Chapter Ten: The Beacon is Lit

The two parties regarded each other coldly. No one in the pub moved a muscle. Even Rosmerta, who had been busy wiping her glasses, had stopped to stare at them.

Then Sirius inhaled sharply. "Bellatrix."

The woman turned to look at him. She might have smiled, but to Lily it looked more like a leer.

"Hello, little cousin," said the woman, inclining her head. James's grip on her hand went slack. "I hear Aunt Walburga blasted you off of the family tree. Is that true?"

Sirius snarled. "Whereas I hear you've been torturing Muggles whenever you're not brooding with Rodolphus."

Bellatrix shrugged easily. "I won't deny it. I've been busy keeping the wizarding world pure." She broke from his gaze and surveyed the rest of their group, an ugly smile pasting itself on her thin lips. "Something, dear cousin, that you haven't been doing, I'm afraid. The company you keep these days… First, blood traitors, and now you've sunk so low as to befriend Mudbloods."

She spat the word so easily it almost hurt to hear. Lily flinched; something she'd been accustomed to doing whenever she heard the word. Sirius surged forwards, a furious look on his face, but Frank stepped in between them before he could get any closer.

"ENOUGH!" roared Frank, pointing his wand at Bellatrix. "Bellatrix Black, you're under arrest for crimes against humanity. Turn around slowly, and raise your wand above your head."

Bellatrix's smile widened.

She raised her wand, high above her head, and then flicked it downwards so quickly Lily could barely see it; quite a few people in the pub screamed and backed away, scramming towards the door. A jet of red light streaked from her wand towards Frank –

Alice whipped her wand in front of him and deflected the curse, sending it bouncing around the pub. It set fire to various spots, and soon the wooden walls of the Three Broomsticks were alight with flame…

"Oh no you don't!" screeched Rosmerta angrily from behind her bar, and she took out her wand, a livid look on her face, "Take this outside!"

But neither Bellatrix nor Frank heard her; they furiously shot spells at each other, lifting tables and chairs to hide behind. All around them, people screamed, scramming towards the door; flashes of bright light filled the small pub, blinding Lily. Even as she rushed forwards to help, Bellatrix arced her wand across her head like she was cracking a whip, and from it emanated a force so powerful that the windows shattered and they all flew back, slamming into the walls.

Lily's eyes fluttered open, trying to ignore the blinking stars, but Bellatrix had turned and vanished in a puff of black smoke. Cracks were heard all around her, outside; she wasn't sure if it was the pub breaking down or something else…

"Where's she gone?" snarled Sirius, staggering up to his feet. His nose was bloody and there were a few cuts on his arms from where the glass had sliced him.

"She flew off," murmured James, sitting against the wall and massaging his temples.

Lily only half-heard what they were talking about; she strained her ears to listen to what was going on outside. Dark figures moved about, more cracks were sounding, and with a sudden feeling of dread, she realized what the others had not: they were being surrounded.

"Stay quiet!" she hissed, and the others immediately heeded her. "There are people outside, I think they're Death Eaters…"

Frank crouched up, dusting his robes. He looked relatively unscathed, but there was a nasty-looking bruise on his wrist. "The Aurors aren't coming any time soon. We're all that's left to defend."

"We can do this," said Peter determinedly. "I bet they think Bellatrix knocked us out. If we can surprise them…"

He trailed off, but the others understood. Lily scanned her surroundings; the pub was destroyed, and she had no idea if the people had made it out… with a pang, she realized that that was her responsibility as Head Girl, to keep everyone else safe.

"Don't go inside," said a muffled voice from just outside the wall, deep and drawling. "We destroy the building, nothing else."

Her friends made alarmed moves; they were gearing up to protect the pub, and Lily squared her shoulders as she readied her wand.

"We've got to attack first," she said, "It's like Peter said, they still don't know about us –"

"Are you mad?" said Sirius incredulously. "They'll kill us on the spot if we so much as peek our heads!"

"What choice have we got?" snapped Lily. "Either way, we're still going to be fighting Death Eaters."

"They outnumber us," said James, glaring at Sirius. "If we don't strike first –"

"On three," said the drawling voice. "One –"

"Send them anything!" hissed Lily. "Brace yourselves –"

"– two –"

"It's no use," said Sirius bitterly. "All right –"

In the space between the seconds, Lily saw her friends press their shoulders against the wall, their wands pointed straight up, determined looks on their faces.

"– three –"

"NOW!" bellowed Lily.

Before any spells could come their way, Lily and the others crowded around the broken windows, and eight different voices bellowed,"STUPEFY!" Eight curses streaked off from their wands at the nearest Death Eaters; some ricocheted off their bodies and took down more than one, and the Death Eaters, momentarily surprised, shouted unintelligibly –

"OUT!" roared Frank, gesturing towards the door. "WE NEED TO GET OUT!"

They sprinted out the door, casting random curses in all directions; the Death Eaters instantly surged towards them, their masked faces staring menacingly; Lily felt James grab her robes and drag her forwards. Spells of different colours bounced harmlessly around them, and she realized that Sirius and Remus had their wands raised above their heads, casting a variety of shield charms –

They crossed the street; heading for a line of shops. The village was weirdly deserted, but then Lily saw figures peeking through the windows; at least the civilians had had the sense to hide. They were nearing Zonko's, if they could get behind the building they'd at least have some cover from the Death Eaters behind them –

"CONFRINGO!" roared a voice behind them.

With a gasp of horror, Lily turned her head; she saw a fiery curse make its way through the air towards them; it made contact with the shield and instantly fire engulfed them, blasting their protective enchantments to smithereens –

A hand pulled her out of the way before the curse could harm her; James pushed her forwards, waving his wand in a sweeping motion, extinguishing the flames that came at them. They'd been separated from the main group, it was just her and James now, and she seized a fistful of his robes and dragged him with her before he could engage –

Spells shot at them, but Lily ducked and they cratered the buildings in front of her; they were behind Zonko's, but there was no time to regroup and form a plan with her friends; they rushed towards an alleyway, finding the way ahead clear and she saw Remus and Peter sprint past them; something heavy struck her on her legs, but she merely kicked and ignored it; she heard James shout, "Impedimenta!" and there was a yelp behind her, and someone shouted –

They had entered the alley with another Death Eater, and Lily made quick work of him, disarming him and then slamming him to the wall; she waved her wand wildly over the two buildings towering over them, and the entrance to the alley closed suddenly as the bricks formed a sort of barrier, blocking the rest of the Death Eaters out; she and James rushed forwards, she could see flickering light at the end of the alleyway as sleet fell hard from the sky –

They ducked past more curses as the barrier behind them gave way; they rounded a corner just before the spells could hit them, and they ran, their hands clasped so tightly it was starting to hurt; the houses and shops were a blur as they streaked past, sending spells and curses behind them; she didn't see her spells hit the Death Eaters, but the grunts and shouts told her more than enough –

She and James hadn't looked where they were going; she slammed into a body and they both toppled to the ground. In an instant, they were up, their wands pointed forwards –

"Prongs?" said Sirius incredulously. "And Lily! Thank Merlin!"

Lily lowered her wand shakily, a relieved smile finding its way on to her lips. "Where are the others?"

"We thought they were with you!" said Marlene anxiously. "After that curse hit us, we went off on our own, we didn't see anyone else…"

Lily glanced behind her. For the moment, they were all clear, but if she remembered correctly, there had been a dozen Death Eaters waiting for them outside the pub. Hogsmeade was crawling with them, and if she didn't think of something fast, they were doomed.

"We need to stick together," said Lily, not wanting to think of what might have happened to their friends. "Find the others fast, and then get out of the village."

"That simple, huh?" said Sirius weakly.

They all laughed, breaking the solemn mood; it felt good, watching her best friends be happy and confident in moments like these…

Suddenly, a voice from off to their side bellowed, "OVER HERE! I heard voices!"

Without a word, all four of them snuck past, darting along before the Death Eaters could see them. They ran as quickly as they could, passing more shops and houses along the way; she caught glimpses of people peeking through their windows, but she ignored them, she ran past them, following James and Sirius as they entered a forest –

"Where are we going?" panted Sirius.

Lily and Marlene grinded to a halt. "We were following you!"

Sirius cursed. Lily didn't recognize the place they were in; obviously, they were still on Hogsmeade grounds, but she didn't recall ever going through these thickets of wood. Trees surrounded them, blocking the setting sun. Snow fell hard and cold on her eyes, but it masked any sound that they might have made.

"The Shrieking Shack isn't far off," said James suddenly. "We could use the high ground, try to see what's happening."

"It's better than nothing," said Marlene heavily. Distant shouts echoed behind them and she glanced back. "We should go now, we don't want to stay in one place for too long…"

The four of them waded through the woods quickly, trying not to make a sound. No birds chirped overhead, making Lily feel lonely and small. She doubted whether anything lived here, in this depressing grove.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached the edge of the forest, where the Shrieking Shack stood high on a snowy hill, looking even more unwelcome. Lily shuddered; she remembered suddenly that this was the place Remus went to whenever he transformed.

"We need to get a message to Dumbledore," breathed James. "There's a chance they don't even know what's happening here."

"And how do we do that?" said Marlene, rolling her eyes. "Unless you can conjure an owl –"

But they had been careless, somehow, they had been found; bright curses of many colors shot through the trees towards them. Lily whipped her wand out and held it steady, casting a shield; it shook and cracked, and she nearly let it go –

"And here we was thinking that we's lost you forever," said a wheezy voice, its source emerging from the forest. Many others followed him. "A group of four make large footprints, eh?"

Lily cursed silently; she'd been stupid enough to think that the falling snow would cover their tracks. What looked like half a dozen Death Eaters stepped out to surround them. She felt James and the others close in, their backs to each other, facing different directions.

"Throw down your wands," said another, drawling voice; Lily recognized him as the one who had spoken earlier outside the Three Broomsticks. "The Dark Lord wishes to speak to you. He believes that you are worthy of joining our cause –"

"Yeah, that's exactly why you tried to kill us earlier," snarled James beside her. "You and your Dark Lord can shove off."

Lily saw the Death Eater turn his head to regard him. "You are in no position to refuse, Potter. You are outnumbered, and if you don't agree with our offer –" the Death Eater twirled his wand carelessly, "well, I'm afraid even the Dark Lord will understand…"

She saw no way out of this; the Death Eaters had their wands pointed at them, there was no escaping. Even if they did manage to beat them in a frontal duel, there were still six other Death Eaters to worry about, not to mention Bellatrix Black and Voldemort.

"Just hold on…" muttered James, so quietly Lily almost didn't hear him. "We'll think of something…"

Then, multiple voices from the forest cried, "STUPEFY!"

The Death Eater in front of her fell face first to the ground. More spells shot out of the trees, finding the Death Eaters as they suddenly turned, startled – four figures stepped out from the forest, their wands a blur of of colour and movement as they cursed and hexed and jinxed at whatever moved –

Lily wasted no time. She whipped her wand high above her head, suddenly energetic; she shot spell after spell, and the Death Eaters, in their panic and disorder, tried to fight back –

But it was now six against eight, and the Death Eaters were backing away; Lily surged forwards, her friends behind her, her thoughts empty but for the notion of turning the Death Eaters into one gigantic pile of Erumpent dung –

Then they vanished in a wisp of smoke, flying high above the trees. Sirius bellowed angrily, "COWARDS!", a cry that was repeated by many of her friends as they shot whatever spells they could think of, but they all missed and disappeared in the sky.

There was no time to relax. Even as Lily watched her friends lower their wands, she could feel that something was wrong, that something seemed to be watching her, closing in fast –

"We have to move," said Remus, pulling James up from the ground. "The rest of them aren't far, we saw figures moving through the forest; if we stay here, we're giving them a chance to regroup."

As if on cue, outraged yells sounded behind them, growing louder by the moment.

"I don't know about you, but twelve against eight aren't very good odds," said Frank.

They sprinted towards the Shrieking Shack, climbing the hill; Lily could see the last golden rays of sunlight streaming from over a mountain, an irony that contrasted with what they were facing right now.

A sudden spell blasted the side of the hill, peppering her with earth and snow; where her foot had been moments before, a crater had appeared. She glanced behind, barely seeing the dark outlines of multiple figures. Her wand shot spells at random, desperately praying that they found their marks –

But suddenly a hand pulled her roughly upwards, towards the top of the hill: they had reached the Shrieking Shack at last. James and Lily darted around the building as more spells came from below, hitting the shack –

"Too late!" shrieked a delighted voice, the unmistakable tone of Bellatrix Black. "Too weak, too foolish! A haunted building is nothing compared to the might of the Dark Lord!"

"Get inside," muttered Remus, kicking down a loose plank of wood in the wall. They all entered; Lily's heart was beating so quickly she was sure she would die…

"Hiding will not save you!" bellowed another voice; she didn't recognize it. "Nobody will save you! Dumbledore is miles away, and the Dark Lord approaches ever closer!"

Inside, the shack was a mess. The furniture was torn and clawed, as though an animal had rampaged around. She glanced quickly at Remus, but he was too busy muttering spells around the room to notice her.

"It need not be like this," came a drawling voice, "The Dark Lord wishes for you to join him; you all have a spot in our ranks –"

"Ignore them," said Sirius angrily, waving his wand around the walls. "Clear your minds, try to stay cool…"

"I say, Lucius, we just kill them!" said Bellatrix. Lily peeked out the window and found them all shuffling about, surrounding the shack like they had done in the Three Broomsticks.

"We hear them out first," said the drawling voice. "The Dark Lord is eager for them to join… but what is your answer?"

He directed that last bit towards the Shrieking Shack, but they all remained quiet. They glanced at each other furtively, trying to think of a plan. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily thought she saw something pop into being in the corner of the room, red and long, but she couldn't make it out in the darkness. She wasn't sure if anyone else had seen it, but before she could say something, the voice spoke again.

"Nothing?" he said coolly. "My, my… what a stubborn group of schoolchildren."

There was a BANG and the shack shook, raining dust from the ceiling that Lily shook out of her hair.

"Last chance," said the drawling voice. "Either you come out, and pledge your allegiance to the Dark Lord, or you die, like those unworthy of being in our world."

The shack shook again, groaning and shuddering as another spell was shot at it. Lily held James's hand tightly; he looked scared out of his mind, but she thought, rather ridiculously, that he had never looked quite as handsome as he did in that moment…

"We've got to attack first," hissed Alice. "Like last time –"

"They'll be ready for that!" snarled Marlene.

"What choice have we got?"

Her friends pressed their backs against the walls, gearing up to fight, but Lily held back, her instincts told her wait, to not attack yet – with a helpless glance she looked at the corner of the room, but the feather lay there uselessly, unmoving…

"Come on," whispered James. "Give it all you've got –"

"WAIT!" hissed Lily.

For the feather had suddenly floated up into the air; her friends turned to look, but just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished, covering the room in a dim, fiery glow that died quickly.

"So you've decided to die!" shrieked Bellatrix madly. "Go on then, Lucyyy –"

"Ready yourselves!" bellowed the voice of Lucius. "Destroy the shack –"

Lily's friends frantically raised their wands; she saw Peter shut his eyes tightly –

"Don't attack yet!" whispered Lily, though her mind was telling her she was crazy. "Something's going to happen –"

"WE'RE GOING TO DIE, EVANS, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN!" roared Sirius.

"– NOW!"

Then many things happened at once.

An explosion went off – somewhere in the vicinity of the rallying Death Eaters, and Lily heard them scream as they slammed into the walls of the shack. A blinding, jagged jet of white light streaked through the air, like lightning; it hit the ground before them, and though Lily couldn't see what it had done, it must have been effective, for suddenly all was quiet outside, and no spells came their way.

"To me," said a powerful voice, booming so loudly the residents of Hogsmeade must have heard it. "Death Eaters are not welcome here. To me."

"Dumbledore!" cried James, looking through a broken window.

Lily whipped her head round to the window, her heart in her throat. Near the padded gate that separated the Shrieking Shack from Hogsmeade, his wand held high above his head, stood Albus Dumbledore. Straining her eyes, she saw multiple figures behind him, but there was one that stood out above the rest – Professor McGonagall looked furious.

Hisses were heard all around her. The roof shook, and then it elevated slightly, as though a weight had been lifted off it. The same black smoke from earlier in the forest streaked towards the sky, leaving behind a trail. Dumbledore made his way towards them, his face weary and his silver beard disheveled.

The door to the Shrieking Shack burst open, and in strode the teachers, checking the room quickly. When he seemed satisfied, Dumbledore turned to Lily and the others, and spoke, "Are you all alright?"

"We're OK, Professor," said Alice immediately. Dumbledore nodded in a business-like manner.

"You will please follow Professor McGonagall to Hogsmeade," he continued, "There you will take the main route to Hogwarts –"

"Professor, I have another idea," interjected Remus quickly, glancing at James and then back at Dumbledore. "It would be quicker, safer, if we used the passage underneath –"

"Ah, but that is where I am afraid you are wrong, Mr Lupin," said Dumbledore briskly. "All passages to and from Hogwarts have been sealed with impenetrable magic – it seems the Death Eaters have taken precautions. The only path they could not block was the largest, most powerful: the main road."

He turned to Professor McGonagall. "Minerva, ensure that they are brought safely to school. The road is large – and exposed. Mr Longbottom…" he directed these words towards Frank, who stiffened, "you are an Auror, and are therefore qualified as a protector. Please help Professor McGonagall."

"Of course, Professor," said Frank.

Dumbledore nodded again, his face grim and ancient. "I must patrol the grounds, Filius, would you –?" he turned to the short Charms teacher, who nodded earnestly, "Very well. I will be nearby, should trouble find you all. Minerva, keep your wand ready and don't let your guard down. I could be mistaken, but I could feel when Lord Voldemort was nearby…" he sighed. "Off, then."

The journey back to the forest was long and cold. It had stopped snowing, something that Lily was grateful for. Dumbledore had left shortly after they had, taking Professor Flitwick and Professor Slughorn with him, looking quite terrifying as he surveyed the Hogsmeade grounds. At that moment, walking on a snowy, muddy path through the forest, she suddenly understood why Voldemort feared Dumbledore.

She slipped her hand into James's. Neither of them exchanged words, nor did anyone else in their group, but it was nice, she thought, to feel the warmth of someone you liked, someone you cared about. It felt especially anchoring when she thought back to the previous events. She'd nearly died multiple times during the span of those few hours since she'd left the Three Broomsticks.

Frank cleared the way ahead of them, going first with his wand raised; he would wait at spots and would continue his scouting once they'd reached up to him. Lily and James were directly behind McGonagall, and their friends formed a sort of line behind them, like a mum ducky guiding her little ducklings.

"How is it, Mr Longbottom?" asked McGonagall suddenly. They all stopped; Lily nearly bumped into McGonagall, but James caught her.

"It seems OK," came his answer.

Lily stared forwards. They'd reached the village much quicker than she thought they would. Smoke billowed out of the buildings and houses, though Lily knew these were caused by fires. The village was oddly quiet; she thought she'd hear some screaming, but no one did. It seemed as though the Death Eaters had left Hogsmeade. Perhaps Dumbledore had scared them off.

"Quickly, now, we don't want to stay here any longer than we should," barked Professor McGonagall, and Lily marched forwards with her. Frank fell back and joined the group, taking up the spot beside James; they all kept their wands aloft and stared around.

They passed through the houses, where Lily was relieved to see that people were bustling about inside, panicked looks on their faces. At least they weren't dead, though she thought that that was a horrible worst-case scenario. McGonagall led them through the same alley that Lily and James had gone through, avoiding the roads and keeping out of sight. They strode past Zonko's, which looked as though a dragon had decided to make it its dinner. She doubted that it would put them out of business – or at least cut down on production, though she couldn't help but hope. She felt slightly guilty at that.

The main square was visible now. Hogwarts towered in the distance, its way clear and inviting. Glancing around, Lily saw the Three Broomsticks still looked as though a bomb had been set up inside. She felt even guiltier as she thought of poor Rosmerta, who only wanted peace and quiet. She wondered sadly how long it would take to make repairs.

"All right," said McGonagall, looking relieved. "I suppose we should wait for Professor Dumbledore and the others to finish patrolling, but I think you've had enough of Hogsmeade."

The others nodded fervently at that. Lily looked up longingly at the towering black castle, where she knew was the only place in which she could feel relaxed after all that had happened. Once she got there, she decided, she would take a long, hot bath. She didn't care if all the water at Hogwarts ran out, all she wanted was to feel safe, preferably with James to talk to later…

She looked up at him. He still looked the same as he had in the Shrieking Shack, with his set jaw and his furrowed brow and those unsure hazel eyes that conveyed his true feelings. She wondered what he was thinking about at the moment.

"Keep together," said McGonagall, turning to look at them. "Make sure none of you get left behind. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will send word as we're heading back –"

But she did not get to finish her words, for suddenly something large and silver swooped down from the sky. Regal and proud, the phoenix soared over their heads, staring down at them as though they were potential prey. Lily saw the others turn to look, their mouths open, and then the Patronus spoke in Albus Dumbledore's voice:

"Stay where you are. He is still here."

At these words, the group suddenly closed in, their backs to each other. James pulled Lily close to him; there was no way they'd get separated, and there was no way he would let Voldemort lay a spell on either of them.

McGonagall forced the rest of them behind her, guarding the front; her eyes darted all around the village, where the rest of the civilians had heard: James heard the sound of slamming doors and clicking locks as they boarded themselves in their own houses. A smaller, more timid part of him suggested hiding with one of them, but his usual explosive self immediately shut down the idea. It was cowardly, and not-at-all Gryffindor-like; besides, there was no telling whether Voldemort knew their position. If they took up shelter in a person's home, Voldemort might just blast through.

So what to do?

He scanned his surroundings. They were fully exposed, looking very much like a bunch of sitting ducks as they grouped together in the main square, their eyes wide and fearful, but James's heart burned excitedly. He would never admit it, but the last few near-death experiences had energized him, much as Quidditch did.

The clouds above darkened and rippled, as though readying for a storm. If it started raining, on top of having to step on cold snow, James would really lose it there. He glanced around him desperately, trying to think of a plan. He was Head Boy, for Merlin's sake, he should be a leader, not have other people protecting him –

The sky rumbled, and then McGonagall said suddenly, "Get behind!"

James hastily threw up a shield charm, and the rest of them scooted around the square, eyeing the black clouds suspiciously; in his mind's eye, he saw Voldemort's head above the clouds, leering down at them –

He felt the air shift; somehow, he felt it, and then a metallic scent permeated his senses. Without glancing at McGonagall, without even thinking about it, he threw up his free arm and pushed the group back, thrusting his wand in front of him –

Black lightning forked from the clouds, striking the middle of the square and raining rubble on them. Energy arced upwards, its tendrils merging together to form a single, deadly beam; it shot from the air towards the shield, which broke immediately, and James felt a sudden pain as it raced up his arm, stinging all of his particles –

The pain died suddenly, and Lily and Sirius caught him before he hit the ground. His cloak gave off an odd burning smell that he registered dimly through his jumbled senses, but at least he was still conscious. His ears felt as though someone had stuck a bell in them and was hitting it continuously. Smoke emerged from where the lightning had struck, covering the square entirely and hiding the buildings and houses that surrounded them.

Shapes moved in the smoke. James heard screaming all around him; there was a girly voice in his ear, repeating the same word, "JAMES! JAMES!"... but he felt the ringing grow louder, he could feel himself slip, lose focus…

And before he knew it, he was staring up at the tip of a black wand, its body racing with energy. He felt someone tug his shoulders, and he blindly allowed them to guide him backwards, still looking at the wand –

The smoke cleared as the black-robed figure waved and swished; alone he was, tall and menacing, with a white face and scarlet eyes. He stared around, almost with relish; relish in the fact that he had gotten past Dumbledore and the Ministry, gotten past them all –

James met his eyes. He was trembling, his legs felt like pudding; he was rooted to the spot, unable to move, unwilling to let Lily drag him to safety. His vision tunneled, and all he saw was him, James, and the snakelike face that had spoken in his dreams –

Voldemort whipped his wand, green light flashing all around him, and then his mouth moved.

"Avada Kedavra."

The spell flew towards him slowly, as though time had decelerated. His mind registered what was happening, but his body, still trapped in whatever spell had been cast on it, couldn't react. He heard strangled shouts and muffled screams, but he knew, somehow, that they wouldn't reach him in time –

The ground rose before him, like a wall; the Killing Curse hit the earth and it disintegrated into dust, and then James felt his body tense as he fell to his knees; he'd broken out of the spell, but Voldemort was not paying attention to him, his scarlet eyes were staring to his side, his mouth curled downwards in a terrifying snarl as a tall figure in billowing blue robes frowned disapprovingly at him.

"Tom," said Dumbledore, his voice quiet, yet James could hear him clearly. "I'm afraid I am not at all happy to see you."

Behind Dumbledore, Flitwick and Slughorn fanned out, their wands gripped tightly in their trembling hands. James felt multiple bodies heave him off the ground and drag him. Off to his side, he heard Sirius's voice mutter, "Tom? That's his name?"

"But I am, Dumbledore," said Voldemort softly, not taking his eyes off him. "I come bearing gifts."

"We do not accept gifts from criminals or murderers!" squeaked Flitwick immediately. "Begone, snake!"

Voldemort paid him no attention. He merely straightened, taking in his surroundings, yet his grip on his wand did not loosen.

"Is this a way to greet an old student?" whispered Voldemort. "My, my… Hogwarts's standards have fallen… And these –" he waved his wand carelessly at James and the others, and they all yelped and rushed back, "Your students, I presume?"

Dumbledore did not answer. He was still staring at Voldemort with those piercing blue eyes, his face still set in that disapproving frown, as though Voldemort was merely a student who had shown him a disappointing project.

"But – no…" said Voldemort suddenly, and then he turned to James again, now regarding him curiously, "I have heard of you three… Longbottom, Black, and Potter…"

He exchanged glances with Sirius and Frank. So the Death Eaters had been telling the truth. Voldemort did know them. Next to James, McGonagall shot him a warning look so as to not respond.

"Join me," whispered Voldemort, his face suddenly hungry with greed. "Those with pure blood should stick together, no?"

"Tom," said Dumbledore before any of them could retort. "I request that you leave immediately. The Aurors are coming."

"And I welcome them, old man." Voldemort strode backwards, circling the large crack where his spell had struck. "The more that receive the gift, the better…"

He pointed his wand at the fault; there was a bang, and suddenly something peeked out from the crack, something large and pointy. A stake emerged, and tied to the stake was a man; nearly naked, nearly dead, he was lifted up, guided by the movement of Voldemort's wand. James's stomach tightened, he knew what was coming somehow, it was as though he'd seen it –

"Imperio."

Voldemort pointed his wand at the old man, and suddenly he became rigid, and then he went limp. He turned back to Dumbledore and the rest of the Professors, who had horror-struck looks on their faces.

"Attack me, Dumbledore, and he dies." Voldemort twitched his wand slightly, and the old man lurched his arms pathetically. "But you know him, don't you? Your old friend, the Mudblood, Theodore Plant."

The old man raised his head, his eyes rolling back into his head, and he gave a slow nod as though confirming Voldemort.

"He is my beacon, Headmaster," continued Voldemort, fingering his wand. "A beacon for all who wish to join me, in the cleansing –" he turned to look at James again, but he did not squirm, "A light that will guide them to the right path."

"A path that brings sorrow to all who come across it," said Dumbledore quietly. "A path that you've carved out of blood and skin, that strangles all of its travelers. No, Tom, it is not the right path."

"You call me Tom as though we are friends, Dumbledore," said Voldemort coldly. "I am Lord Voldemort."

"But I have given you the reason, have I not?" Dumbledore smiled bitterly, as though remembering something painful. "Or perhaps your memory is not as good as it once was, Tom…"

James turned his head quickly back and forth, as though watching a Quidditch match. The aura the two wizards gave off was frightening, electrifying – he did not want to be there, but McGonagall's hand was gripping his shoulder tightly, not allowing him to move, even to guide the others to safety…

More people emerged from behind Dumbledore. They surged forwards, their wands raised; close to him, he heard Frank exhale in relief – for Mad-Eye Moody was among those who had come, looking furious – half a dozen Aurors formed a single line behind Moody, all looking in the same direction…

Voldemort spread his hands. Out of nowhere, as though they had always been there, Bellatrix and the rest of the Death Eaters appeared, black smoke trailing off of their robes; they formed a circle around Theodore Plant, their eyes darting around behind their masks.

"Here is my gift, Dumbledore," said Voldemort coldly. With a twitch of his wand, Theodore opened his mouth, and out slithered a snake; bigger and heavier than what could have possibly been stored inside his body, but it slithered nonetheless. He tried to scream, but the noise was muffled by it; the snake coiled upwards, wrapping its body around his neck, and it squeezed.

Theodore shuddered, and then became limp. The Aurors roared and surged forwards, but stopped abruptly as the Death Eaters brandished their wands at them.

"Release him, Voldemort!" For the first time, Dumbledore looked worried. He unsheathed his wand, fire streaming from its tip dangerously as he, too, pointed it at the Death Eaters. McGonagall pulled him and the rest of the students backwards, inching closer to Flitwick and the teachers.

Voldemort did not listen. He flicked his wand again, and this time, green flames erupted from Theodore's skin. The snake hissed, trying to escape the fire, but it seemed unable to release its grip from Theodore's neck. James watched, horrified, as the stake burned, and smoke plumed upwards towards the sky…

"The beacon is lit," said Voldemort quietly. "Those who wish to follow it shall be guided to me."

McGonagall gasped, something that James had never heard before, but then he saw why – the smoke from the fire had collected in one single space, darkening the sky around it. It shifted and changed until it formed into a colossal skull, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a long, monstrous tongue.

Dumbledore and the Aurors strode forwards, firing spells that the Death Eaters deflected hastily, but before anything else could happen, Voldemort vanished in a swirl of robes. Cries were heard around him, but nothing passed through his ears, James's heart was thumping loudly, masking any sound as he stared at the stake…

James closed his eyes, slumping to the ground. He did not want to see anything anymore. The image of the Dark Mark burned in his mind, and Theodore Plant's mangled corpse he remembered even more vividly. He couldn't bring it to himself to even find Lily's hand. He doubted whether he would go to Hogsmeade again…

He felt cold drops of twinkling snow fall on his neck. He quickly covered it with his scarf, but his gloveless hands had smudged the snowflakes. James stared at his fingers, unable to comprehend why they were suddenly black –

He looked up at the sky. Black sleet was falling, dispersing the Dark Mark, and yet he just continued to stare at it dumbly, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. A gentle hand lifted him off the ground, and he heard McGonagall's voice tell him to go back to the castle. She sounded as though she was about to cry.

Slowly but surely, the Dark Mark faded into the clouds. He saw, glancing back, that Theodore Plant had been removed from the stake. Flitwick led the way in front of him, shaking slightly. His mind still throbbed at the memory of Theodore's body. He could no longer remember his nightmare.

This was so hard to write. Dear God, I'm so fucking tired, and I'm no way near satisfied with how it turned out, but at least it's better than what I had before. I kept redoing this, thinking out scenes for the plot, but I feel it's still lacklustre. Only reason I'm allowing this to be posted is because I wanted to slump through and get at least a chapter done before September ended. I have my midterms coming up, so I'm going to be writing a whole lot less.

October, though, is Jily month. I'm going to keep writing, even if I'm a little burnt out from this stupid chapter. Thank you, and I'm sorry for the late upload. Read and Review, as always.

While we're on the topic, thank you again to the guest review who pointed out that I keep reuploading my chapters. I didn't think it would be too much of a bother, because I don't know anyone who still religiously checks their emails, but obviously I've been thick. The reason I do this is that either I've made some big changes to the plot that I thought of after publishing the chapter, or I've uploaded the wrong doc by accident. Sorry. Since you're anonymous, I can't thank you, but if you happen to be reading this, well, er... thanks.