Snapshots

Doomsday

I'm NOT JK Rowling and I don't own Harry Potter! This is written for EvylinDevilin's Choose Your Path Challenge.

Sirius Black and James Potter hid in the bushes near the Shrieking Shack. They were silently watching and both had looks of intense concentration instead of their usual happy and carefree expressions. They weren't alone either; Remus, Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Marlene and several other Order of the Phoenix members were surrounding the dilapidated building.

"We're going in first Padfoot." James said in a barely audible whisper to his best friend.

"I know Prongs. We're the distraction right?" Sirius asked in an equally low tone.

"Yep that's us." Replied James. The two young men slunk forward slowly making sure to stay in the shadows and not be spotted. They weren't prepared for the two people they had come to save die, not on their watches. At an invisible signal Sirius shifted from man to dog and advanced ahead of James. The bear-like black dog wove speedily between the trees towards the shack while his friend hung back slightly.

The Shrieking Shack loomed in front of Padfoot; its crumbling exterior didn't at all reflect the danger that lay inside with the two lives they had come to save. Padfoot pressed himself close against the wall of the shack as he made his silent advance towards a closed window. The dog propped his front paws on the window ledge and peered inside.

The dirty window partially obscured the figures in the room within yet Padfoot could make out three black cloaked individuals but there was no one else in the room with them.

"Ugh! This is so boring!" whined one cloaked figure who was closest to the door. "We've been waiting here for three hours!"

"Shut up!" Padfoot shuddered at his cousin Bellatrix's voice she was standing in the middle of the room. "The Dark Lord will be here soon."

"Why would he want you on guard duty? One pregnant women and her friend is hardly worth your presence." The third figure pointed out.

Padfoot didn't stay to hear Bellatrix's reply, he slunk around the building where he had seen James disappear. James had found an open window and looked up when he saw Padfoot approaching.

"Three Death Eaters. Lily and Sam aren't with them so they must be in another room." Sirius said once he had shifted back into his human form "One of the Death Eaters is Bellatrix."

"Not good." James whispered "What's she doing here?"

"No clue." Sirius replied. "Take it that's our way in."

"Yep." James said hoisting himself through the window quickly followed by Sirius.

They landed in a room that looked like it had once been a sitting room. The room was covered in dust with large cobwebs on almost every surface and what little furniture was in the room was covered in large dusty sheets. The two men drew their wands, James moved back to the window and signalled it was safe for the Order to approach.

Sirius glanced around the room again trying to find any indication that Lily and Samantha had been here.

"Have you found them yet?" Remus asked as soon as he was through the window.

"No." James answered "But we will."

Frank Longbottom, Fabian and Gideon Prewett all scrambled through the window after Remus, wands drawn.

"Be careful, there are three Death and more on the way." Sirius said which was met by nods from the small group. Suddenly from above their heads came the sound of loud banging and scraping.

"OI! WILL YOU TWO BIRDS SHUT UP!" came a gruff yell from the next room causing all the Order members to jump. The banging subsided

"Guess we know where Sam and Lily are now." Sirius muttered to James. James gave a brief nod at his friend's statement

"Now we have to find a way to get to them."

"Do you still have your cloak?" Remus asked. James nodded and withdrew the cloak from an inside pocket of him coat, before throwing it over himself, Sirius and Remus.

The three friends moved silently through the Shrieking Shack stopping occasionally when a floorboard squeaked under their feet or they heard the sound of an argument from the three Death Eaters.

Upon reaching the top floor the banging and scraping began again leading James, Sirius and Remus to the last room on the left.

"WILL YOU TWO QUIETEN DOWN OR I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO YOU!" yelled Bellatrix from below them. The three friends slipped off the cloak and James pointed his wand at the door.

"Alohomora." He whispered and the lock on the door clicked. They pushed open the door and suddenly a vase smashed into the doorframe almost hitting James's head. James, Sirius and Remus threw open the door to find Samantha standing with another vase in hand ready to throw it at them again, over Lily who was sitting on the dusty floor.

"Sirius! Remus! James!" Samantha said happily dropping the vase she was holding so it landed with a smash on the floor "You came for us!"

Lily pushed herself to her feet and ran at James while Samantha did the same to Sirius.

"Some of the Order are downstairs." Remus said "We're going to get you out of here."

Crack!

The sound of someone apparating caused all five pairs of eyes to look at the dusty window. Samantha approached the window and looked out her eyes widened and she turned back to her friends.

"I-It's him!" she said sounding terrified.

"You three have to leave!" Lily said.

"We aren't leaving without you two!" James declared.

"If you stay he'll kill you too!" Samantha said "Just go! We'll be alright!"

"No Sam! I'm not leaving you and Lily here!" Sirius said.

"Please!" Lily begged sounding close to tears. Remus looked once at his friends and then turned his gaze to the distraught women.

"I have a plan." He said.

When the door opened again five minutes later it was Bellatrix, Voldemort and at least ten other Death Eaters.

"Here they are My Lord." Bellatrix said not bothering to hide her smile of triumph.

"Wrong Trixie!" Sirius yelled. James, Sirius and Remus were standing in the middle of the room wands pointing at the Death Eaters and Voldemort, Samantha and Lily were nowhere to be found.

"You!" Bellatrix hissed pointing her own wand at her cousin "What have you done with my prisoners?"

"They're safe!" James answered. "Stupefy!"

Chaos erupted in the small room, the Order members who were downstairs surged upstairs to fight off the Death Eaters while James, Sirius and Remus fought Bellatrix and Lord Voldemort.

Curses flew left and right, flashes of multicolored flashes illuminated the walls of the Shrieking Shack.

Lily and Samantha who were under James's invisibility cloak were having trouble dodging them while trying to get to the door. Samantha suddenly tripped and fell, the cloak slipped off her and all eyes turned to her.

Bellatrix who was closest to her grabbed her and held her wand up to Samantha's throat. Sirius moved forward

"Take another step and she dies." Bellatrix warned pushing her wand further into Samantha's neck for emphasis. Samantha gave a small whimper

"You bitch!" Sirius hissed "Let her go!"

"Like I said; come any closer and she dies." Bellatrix and Voldemort were slowly backed towards the door dragging Samantha with them.

"Sirius." Samantha whimpered which earned her a jab in the neck with the tip of Bellatrix's wand. Without warning

"AVADA KADAVRA!" A green flash illuminated the room and Bellatrix shoved Samantha's body back at Sirius before she and Voldemort disapparated with a crack.

There was a brief moment of complete silence as everyone took in Samantha's dead body. There was a rustle as Lily removed the invisibility cloak. Sirius's expression was one of complete shock and disbelief

"NOOOOO!" Sirius yelled falling on his knees clutching his hair in his hands. Lily, James and Remus could only look on as their friend grieved.