Author's Note: Okay, I tried this once but when I clicked save at the bottom of the edit/preview page, Fan conked out on me. It was very frustrating...anyway. Thank you all my gentle readers for sticking with this story. I promise you, I have not abandoned it...not in the least. In fact, I've been picking off sentences whenever I found five seconds to do so. Coming out of the NaNoWriMo competition I had to play catch up to all the things that I let go in November (say, house cleaning for one!) as well as getting myself ready for Christmas so I can get my grandmother ready for Christmas. Now, with 90 of the gifts wrapped, my house is clean, my husband has a few homecooked meals in him now, I may return to that lovely couple, Sev and Lily, once more...
I thank you for your patience and I apologize for my cruelty in the time lapse as well as the ending of this chapter.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Tragedy in Hogsmeade
Dumbledore tapped his fingers on the polished surface of his desk and gazed out at the gently falling snow. Regulus shifted uneasily in his chair. The students would be just about to enter into Hogsmeade now, giggling and shy on this Valentine's weekend outing. What he wouldn't give to be one of them right now, arm and arm with Holly, oblivious to the darkness that hides in men's hearts and just how twisted a soul can become.
"So he's still searching for Harry then?"
"Actually," Regulus shifted in the chair again, the wood creaking somewhat, "he's searching for Neville. He still hasn't decided which one the prophecy referred to. He knows where Harry is and considers him unreachable so he's been pouring his efforts into finding the Longbottoms."
Dumbledore absently tugged at his beard. "Perhaps it would better if we brought Alice and Neville here."
"He doesn't want to come to Hogwarts and no one can figure out why. He fears the implication of the prophecy and all the Death Eaters keep urging him to storm the school gates and kill the child but he refuses to make that move."
"Hogwarts has been the only home Tom Riddle ever knew. To breach the gates and commit such a blatant murder would only soil the one refuge he felt he had in this world. However, by placing both children within these walls would surely bring Tom knocking on Hogwarts door."
Regulus crossed his arms over his chest. "You're keeping Neville and Alice away from the only place that Voldemort will not come because you're afraid if they were here, Voldemort would attack."
Dumbledore regarded him with a shrewd look. "I feel that endangering the students to be more important than bringing the Longbottoms here. They are safely hidden at the moment will all the security that we offer here."
"Then why not send Lily and Harry to where Alice is?"
"I have thought of that," Dumbledore's voice sounded kindly but the look in his eyes showed he was still dangerously serious. "But I fear by placing the two children together will only lessen our chances of keeping both boys alive."
Regulus scowled. "You mean to say that the course of action you've taken has solely been for the preservation of a prophesied 'chosen one' as opposed to doing what is best for them out of love and concern?"
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'The good of the many outweighs the good of the few?'"
"You just love being the puppeteer of this organization."
The blue eyes behind the spectacles glinted angrily. "If you have a better plan then please, share it with me."
Regulus opened his mouth, not sure exactly what he was going to say, when a silver doe burst through the window and landed beside the desk. When it spoke, it was in Snape's baritone voice.
"Death Eaters are attacking in Hogsmeade. We need help."
Regulus was out of the office before Dumbledore had time to speak.
Severus had never seen anyone cast charms as fast as Lily. She was throwing up protection charms around any child that was within her line of sight and the curses that were directed at the fleeing students merely bounced off their retreating backs. While Lily was on the defensive, Severus went for the offensive. He pointed his wand at the closest Death Eater and was soon pleased to see him hoisted up into the air by his ankle. This caused his mask to slip off and Severus found himself face to face with Mulciber.
"I can't believe you abandon us for a Mudblood!" Mulciber screamed in fury. Severus stunned and bound him before removing the Levicorpus spell. A strange pleasure crept over him at hearing the sound of the body hit the cold ground. The feeling was very fleeting as a deflecting stunning spell hit him on the shoulder and knocked the breath of out him. Swinging around, he saw two Death Eaters who he recognized even with their masks on: Bellatrix and Lucius.
"The Dark Lord has given you one last chance to return to us," Lucius' cold voice told him.
"Just hand over the Potter child," Bellatrix added.
Severus answered them with a onslaught of attack spells. His sectumsempra spell managed to open a gash across Lucius' shoulder and his stunning spells managed to keep Bellatrix dancing around the main street but didn't inflict any damage. Students were still running around but their numbers were quickly diminishing. Judging from the various cracks and pops around him, the students who were old enough were apparating and taking those who couldn't with them. Some teachers were dueling with the Death Eaters while others were grabbing a hold of groups of three students and apparating. They still didn't know who lay under the Dark Mark.
A bright red light shot past his ear and hit Bellatrix directly in the chest, knocking her back against a stone wall where she slid down to the ground unconscious. The sudden downfall of his companion distracted Lucius enough for Severus to fire a mix of disarming and stunning spells. Unfortunately, all of them were deflected and Lucius lead the retreat from Hogsmeade. With a flick of his wrist, Bellatrix was bound and ready to hand over to the ministry along with Mulciber.
"You alright?"
Severus looked over to see a disheveled Lily standing next to him. She must have been the one to take out Bellatrix. "Fine. You?"
She nodded and wiped a smear of dirt off of her cheek. "So Voldemort will accept you back if you hand over Harry."
Severus felt the blood drain out of his face. "You know I would never agree to that!"
Lily looked just as shocked as Severus felt. "I wasn't saying you would, Sev." She laid a hand on his arm. "You really don't think I believe you would do such a thing?"
That all too familiar feeling of shame came over him. "But I almost did. I almost handed you all over to him."
"Almost doesn't count." She smiled tiredly. "Besides, if anyone handed us over to Voldemort it was Peter. So please," she drew him into a hug, "stop blaming yourself for everything."
She made it sound simple, as if he could snap his fingers and all the guilt would be gone. Self forgiveness was one of the largest pieces that was missing from the puzzle of himself. As he wallowed in the warmth of her embrace he could almost feel that particular hole in his heart start to stitch itself closed. Unfortunately, it didn't have too much time to do so as an ear piercing wail split the frightened silence that had fallen over the village. Instinctively, Severus pushed Lily behind him in case of another attack but she fought her way back up to his side.
There were no flashes of light indicating a battle. There were only three Death Eaters still in Hogsmeade and all of them were unconscious and bound. He looked up to the sky to find the Dark Mark had vanished, leaving the steel gray clouds unblemished once more. Slowly, he and Lily walked down the street where the students who had stayed to fight solemnly comforted those younger then them and helped the wounded. Thankfully, no one looked fatally hurt.
The wailing was growing louder and a small group of white faced, weeping girls came out of the Three Broomsticks. The three girls stood just over the threshold, clinging to each other and sobbing. So someone had been killed then and from the looks of it, it was most likely a student. Severus was surprised at the swooping feeling of sadness he felt over that thought.
"Oh no," Lily whispered. "I know those girls."
"What?" He didn't know what to make of her statement.
Lily grabbed his arm with a painful grip. "They're in my seventh year charms class. They're best friends with-"
She never got a chance to say the name but the scene unfolding before them was enough to inform him. A small group of teachers and seventh year students were attempting to restrain a thin man that was the cause of the wailing that drew them to the Three Broomsticks. Severus knew the voice before he even saw the grief twisted face.
"He knew!" Regulus was screaming. "He knew I betrayed him!"
Severus didn't need to know who "he" was and his heart sank even lower. As Regulus was half carried, half drug past him and Lily, Severus started for the tavern. Lily immediately went over to the three girls, somehow managing to wrap her arms around all three while Severus stepped into the tavern. Most everyone had cleared out except for two seventh year students and the barkeep.
"I don't know what to do with 'er," the stooped old man was saying. "Dem boys offered to carry 'er back to 'ogwarts but…"
Severus could see the fear on their young faces. They had probably never seen a dead body before in their lives. Silently, he pulled off his wool cloak and knelt down next to Holly Avery's still form. Her blue-grey eyes stared sightless up at him, a look of shock frozen on her face. She probably didn't even know what had happened till she was in the afterlife. He drew his fingers down her face, closing her eyes before wrapping his cloak around her. He scooped her up into his arms and felt she was still warm. He stepped out of the Three Broomsticks to see Lily crying with the three girls but he only gave them a passing glance before he started the trek back to the school.
He had come to like Holly, actually. He saw in her the desire and bravery to break the family tradition of being a Death Eater and stand up to her family and peers. He saw in her the courage he should have had when he was her age. She had gained his respect, something that was not an easy feat. He glanced over his shoulder to see Lily and the three girls following behind him in the unusual funeral procession.
He would not apparate up to the gates with her. She deserved the respect of being carried the entire way back to the place that had been her sanctuary just as it had been for him. She needed to be remembered for the valiant hero she was and he would do his best to make sure of that. The ice cold grip of death had come over her by the time he reached the entrance of Hogwarts.