes contentedly as I listened to his steady heartbeat. There were several creaking noises as Lily and Albus sat down on the couch across from us.

"So Al," James said, "Tell us what happened."