Ch. 23

"You ready?" Lily asked James. It had been a month since they'd returned from France, and Moody had given James and Lily mission.

"I guess so. How do I look?" He had taken polyjuice potion using a hair from a ministry worker who had grey hair and sharp blue eyes. He had also grown a couple inches and had a hefty mustache.

Lily looked him up and down and laughed. "I think grey hair suits you."

"Lils, I'm still not sure about this. I think you should stay at home." Lily was unable to take polyjuice potion due to her pregnancy.

"I'll have the cloak, James. And they won't find out it's you. The amount you took should last at least 4 hours."

"But…"

"No, James. I'm not staying at home. We've talked about this. Anyway, if all goes according to plan We'll be in and out in ten minutes."

"Promise me, Lils. If there is a fight, promise me you'll run. Even if I'm in danger, I want you to leave."

"James…"

"No, Lily. Listen to me, for our son. Please promise you won't put him at risk." He touched her now round belly.

"I promise, James." She put her small hand over his on her belly. "But you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"Come home to us."

"I will. I promise."

"Okay. Let's do this." They grabbed some flu powder and were off.

Lily felt the impending sickness as they landed in diagon alley. She ran to the closest thing she could find and emptied the contents of he stomach into a dead potted plant.

"I gotta start driving again." She said to herself. She'd already stopped disapparating, and now even using the flu network was becoming too exhausting with the pregnancy.

She wiped her mouth, put the invisibility cloak around herself, and started walking down the brick road. There were a few people around, but it wasn't busy as most of the shops were closed. James had already run ahead – they wanted to make sure they weren't seen together, even if he did look like someone else.

She passed the Leaky Cauldron and saw Tom standing behind an empty bar. She wished she could go in and keep him company, but she kept walking. Lily felt her heart beating faster as she turned the corner toward knockturn alley. She heard voices and stopped.

"Are you the one they sent?" A deep voice said.

"I am." She heard James respond.

"Then you know the password." The tall, cloaked man gestured toward the door. James whispered something and it opened for him.

Lily saw James disappear behind the door a gulped. She knew she was there for backup but it took every ounce of her body to resist following him in. After a minute the man with the deep voice followed James and shut the door behind him. After making sure that no one else was coming, Lily tiptoed toward the window. Unfortunately, the blinds were shut, but she figured hearing them would be good enough. She took a bottle out of her pocket and poured the contents into her hand. It looked like purple sand. She rubbed the mixture against the cracks of the window, and performed the charm that Madeye had told her. After about ten seconds, she heard the noise. She heard the voices inside as if they were talking to her, clear as day. It had worked.

James sighed with relief as the door opened for him – the password he was given had worked.

"Welcome, Mr. Hobbes." James' heart started pounding as he heard the shrill voice of Voldomort. There were about ten people sitting at a round table. James recognized most of them, including Lucius Malfoy.

"Thank you, my Lord."

"Please, sit down." James followed orders and took his seat at the table. "What information do you have for us, John?"

"I have the location of the giant colony your men were looking for." James pulled the map out from his pocket and reached out to hand it to Voldomort. The woman sitting to his right snatched it out of James' hands to inspect it.

"Well that is better news than they've been able to give me for the past four months."

"What would you say is the status of the ministry?" One of the Death Eaters inquired, leaning forward. "I feel as though we have been in contact with about half of you, but the minister still seems to remain…. unmoved."

"Actually, more than half of us are on your side." He cleared his throat. He didn't recognize this man. "We just feel the need to tread carefully at the moment. We have plans to…persuade the minister if he doesn't come around soon."

"I look forward to hearing an update about that."

"Thank you for coming, John." Voldomort said. "Now, if you don't mind I'd like to discuss some private matters with my leaders."

James thought about asking to stay, but decided against it. "Of course, my Lord. I look forward to working together." He got up and walked out the door.

"Shit." He said to himself, wishing he could have stayed.

"James!" He heard a whisper a couple feet away, and saw a floating hand waving him over.

Lily lifted the cloak so James was under it.

"Lils, this isn't working, our feet are clearly not covered."

"SShhh." She pressed a hand against his mouth. James heard the voices and leaned closer to the window.

"Malfoy, why are the Carrows not in attendance?"

"I do not know, my Lord. I sent them an owl…"

"An owl!" Voldomort interrupted. "Tell me, Malfoy. Do you ever think before you do anything?" The others chuckled.

"Errr…"

"There is no doubt that the owl was intercepted by the ministry or the order. So, either the Carrows are in trouble, or we just let an imposter into our meeting place."

"My Lord…" Lucius began.

"Leave, Malfoy. And if you see Hobbes, kill him."

"I'm sorry your sister married someone so dimwhitted, Bellatrix. She is a smart woman."

"Narcissa will join us next time."

"Mulciber, Avery, you said you had news for us."

"Yes, my Lord. We believe the Order is still growing, but we also believe that they could fall apart easily. Several members are aurors or aurors in training, and we have their names…"

They talked for another half hour about what they thought they knew about the order. Some of it was accurate, and some sounded like it was made up to impress Voldomort.

Lily looked up at James and noticed his hair had already changed. She pulled out his glasses and handed them to him.

"Looks like the polyjuice is wearing off."

"Thanks." James put the glasses on. "We should get out of here, it sounds like they're leaving soon."

They heard footsteps and realized quickly that they were not coming from inside. Lily turned around to find out where they were coming from, and unfortunately James had the same idea. The cloak fell between them as they turned in opposite directions. They were completely exposed and Lily gave an involuntary gasp.

"James…" She whispered.

"Lils, we've gotta go." He took her hand, but it was already too late.

"Ahh James Potter." Lucius Malfoy said with a smile. "And Lily Evans. Or should I say Lily Potter?"

"Petrificus Totalus!" Lily said as Malfoy started to move his wand. He dropped it and fell to the ground. Unfortunately, that did not keep him from shouting out for backup.

Lily and James started running as the Death Eaters and Voldomort ran out of the shop and started pursuing them. They heard curses coming at them.

Lily was out of breath and she knew she wouldn't be able to run much longer. They saw diagon alley in the distance and moved toward it.

"C'mon Lils!" James said, firing a hex over his shoulder.

"I, can't. James." She touched her belly, barely breathing. She fired a nonverbal hex at a woman who was gaining ground on them.

"Okay, it's okay." James took her hand again. "Over here." He helped move her to a dark corner. "Put on the cloak and get out of here."

"I can't leave you!"

"I can disapparate. I'm right behind you." He said, starting to wrap the cloak around her.

"They're here! They're here!" Someone said, firing a hex at James.

"Protego!" Lily waved her wand just in time. The man had a mask on and continued towards them.

"Lils, go now!"

Lily threw the cloak around herself.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." Voldomort appeared in front of them. "I am glad I can finally say congratulations." He looked back at the street where several of his followers were unconscious or struggling to break a hex. "You deserve each other, both very clever. My offer still stands."

James already had his wand out. He felt Lily shuffle behind him. "Again, we must decline."

Lily started walking toward diagon alley. She was crying. She couldn't believe she was leaving him in this situation, but she knew it was necessary.

"Where is your bride?" He asked, mockingly. "She can't be far, Avery. Find her."

"You won't get to her." James felt his hand shaking as he prepared himself.

"Then she will come to me." Suddenly, Voldomort was lifted off his feet and thrown backward. James realized Lily was still around. Another hex was sent to Avery, who was looking around.

Lily couldn't resist. She turned around and threw a few hexes toward the death eaters and their leader. Avery was now tied up and Voldomort was getting to his feet. This time she did run.

Just as she turned the corner on diagon alley she heard the distince shrill voice yell "Avada Kedavra!"

"Nooooo!" She shrieked. Before she could turn around she was grabbed around the waist and pulled inside a dimly lit store. "No! Let go of me!" Tears were streaming down her face and she continued to yell. Another person came along and covered her mouth.

"Lils, its us. Be quiet. They'll follow us." The person who had covered her mouth took her hood off. It was Alice. "We have to get out of here before they find us."

The person holding her waist brought her to the fireplace.

"Go to headquarters. We'll meet you there." Frank Longbottom said, putting a handful of flu powder in her hand.

"Frank, he's, he's…." She couldn't say it.

"He's a good fighter." Frank said. "Go."

Lily arrived at headquarters and found several order members already there. Sirius ran to her and wrapped his arms around her. Lily sobbed into his chest and nearly collapsed. Sirius brought her to the couch.

"Lily, what happened?" Remus asked. "Where's James?"

"He…He told me to run." She heaved. "He gave me the cloak and…Oh merlin, he's gone. I should have stayed with him!" She her chest tighten – it was like her heart was shattering.

"You-know-who was there. He was there and he figured out James was an imposter. We…we ran but I was too slow. James…he…I left. I tried to help him but…we made a deal…so I ran and that's..." She couldn't breath. She had never cried this much.

"That's when I heard it."

"Heard what?" Sirius was holding her hand and he squeezed it.

Lily tried wiping her eyes but the tears kept coming. She looked up. "The killing curse."

The room went silent.

"Who sent the curse?" Madeye asked, sitting down.

"Voldomort." She said.

"Oh sweetheart." Mary lifted her feet up so she could sit down on the couch, then put them in her lap. She took Lily's other hand.

It seemed that everyone was thinking the same thing. They wanted to give her words of comfort; tell her it would be okay. But instead no one said anything, because they didn't know if it was going to be okay.

"Black, Lupin, Fenwick, come with me. If he's still alive he's fighting them alone."

Before they could leave, though, they heard someone come through the front door. It was Frank, and Alice, dragging a limp James with one arm over each of their shoulders.

"James!" Lily shrieked, running to them. "James!" Sirius took her by the waist and held her back as Frank entered the living room and set her husband down on the couch.

"He's alive, Lily."

"But he's hurt. Madeye, we need to get him to St. Mungo's."

Lily kneeled next to her husband. "James! Can you hear me? Stay with me James!" She looked at Frank and Alice. "What curse was it?"

"I didn't recognize it. It must have been made up."

Lily tore his shirt open. She recognized it immediately. His wounds were identical to the ones that she bore just over a year ago. "Sectumsempra."

"What?"

"This is the curse Avery used last year." Sirius said, seeing the enormous amount of blood.

"Yeah, these are the same slashes I had." Lily wiped her eyes again and grabbed her wand. "I can stop the bleeding temporarily, but I need to get some things from my potions cabinet to heal him."

"I can go. Just tell me what you need." Sirius said.
Lily gave him a list and he left.

Lily found her bag and began shuffling through it to find the dittany. Suddenly the fire turned green and Kingsley appeared, brushing himself off. "Hestia is right behind me. She's gathering some supplies."

"How did you…"

"I called them." Mary said. "Last week Madeye recommended we all get telephones, and thank goodness. They're much faster than owls. Plus the death eaters would never use them, since they're an object muggles use."

Hestia appeared in the flames with a large bag in her hand, still in her healer's uniform. Without saying hello, she walked toward the patient.

Lily sniffled. "Have you heard of the curse Sectumsempra?"

"Yes. Twice." She looked at Lily. "Madam Pomfrey told me about it. She had a feeling they would use it again, since it not only causes the victim tremendous pain, but also very few people know how to heal it." She inspected his chest. "I don't have everything. I'm going to have to go back…"

"Sirius is getting everything. He should be back in a minute."

"Good." She looked at Lily. "Did you apply the dittany?"

"On his chest. But we need to do his back."

"Kingsley, will you help us turn him over?"

"Can somebody please tell me what this curse is?" Benjy asked, helping Kingsley turn James onto his side.

Hestia started applying the dittany while Lily started performing the spell to help stop the bleeding.

"We aren't quite sure what it is. All we know is that one of the Slytherins made it up and it slices you open. I'm guessing it's become quite popular among you-know-who's followers."

"Well that's quite terrifying." Alice said.

James groaned and Lily took his hand.

"We need to get the ointment on him now, Lily. Is Sirius…"

"I'm here! I'm here!" He placed the bag of ingredients onto the table then sat down, catching his breath.

Hestia opened the bag and began spreading the paste over his chest. "Listen, this is going to be a long night for James. Why don't you guys rest while Lily and I tend to him."

"Is there anything else we can do?"

"Bring a bucket of water and a dishcloth. And get a blanket for him."