Chapter 13
Lily woke up after a few hours of sleep into the darkness before the dawn. Lying in bed, her decision finally materialized, as if she had pondered it in her haunted dreams.
She was angry at Black for putting her in that situation, and at Remus, who didn't stop him from planting the doubt in her heart. Nonetheless, she decided that she would take part in their dangerous plan. She would find out where James was going and with whom, and as soon as she realized that Black had made a mistake and James wasn't hiding anything, she would reveal herself and tell him the whole truth. He would probably be angry with her, even if most of the blame would fall on his friends, but she knew that in the end he would calm down and forgive her. She had no doubt that he would forgive her. After all, she was just trying to keep him safe.
She was too nervous to eat anything at breakfast. The unease turned into a stinging sense of guilt as James walked into the dining room and smiled at her. He wore a dark robe that didn't match the sunny weather or his wardrobe, making him look older than his age. She watched him as he took his place at the head of the table, trying to figure out if he might be hiding something from her. She didn't know, and it frightened her.
The fear got a little stronger when she made eye contact with Black, who entered with Pettigrew a few moments later. He understood the meaning of her gaze immediately.
"I'll go bring Moony a cup of tea," he informed everyone.
James nodded at him as he filled his plate, and Lily couldn't understand how he doesn't notice how tense and suspicious Pettigrew looked. Black, on the other hand, seemed calm and calculating. Behind James' back he motioned Lily to follow him.
Lily felt a suffocating sense of pressure. She looked at James, who was leafing through the newspaper, the steaming food on his plate neglected. After a few moments she told Mrs. Chambers that she was going to start cleaning the drawing room and left, the lie weighing on her heavily. James caught up with her at the bottom of the stairs.
"Hey, where are you running to?"
"I have a lot to do today," she said, avoiding direct eye contact.
"All right," he said, her secret not revealed to him even though she felt that he could read her like an open book if he wanted to. "I'm going out soon. See you tonight?"
"Of course," Lily replied, a cold needle piercing her heart as he gently kissed her on the lips. "Just... Be careful."
"Don't worry about me, Lily," he said with a captivating confidence. If she wouldn't have known better, she would have believed him.
"I can't help it," she said heavily.
His smile faded a little. He cupped the back of her neck with his hand, rubbing the roots of her hair with a gesture that was supposed to be loving and soothing, but it only made Lily tense.
"Everything will be all right. You'll see," he said softly. If she hadn't been bound by guilt, all her worries would have melted away. "As soon as I can, I'll tell you everything that happened. I promise."
Lily nodded, not saying that by then it might be too late.
Afraid that if she stayed there for another moment she would reveal the whole truth to him, she gave him a last kiss and hurried up the stairs. Only when she was out of sight did she feel she could breathe again.
She looked for Black in James's room, and then, when she couldn't find him there, in the guest rooms. Finally she found him in a nearby room, sitting on the edge of the bed. Remus sat on it in his pajamas, his back against the headboard and his knees pressed against his chest. He looked very ill. After a brief reflection, she realized that it had been almost a month since she had encountered him in the form of a wolf – the full moon was coming again.
"Lily..." He began after a few seconds of tense silence, as if he wanted to apologize but couldn't find the words.
Lily shook her head, signaling that she didn't want to hear it right now. She was afraid that if she talked about what she was going to do she would get frightened and take it back. "What's the plan?"
Black wasted no time, pulling out a package that was hidden under the bed. When he unfolded it Lily realized that it was a cloak, translucent and thin as cobwebs, glowing like water in the moonlight. It was beautiful.
"It's an Invisibility Cloak," Black said, not without a trace of satisfaction. "That's how you'll follow him."
Lily came over and touched the cloth with her fingertips, fascinated. It was cool and slippery like water, not at all like cloth.
"That's how you did it?" She asked, the realization sinking into her. "That's how you pulled all these pranks without being caught?"
"Yeah, even though we became more sophisticated over the years," Black said proudly.
"You're the only one apart from the four of us who knows about it, except for James' parents," Remus told her.
"It belongs to James?"
"I told you you were one of us now," Black said, trying to ignore the question. Lily took that as a 'yes'.
Was she supposed to feel hurt that James hadn't told her about this object? She began to think that she wasn't, because apparently they didn't know each other as well as she thought. It made her begin to wonder what other secrets James was hiding from her, and the thought made her sick.
Her dark thoughts probably reflected on her face, because Black stopped trying to make her feel better. He covered her shoulders with a cloak and pulled the hood over her head. Under the cloak there was a cool, protected feeling, a partition of transparent cloth separating her from the world. When she looked at the mirror, she saw that she disappeared.
"What are you going to tell Mrs. Chambers?" She asked, now feeling secure and protected enough to talk about the plan.
"We'll keep her busy so she won't notice that you're gone," Black said, "And don't worry, we'll take turns cleaning. She's not going to suspect anything. Concentrate on watching over Prongs."
Lily nodded before she remembered that they couldn't see her.
"Alright, I'm going."
"Good luck," Remus said.
She left the room, hyper aware of her movements, and went down to the dining room while making a supreme effort to step silently. She entered the room and no one acknowleged her presence. She stood in the corner, amazed. There was tremendous comfort in the possibility to be invisible, and also a kind of addictive power.
After a few minutes Remus and Black followed her, taking their places next to James and Pettigrew. They were both very quiet, and if James hadn't been particularly interested in the paper he surely would have noticed that something was wrong.
Finally he folded the newspaper with a rustling noise and stood up decisively, announcing that he had to leave. The household workers said good-byes and his friends wished him luck. He parted with them with a carefree smile and left. Lily hurried after him.
He stepped out the front door and slammed it behind him. Realizing in frustration that it would be much harder than she had thought, she waited a few minutes and followed him, shutting the door quietly. He was already walking down the path, but he must have heard the sound of the door because he turned around. For a brief, frightening moment she thought he could see her, but then he turned and kept on walking.
He acrossed the estate with a quick stride, and Lily had to almost run to catch up. He waved to Maxwell, who was sitting in a chair in front of his house, and left the grounds. Lily slipped out of the gate before it closed and prepared her wand, her heart beating fast. James Apperated, unaware that she was waiting for it, and she managed to catch the spell just in time and follow it.
When they reached their destination she almost stumbled. Her legs peeked from under the cloak for a moment but luckily James was standing with his back to her. They stood in a very narrow alleyway, and outside was the familiar bustle of Diagon Alley.
James went out into the main street and began walking without delay, forcing Lily to struggle against the other shoppers in an effort not to lose him in the crowd. After a few minutes he went into the store. Lily hurried to the window, afraid to lose him inside, and managed to see him talking to the wizard behind the counter, where dozens of bottles in various colors and sizes were displayed. It was a liquor store. The vendor picked a bottle full of amber fluid and passed it to James in a sack. He paid and left.
His next stop was a tobacco shop a short distance away. This time Lily managed to slip in before the door closed, finding herself surrounded by the heavy, dense smell of tobacco. Again, James went over to the shop owner, talked to him briefly and then asked him about tobacco. Then they went into the back room together, and Lily was alone in the shop. Just as she began to worry that it might have been a trick to avoid being followed, the two returned and James paid the owner for a a small bag.
After adding the purchase to the sack with the bottle of whiskey, James went back into the street and walked on. Lily was getting confused. She didn't reckon James was a drinker, and she knew for certain that he didn't smoke tobacco.
The longer they walked the narrower the streets became, and the crowd was replaced by a few people who went back and forth in a fast stride, absorbed in their business. The shops became less and less luxurious, and the cafes and ice cream parlors turned into closed pubs. James walked along the side of the road, and as they entered the shadow of one of the buildings he pulled the hood of his robe over his head and slipped into a descending staircase.
The sun couldn't penetrate into the narrow passage between the buildings grew taller and taller as they descended. Lily's suspicions grew louder as to where they where going. When the stairs ended in a winding and neglected alley she had no doubt – they were in Knockturn Alley.
James managed to blend in among the gloomy passersby in his dark cloak, his head uncharacteristically low, trying not to stand out. Lily, walking close behind him among the puddles and wizards who smelled of potions and dust, saw his figure change before her eyes. Suddenly his back looked like a stranger's. The tiny hope that Dumbledore may still appear there and everything will turn out to be part of his plan has faded. She had no doubt that the Headmaster wouldn't have sent James to that place alone.
After a few long minutes of walking James turned to a narrow, neglected side alley and knocked on a peeling black wooden door. The bronze hatch opened with a click and reveled a large, penetrating eye that examined James from head to toe. He didn't seem bothered by it.
"Open up!" He called when the eye lingered on him, still pounding on the door with his fist.
The door opened and there stood a creature who might have been a troll if he hadn't been closer to human dimensions, dressed in tacky human clothes. He gave such a sour stench that Lily had to cover her nose. James made a face and coughed, not giving in to the urge to do the same.
"What do you want?" A voice was asked from behind the troll.
"I'm here to do business," James said, trying to see the speaker but failing, as did Lily.
"You have no business here, boy."
The troll turned to close the door but James stopped it roughly with his hand.
"Tell him James Potter wants to see him."
For a moment nothing happened, and then the troll moved aside. James went into the dark space, Lily following immediately. The troll slammed the door behind her and she slipped under his arm to the corner of the room, feeling she might pass out from the stench.
The room was empty except for a table full of bottles and cards and some chairs. Blue smoke hung near the dark ceiling, filling the space with a burnt smell of tobacco. There were no windows or doors. At the table sat two menacing men who inspected at James doubtfully.
"You alone?" The wizard who spoke earlier said, as his partner stood up and approached James. Lily held his wand ready, though James did not.
"Does it look like there's anyone else here?"
"Don't be a smart mouth," the wizard who came up to him snarled and grabbed the bag from his hand, taking out the whiskey and tobacco. He seemed very pleased with himself, throwing the tobacco to his partner and opening the bottle. He sniffed it with satisfaction and took a long swing.
"That's, uh –" James started and fell silent as the wizard looked at him threateningly, daring him to resist.
"Well, I guess you can take it," he said, surrendering. Lily was amazed at his acting skills. The James she knew would never let anyone treat him that way. But now it served he's purpose, causing the wizards to think that they were stronger than him and that he wasn't a threat. Only a foolish boy.
"What kind of business do you have here?" The wizard at the table questioned him, filling his pipe with the fine tobacco he had just bought.
James shrugged, sticking to the act of the dumb teenager. "I'm looking for an investment. I've heard Mr. Dolohov knows his gallons."
The wizards exchanged skeptical glances. The troll grunted by the door.
"What?" James cut the tension in the air with his stupid question. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
He knew exactly why, and so did Lily. This Dolohov was undoubtedly a Death Eater, a supporter of Voldemort, and therefore connected to the murder of James' parents. They were trying to figure out whether they could be sure he didn't know it, and that he was actually there for business.
"Fine, let him in," The wizard at the table said as he lit the pipe.
The other wizard turned to the far wall and tapped his wand on one of the coarse bricks. The wall rattled and then the bricks sled to the sides, revealing polished wooden steps.
James thanked the wizard heartily and started climbing. Lily manged to follow the strange wizard a second before the passage closed. They climbed the candlelit staircase to a wooden door. The wizard tapped it with his wand,and it opened, revealing a grand lounge. When she was inside and the wizard closed the door Lily realized that it was actually a big picture of a lush landscape.
A man in his forties was reading the newspaper in an armchair in front of the fireplace. He was wearing a luxurious robe and his pale fingers carried gold and silver rings. his pale face was stiff, his dark eyebrows thick but neat, his hair pulled back over his head without a hair falling out of place. There was no doubt that he was very rich, a pure- blood, and especially proud of it.
He didn't look surprised to see James, watching him with great suspicion over the paper. James approached him with an outstretched hand, but the bodyguard grabbed his shoulder rudely and stopped him.
James didn't let it undermine his confidence. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Dolohov," he said politely from a distance. "My name is James Potter – "
"I know who you are," Dolohov cut him off with grave seriousness.
"Excellent," James went on, oblivious to the hostility of his interlocutor. "Can I have a sit? I was hoping I could convince you invest in my new venture."
Dolohov didn't seem convinced. "I knew your parents," he said without a trace of kindness.
"I know," James replied, slightly more serious. "I know you weren't on good terms, but it doesn't have to hurt our professional relationship. I'm very different from my parents when it comes to business."
Dolohov folded the paper and set it aside with great importance, beginning to be convinced that James had really come to make a business offer. He motioned to his bodyguard and the man took a step back, sipping from the bottle of whiskey he had confiscated from James and continuing to monitor the scene. James smiled at him and nodded gratefully.
"What is your offer, Mr. Potter?" Dolohov said half- heartedly, peering at his expensive watch. "Try to be brief, I have a meeting at the Ministry in half an hour."
James smiled at him, folding his arms behind his back and peering at the carpet, as if considering his words.
"Well?" Dolohov hurried him impatiently.
James grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I just didn't think you'd be convinced that quickly."
Before Lily could figure out what was going on, a lot of things happened simultaneously; The bodyguard moaned and fainted, Dolohov sprang to his feet and cursed James just as James used a curse that Lily never saw before; Dolohov's curse froze in mid air, quivering and humming like a huge red glowing bee, and Dolohov himself was thrown back and floating in the air on his back, his armchair falling back. Before Lily could think about doing something it was all over.
James passed the bright spot of light in the middle of the room and went to where Dolohov hovered horizontally in the air, watching James with hatred. James smiled at him contentedly, snatched his wand from his hand, and picked up the fallen armchair.
"It's your loss that you weren't on better terms with my parents," he said to Dolohov nonchalantly. "My mother invented that curse, you know. Very useful. Don't expect anything to happen, it's not an offensive curse, so none of your defenses have been activated, and your other bodyguards won't be coming." He nodded to the fainted wizard, now lying in a puddle of whiskey. "And a piece of advice – if get the chance, hire more professional workers."
Dolohov didn't speak. James stood over him, hiding him from Lily's eyes. She moved quietly, approaching the scene, curious and frightened. What was James going to do to him?
"You have nothing to say?" He went on with a cold voice. "You're probably trying to figure out how much I know, so I'll spare you the trouble – I know everything. I know you're in Voldemort's inner circle –"
"How dare you?" Dolohov hissed venomously, biting like a snake. "You don't have the right to call him by his name!"
"You know, people take the name thing a bit too seriously," James spoke naturally, but couldn't hide gloom rooted in his words. "Now, if you don't want to be late for your appointment, I suggest that you start telling me where to find him."
Dolohov looked at James as if he had lost his mind. Then he began to laugh. "You want to meet the Dark Lord? Don't worry, boy, he'll make sure to find you – " He made a gagging sound and stopped talking.
"That's not what I want to hear," James told him as if he were a little boy who couldn't answer a simple question. Dolohov's eyes bulged out in their sockets. "I don't have all day, so that's what we'll do – every time you start telling me things that don't interest me, I'll do this. It's not pleasant, is it? Feels like your tongue's tangled up? So let's try again – were is Voldemort hiding?"
The lounge door opened without warning. "Mr. Dolohov, the Minister –"
Lily noticed Lucius Malfoy in the doorway. His eyes widened as he realized what was going on, but before he could do anything James stupefied him.
At that moment the wooden floor groaned with a deafening noise. Dolohov crashed and his curse continued its movement and scorched the wall. Lily fell; The floor under her feet began to move like a storming sea. James was on the floor too. He managed to roll sideways in time to avoid Dolohov's curse, whom managed to retrieve his wand. Under his feet only the floor was stable. James tried to get up but fell again at once. Dolohov smirked in content and disarmed him.
"I'm sorry, you're not important enough to see the Dark Lord's face," he said viciously. "But do take comfort in the fact that you will see your parents very soon. Avada –"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Dolohov froze like a statue, the flash of death still in his eyes, which he turned toward Lily a fraction of a second before the spell hit him. James turned in her direction like a whip. The cloak slid off her as she lay on the shaking floor.
They stared at each other for a few moments. Lily couldn't think of a single word to say, especially since they weren't out of danger yet.
"Did he see you?" Was all James demanded to know, breathing heavily.
Lily wasn't sure. She had no way of knowing. She tried to find the words to say it, but James already lost his patient – "Did he see you or not!?"
"I don't know!" Lily cried out in distress.
James cursed sharply. He tried to crawl toward the frozen figure of Dolohov to retrieve his wand, but the wooden floor pushed him back in high waves, protecting her master with devotion. Lily crawled toward the big painting, scrambling over the body of the fallen bodyguard, and tried to open the secret door. It was stuck. Her fear began to rise, and the pressure made it hard for her to think.
She didn't know that defensive spell, and didn't know how to reverse it. The room was designed so that the intruder couldn't escape, even if he managed to defeat the landlord. They were trapped.
Looking at James, who was struggling to get to his feet, she realized that the floor in front of the doorway was steady – where the guard lay the spell was not activated. In a desperate move, she raised his heavy arm with effort and pressed it to the painting. It opened with a click.
"James!"
James noticed that the passage had been opened, but he didn't move. He looked at Dolohov.
"Acio!" James' wand sprang into Lily's hand. "Come on!" She called out to James, unable to understand why he was still lingering. "Before somebody else comes!"
She crept into the passage. The stairs were steady. She stood up and looked at James expectantly. He studied Dolohov for another moment, then moved toward the opening with a quick crawl. He passed through the doorway and passed Lily without looking at her, running down the stairs.
"Cover your mouth," he said harshly a moment before they reached the bottom. The room downstairs was flooded with yellowish smoke, and the wizard and the troll were passed out. The smoking pipe was lying on the floor. James hurried past them and out the back door. Only when he was out he made sure that Lily was still following him and started running into the alley. Filled with guilt mixed with adrenaline, Lily rolled the Invisibility Cloak in her arms and ran after him.