Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

I'm a horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible person! I haven't updated since who knows when and now probably nobody will want to read when I do update. I have 4 days off from school (actually 2 weeks but I went to Paris for a while woot woot) and I'm going to spend my time updating and writing, writing and updating so that I at least update every story once. I'm soooo sorry please do still read my stuff!

Chapter 25: Death Eaters and saving Snape

It seemed like in almost no time I found myself on the platform 9 ¾ once again. Shannon, Jennifer, Emily, Carly, and I had all bought each other rings, to replace the bracelets. The rings were silver bands with our birthstones in them. Mine had a diamond for April, Shannon had a sapphire for September, Emily had a ruby for July, and Carly had an amethyst for February.

I took in a deep breath of the humid air. The sky overhead was cloudy, and far off in the distance I could see flashes of light. A storm was coming. I hurried onto the train. It was 10:50, so I still had time, but I wanted to make sure I found a compartment and got my luggage on. Wheeling my trunk behind me and carrying Marigold's cage, I searched for an empty compartment.

"Lily!" someone shouted. I looked around and realized it was coming from the compartment on my left. A roar of laughter erupted as I pulled open the door. Sirius was…well, let's say it looked like he was trying to climb the window. The rest of the Marauders let out another howl of laughter and Ylan, Andrea, and Jenna were grinning too. I rolled my eyes and sat down near Jenna. Apparently, Andrea and Sirius had become a couple so the rest of us were doomed to sit with each other. Oh well, it's our own faults.

"Lily, babe!" said James, noticing me. "How's it hanging?" He slid over to me and put his arm around my shoulders. I pushed him off.

"Ugh. Potter, it's the first day back, I'd rather not catch any deadly diseases from you just yet."

"Well, then, how about a little later, if you know what I mean?" said Potter suggestively and waggled his eyebrows at his friends. They erupted once more. I rolled my eyes again and stared out the window. The train began to move slowly, speeding up until the station was long gone. Rain began spattering on the windows.

"Let's play truth or dare," said Ylan, a mischievous glint in her eye. Everyone's heads popped up and James had an evil grin on his face. I sighed and shut the book I was reading.

"Ok," I said.

"Well, who wants to go first?" asked Jenna.

"I do!" said Peter enthusiastically. "Ok…" he scrutinized each of his potential victims carefully. "Sirius!"

"Yeah," said Sirius briskly.

"I dare you to…make out with Sandy Goldstein for ten seconds," said Peter. Everyone looked excited over this. Andrea, however, looked upset. Sirius looked over at her.

"I don't think -" he started.

"OOOOOH! Sirius is backing away from a dare!" Peter exclaimed. That was something Sirius never did. Ever.

Sirius looked for support from the other people in the compartment, but in vain. Finally he sighed.

"Fine," he said and stood up. We followed him out of the compartment and into the one a couple down from ours.

"Go on, Sirius," said Peter as his friend paused in front of the door.

Andrea's POV

He wasn't going to do this. No way.

Sirius stepped into the compartment in which Sandy and her friends were sitting.

No. Please, no.

"Hey, Sandy," I heard him say. "Come here." Was he actually doing it? No, he wouldn't…the next thing I knew he was in a lip lock with Sandy. My heart had been stretching the whole walk down here and now it just flew apart. Do you know what it's like to watch the man you love with all your heart, kiss one of the most gorgeous girls in the school? Especially when you know that practically every other girl wants him for herself and will do anything to get him? Even the ones who also want his best friends to be theirs. Which meant, of course, that Sandy was probably really enjoying this. I felt my whole face heat up and my eyes start to burn. I felt like I had a horrible fever that went all the way inside me and infected my heart. Or what was left of it, anyway.

As Sandy let out a little moan, I couldn't take it anymore. I tore from the compartment, just as Sirius' ten seconds were over. I heard someone call my name but I didn't stop until I reached our compartment. I slammed the door shut and let the tears finally fall. I knew it was just a dare, but it didn't stop how I felt. I may have been overreacting but I couldn't help it. It seemed like both of them had enjoyed it. And what if I lost Sirius to Sandy now? I couldn't even think…

A pounding on the door brought me out of my thoughts. I wiped away the tears and stood up as someone slid the door open. There stood Sirius, concern showing on his face.

"Andrea," he started but I cut him off.

"Go away," I said angrily.

"It was just a dare! You can't be upset over it. It didn't mean anything!"

"Sirius! You could have said no to the dare! You don't know what it's like to see your boyfriend, who's one of the biggest 'heartthrobs' in Hogwarts, make out with one of the prettiest girls in the school! Especially when you know she'll do anything to go out with him!" He opened his mouth to speak but I didn't let him. "Even if it was just a dare, it still feels the same as if it wasn't!"

"How can you be getting so worked up about this? It was one kiss!"

"One kiss? One kiss! It was a ten second make out. That's a big difference from one kiss!"

"Andrea, please, don't -"

"Don't what? Break up with you? Well, sorry, but I can't be with you when I keep imagining you giving that 'one kiss' to Sandy!"

"Andrea…" He didn't say anything more. He just said my name and suddenly my anger died down. But my decision was made. I swept past Sirius and out of the compartment.

Peter's POV

I felt horrible. It was all my fault that this happened. I made up the dare. If it wasn't for me doing it, Sirius would never have had to kiss Sandy.

We saw Andrea striding down the hallway in the opposite direction. Remus made to go talk to her but Ylan held him back.

"She needs time alone right now," she said softly. We entered the compartment to find Sirius staring solemnly out of the window. We sat down quietly.

"Hey, Padfoot," said James. "Are you ok?"

Sirius didn't answer. We sat in silence for a good twenty minutes. Then, suddenly, Sirius punched the wall and tore from the compartment. James stood up and started to go after him when the train gave a mighty lurch and the lights went out. We heard screams go down the train and instinctively lit our wands. James had fallen down and hit his head on the door. There was a small cut that was leaving a trickle of blood down his face.

"James!" cried Lily and rushed over to help him. No one took the time to find this strange.

"I'm fine," said James, sitting up. "What happened?"

James' POV

Nobody knew what was going on. Remus stuck his head out of the compartment door and noticed other students doing the same. Suddenly near the front of the train there was a loud, blood curdling shriek. More screams erupted as someone gave a shout.

"DEATH EATERS!" they yelled. "DEATH EATERS ON THE TRAIN!" Chills went down everybody's spines. Lily healed my cut and we all rushed out of the compartment, our wands drawn. The screams were getting closer and we could hear people running towards us.

"Help!" sobbed a small first year girl. She was running as fast as she could and behind her was a Death Eater.

"Stupefy!" I yelled. The Death Eater turned his head, just as the spell hit him. He fell back with a thud. Jenna cautiously approached him and snapped his wand in half.

"Ignite!" she said and the two halves of the wand burst into flames. There was a horrible screeching sound.

We walked slowly down the hall, checking each compartment. Noticing a group of second years huddling in one I went inside. The rest of the group went on.

"Do any of you have an owl?" I asked the second years. All five nodded.

I conjured some parchments and a quill.

Professor Dumbledore,

Death Eaters are on the train. Please send someone to help. Only the older students really have a chance to fight them off. Come as soon as you can!

James Potter

I sent that off to Hogwarts with a small barn owl which looked like it would fly fast. Outside, I could see bunches of other owl flying in the same direction.

I took another piece of parchment.

Minister,

There are Death Eaters on the Hogwarts Express. Please send aurors immediately!

James Potter

I sent that owl out as well and turned to the second years.

"Send more owls to anyone else you can think would be of help," I said and they nodded. As I was leaving I asked, "Do any of you know any useful spells?" They shakily shook their heads. "All right. If a Death Eater comes in, say Stupefy and take his wand if it works. If it doesn't, then do anything you can to fight them off. Also…" I cast a temporary invisibility charm on them. "This invisibility charm will last for half an hour. You have to wait two hours before casting it again, so after half an hour is up, don't ask anyone to cast it again. Understand?"

"Yes," they mumbled.

"Good," I said and ran out of the compartment. Ahead I could hear shouts.

"It's her! Look, it's her! Get her, Malfoy!"

I heard a girl scream.

"Get off me! Let me go!" My breath stopped in my throat. It was Lily. I ran as fast as I could, just to see one of the Death Eaters, presumably Lucius Malfoy's dad, grabbing Lily. I sprinted towards them.

"Malfoy, go!" shouted a Death Eater, upon seeing me. "It's Potter!"

"What are you talking about? Potter's dead!" said Malfoy.

"No! It's his son!" Malfoy turned towards me, but too late.

"Stupefy!" I shouted and he fell, releasing Lily. She shattered his wand and set it on fire.

"That's it, Potter!" said the Death Eater who had tried to warn Malfoy. "Avada -"

"EXPELLIARMUS!" I yelled and his wand flew into my hand. "Quasso!" I pointed at the wand and it exploded into millions of pieces.

"INCIDERE!" bellowed a Death Eater to my left. I dodged it but on the other side another did the same thing. Just as I turned around the spell hit my left arm. A gash appeared and suddenly I felt like fire was licking up my arm.

"Medicor," I gasped and pointed my wand at my arm. Before it had time to work, however, my wand flew out of my hand. Not bothering to look where it was, I tore off my sleeve and wrapped it tightly around the wound. I couldn't see where my wand was. There was a Death Eater next to me, raising his wand to curse a fifth year student, who was, in fact, Caitlyn, the girl I had had the longest relationship with, during my third year.

I punched the Death Eater in the face and took his wand.

"Accio wand," I said and my wand came flying to me. I then destroyed the Death Eater's wand and stunned him. Then I took off down the hall.

Nobody's POV

"Albus!" a sharp voice said. Albus Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, when suddenly a woman burst through.

"Ah, Minerva, what can I do for you?" he said pleasantly. Minerva McGonagall had a distraught look on her face.

"We've been getting numerous owls from students aboard the train. There are Death Eaters there!" Dumbledore lost his smile and stood up. He went over to the window and looked out. Sure enough, about twenty owls were flying towards his office as fast as they could. When they reached the window, Dumbledore let them through. All of their messages said basically the same thing.

Professor Dumbledore! Please help us! Death Eaters are on the train!

"Alert the Ministry immediately," he said gravely and swept out of the room.

Andrea was battling a big Death Eater, three times the size of her and was having trouble.

"Stupefy!" she yelled but the Death Eater wasn't affected.

"Protego," he said lazily. Andrea was getting tired.

"Andrea!" shouted a familiar voice. She knew who it was.

"I don't need your help!" she shouted and dodged a spell sent her way. "Expelliarmus!"

"Protego," said the Death Eater again.

"Expelliarmus!" shouted Sirius immediately, coming up behind her. The Death Eater didn't have enough time to block it and flew back against the wall of the train. "Stupefy!" said Sirius and the Death Eater went unconscious.

Fuming, Andrea summoned his wand and destroyed it. Then she turned to Sirius.

"I don't need your help, thanks!" she shouted. He was about to respond when his eyes widened. He suddenly threw himself at Andrea, knocking her on the ground. She was about to yell at him when she saw a jet of green light fly over their heads. Sirius scrambled onto his feet and Stunned the Death Eater.

"Too bad, I'm not letting you out of my sight," he said to Andrea. "You may not like me anymore, but I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt." With that, he grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall.

James had found Lily and was making sure she was all right, where no one could see them.

"You're sure you're ok?" he said worriedly.

"James, I'm fine, you're the one who's hurt!" said Lily, gesturing at his arm.

"It'll be fine," said James. "We should get back." They started to head into the battle again when they heard a voice.

"You won't join the Dark Lord, then, Snape?"

"No!" shouted Snape.

"What is wrong with you, boy?"

"He killed my mother!"

"She was a clumsy girl. She deserved it!"

"Take that back! Take it BACK!" shouted Snape.

"Your father was a fool too. He wouldn't join after he found out about your stupid mother," hissed the Death Eater.

"Don't talk about my family that way!" screamed Snape. "SECTUMSEMPRA!"

The Death Eater shrieked and staggered into view. James gasped and Lily let out a scream.

There were slashes across the Death Eater's chest and face and blood was pouring out. Snape looked shocked and wasn't moving from his spot.

"MEDICOR!" James and Lily shouted together. The cuts barely started healing. The screams brought two more Death Eaters over. They saw their companion and helped him right away.

"Who did that?" they bellowed.

"Snape," whispered the injured Death Eater. Snape looked terrified. James and Lily raised their wands to help him.

"Expelliarmus! Stupefy!" they shouted at the Death Eaters and they fell down, their wands flying neatly into James and Lily's grasp. The two approached Snape.

"Where did you learn that spell?" asked James.

"None of your business, Potter," said Snape, but he looked worried and shaken.

"That's really Dark Magic, Snape!"

"I KNOW!" the other bellowed. James shook his head, staring at him.

"Fine. Be careful," he said and started to turn away.

"Potter," said Snape. James turned around. Their eyes met and an unspoken thank you was given. James nodded and he and Lily left the scene.

Aurors and the Order soon arrived. Some Death Eaters made it away but the rest were arrested. Two students, one third year, and one seventh, had been killed and many more were injured. Everyone was taken to St. Mungo's, even for minor injuries. Most were released that night but those hit with Unforgivables were kept overnight. The Marauders, Lily, Ylan, Andrea, and Jenna were all let out the same day. They arrived back at Hogwarts and went to their dorms. The start of term feast was going to be held the next day. As soon as they got there they all plopped down in their beds and went to sleep.