Chapter 16
Lily whirled in a whirlpool of hot dust, waiting tensely to reach her destination. But then something happened that hadn't happened to her before; She was slammed into a solid wall and pushed away quickly and violently. She opened her eyes despite the dust and the sparks and saw the openings of fireplaces pass by in a blur. She tried to contain herself, confused and lost, but she had nothing to hold on to in the empty space between the fireplaces.
Finally she fell hard on a bare wooden floor, calling out it pain. She straightened up and realized immediately that she wasn't in Dumbledore's office in Hogwarts, but in a very different place; It was a basement room with a low ceiling lit by lanterns that emitted a greasy light. She couldn't see any more than that, because she was surrounded immediately by four men who were pointing their wands at her.
"Professor?" She was startled by the sight of the thin, tall man whose white beard was sliding down his chest. But of course it couldn't have been Dumbledore; His beard was shaggy and dirty, and he wore worn cloths that didn't suit him at all. Even his eyes lacked their spark, and were much more dark and suspicious.
She tried to get to her feet but a sturdy wizard with a wooden leg sticking out under his robe made a threatening gesture toward her, and in a split second her wand sprang from her pocket to his rough hand. She backed up a little, crawling, gaping at the strange group of people who were watching her suspiciously.
They were without a doubt the most curious group of people she had encountered. Apart from the gloomy man who looked like Dumbledore, there were a pair of young men who were the exact opposite of him, with their colorful clothes, red hair and sparkling eyes. The man with the wooden leg that took Lily's wand was particularly frightening; His face was crisscrossed with scars and one of his eyes was unnaturally blue and protruding, unlike his usual dark eye, and swirled in it's socket in a slightly nauseating way.
"Someone else is coming," he grumbled suddenly.
Indeed, after a brief moment James was also ejected from the fireplace, managing to maintain his balance. He spotted the four men and cursed.
To Lily's surprise, the strangers lowered their wand then, and the redheads returned to their place at the rough table in the middle of the room where they were playing cards. All at once Lily understood – they were part of Dumbledore's Order.
"Potter, what's that supposed to be?" The man who looked like Dumbledore demanded in a hoarse voice that was as different as night and day from the soft voice of his double.
"It was a mistake," James defended himself, helping Lily up. "She wanted to get to Dumbledore's office in Hogwarts."
"The fireplaces at Hogwarts are closed to the Floo network," Dumbledore's double growled toward Lily.
"I know that," Lily said firmly. She did know that, but she was so desperate to help James that she had forgotten about it.
"You certainly have a strange way of showing it," he replied, suddenly aiming his wand between her eyes. "Too bad you won't remember that lesson."
"Hey, wait!" James came between him and Lily.
"You know the rules, Potter," The man with the scary eye intervened. "We have to erase her memory."
Lily was shaken by the sharp turn. "Please, I just want to talk to Dumbledore!"
They didn't seem impressed by that. The twins watched. "Help me here!" James called out to them.
"Sorry, mate, you know that's the way it is," one of the twins said apologetically.
"Yeah," his brother added, "Even though we can't understand why you'd bring your girlfriend here..." He gestured to the somber space around them.
"He didn't bring me here, I came here by accident," Lily rebelled behind James.
"At least you have more luck than brains," the man who looked like Dumbledore said and opened his mouth to cast the spell. James moved to protect Lily.
"As a matter of fact, Miss Evans is one of the brightest students I've ever had the privilage to teach," a woman's voice interrupted. The man who looked like Dumbledore turned, and Lily saw that Professor McGonagall appeared in the doorway. "It would be more correct to say that she has the same amount of luck and brains, Aberforth."
A complete relief washed over Lily. Professor McGonagall wore a checkered dress and her hair was weaved in a braid – Lily had never seen her without her traditional robe and her hair tied in a tight bun – but her impressive and terrifying presence hadn't been affected by her attire.
"Professor – " James began.
"I heard the story, Potter," McGonagall interrupted him reproachfully, as if she had caught him trying to pull a prank at school. "Unfortunately, Aberforth and Alastor are right, and the location of headquarters shouldn't be known to anyone who is not a member of the Order."
"We're in danger, Professor," Lily said when she realized she couldn't get anyone to listen to her any other way. "The Death Eaters are looking for us."
The color drained from Professor McGonagall's face. The twins had stopped playing and turned serious.
"What makes you think you interest them?" The man with the frightening eye, Alastor, questioned her.
Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, wasted no time. She took out her wand and summoned a Patronus of a big cat.
"Albus, your presence is urgently needed at Headquarters," she dictated to the silvery shadow and let it go. Then, in a harsh tone softened by her trembling voice, she said to James, "What have you done now, Mr. Potter?"
James looked irritated and refused to answer. Lily decided not to speak for him, at least until Dumbledore arrived.
After a few moments a burst of green fire shot in the fireplace. Lily and James retreated to make room for Dumbledore, who stepped out of the flames lightly, dusting off his scarlet robe. At that moment everyone started talking together.
"Quiet, please," Dumbledore said softly and clearly above the commotion.
Everyone went silent except for Dumbledore's double, Aberforth, who claimed, "Albus, this girl is not a member of the Order. Every second she's here puts us at risk."
"It's all right, Aberforth," Dumbledore said calmly. That only annoyed Aberforth. "How can we help you, Miss Evans?"
Dumbledore's soft voice made her want to fall apart, to let the fear she had restrained since she had spoken to Severus to burst and paralyze her. But she didn't give up to the temptation. She tried to keep her voice steady, knowing everyone was listening intently and James is looking at her nervously and said, "Professor, Severus told me that Death Eaters are looking for James. They want to retaliate on him."
"Severus Snape?" Alastor growled. "What's he to you? Why would he tell you their plans?"
"We used to be friends," Lily admitted. It hurt to say it.
"I don't like this," Alastor told Dumbledore. "The punishment for treachery among the Death Eaters is death, why should he risk it for her?"
To Lily's total surprise James intervened and said, "Because he loves her."
No one responded to that statement. Lily was ashamed of that fact, and she wished James hadn't said it in front of everyone without even looking at her.
"Let's talk in a more pleasant place," Dumbledore said suddenly, "Aberforth, may I?"
Aberforth muttered something that sounded very hostile and went to the corner of the room. Dumbledore must have interpreted that as a positive answer because he signaled Lily and James to follow him. They left the cellar and climbed a narrow staircase that reminded the stairs to the workers' quarters in the Potter house, only much more narrow and gloomy. At the end of the stairs was a door that opened behind a bookcase into a modest living room. The only exception was the portrait of a blond girl that was hanging above the fireplace; Lily had never seen a magical portrait of someone who wasn't an old or important wizard or witch.
She peered out of the solitary window while Dumbledore offered them caramel candy. Outside it rained down on a cobblestone street, and over the rooftops towered Hogwarts Castle, glowing in the dusk. They were in Hogsmeade.
"Please step away from the window, Miss Evans," Dumbledore said. He lit a fire and sat down in a nearby chair, the girl in the painting following his footsteps with great curiosity. "No one can know there's anyone here except for Aberforth."
Lily obeyed and went to sit next to James on the couch. He leaned forward on his knees and drummed his foot nervously on the carpet. Lily wanted to take his hand to reassure him, but it bothered her that Dumbledore was present.
"Please tell the story from the beginning," he said.
Lily took a last look at James. When he didn't seem to be resisting, she told Dumbledore the whole story, from James' trick in Knockturn Alley and her surveillance, to Severus' breach into the Potter estate grounds and his warning.
By the end of the story Dumbledore was sitting with his eyes closed. Lily watched him apprehensively. For a moment she thought she would see him getting angry for the first time in her life, but to her surprise he said in a perfectly calm voice, "It saddens me that you have not abandoned your desire for vengeance, James."
James mumbled something unclear.
Dumbledore opened his eyes. There was a strange spark in them that Lily hadn't yet seen. "How did you come upon the cloak that Miss Evans used to watch over you?"
"Family inheritance," James replied. Like Lily, he too seemed confused by the unexpected question.
"Well, what's done is done," Dumbledore changed the subject without warning. "Now we have to think about how to protect you."
"There are only two weeks till school starts," James said, "Is there a Order member who would be willing to take Lily in until then? Or could she return to Hogwarts earlier?"
"And what about you?" Lily intervened before Dumbledore could answer. "You're not really going to stay there alone and wait for them to come?"
"I'm not going to run away," James determined.
Lily opened her mouth to tell him he was being stupid, when she suddenly realized exactly why he was doing it.
"You want to meet Voldemort. You're hoping he'll be there and you could duel him..." She refused to believe it.
"I'll be ready for them." He didn't even try to deny it.
Lily wanted to cry. "Please, stop it..."
James seemed to be trying hard not to give in to her request. "I'm sorry, Lily, that's something I have to do."
"You do not. There is always a choice," Dumbledore said suddenly. He was so quiet that Lily almost forgot that he was there. He looked at them very strangely, almost as if he were holding himself back from shedding a tear. "For me it is clear, at my old age. You are yet to learn it. You are not going to face any Death Eaters, let alone Voldemort – you and Miss Evans will come with me to Hogwarts tonight."
This statement calmed Lily. James stood up and tried to argue, but Dumbledore left no room for him to do so.
"I can't go yet," James insisted, "There are people who live in my house. They're under my responsibility. I need to make sure they're safe before I leave."
"Of course," Dumbledore agreed. "Alastor will accompany you, and as soon as you're done he'll take you to Hogwarts."
"I have to go, too," Lily said. "There's something I have to take with me."
"All right," Dumbledore said, and to Lily's surprise added, "James, if you would be so kind to wait downstairs for a few moments, I would like to talk to Miss Evans privately."
James didn't argue, but he did seem particularly curious. He gave Lily a reassuring smile, even if it was tense, and walked out the door behind the bookcase.
Lily looked at Dumbledore with tense anticipation.
"Lily," he began soothingly. He never used her first name before. "I'm apologize, but I need your help. The Order needs your help."
"What can I do?" Lily said without hesitation. She was hoping he would offer her to join the Order, though she couldn't think of how she could do it any good.
Dumbledore smiled a little at her reaction, but immediately became serious again. "My request would sound insensitive, but I would not have raised the possibility if I did not thought we were nearing very dark times... Lily, I would like you to get close to Mr. Snape and encourage him to tell you more of the Death Eaters' secrets."
Lily wasn't sure how to respond, or even how that request made her feel. She found it hard to get Severus' voice out of her head, offering her to come with him, offering to protect her, even though he knew she loved James and not him.
Dumbledore said, "Is what James said truth? Do you think that Mr. Sanpe truly loves you, and that's the reason he warned you?"
She felt very cold, even though she sat close to the fire. She hugged herself and was ashamed to look at Dumbledore's face when she replied, "Yes."
"I think, and you probably agree with me, that Severus is not a bad person," Dumbledore continued. "If he was not a good person he could not have had such a great capacity for love. I apologize if this embarrasses you, Lily, but his love for you has to be great if he risked death to warn you."
Lily felt terrible. "I don't love him back."
"It is obvious that your love lies elsewhere," Dumbledore said wisely, and a little of the spark returned to his eyes . "Still, I hope that if you mend your friendship you can persuade Severus to spy for the Order."
Lily thought it was a very good idea, and hated herself for it. "They'll kill him if they find out..." She covered her mouth and ordered herself not to dare cry now. It wasn't the time for that now.
"You do not have to decide right now," Dumbledore said soothingly. "Either way, I'd be honored if you joined the Order of the Phoenix. Go with James now, and then Alastor will take you to Hogwarts. You'll be safe there."
Lily nodded and didn't delay, leaving the room without saying anything under the blonde girl's gaze. On the way down a few tears slipped out of her eyes, and she wiped them before she appeared in the basement. Dumbledore's plan could cause Severus to be murdered, and she disgusted herself when she thought it was a good plan, even if it meant she had to lead Severus astray...
James knew she was crying, she saw it in his eyes. He held her hand steadily and it calmed her a little. She decided she would tell him about Dumbledore's request later. She didn't want to upset him, and she had no doubt that it would upset him. After all, he admitted to her that one of the reasons he used to bother Severus when they were younger was because he envied their relationship.
"You're an Order member now?" He said in a clear attempt to cheer her up.
Lily nodded. The redheads cheered and whistled as if they were waiting for a sign. Lily smiled uncontrollably.
"Ready?" Alastor said, his enchanted eye swirling in its socket. He was much less hostile now.
They returned to the Potter house by Floo. It got dark while they were away, and all the lights in the study were on, but the house workers weren't there.
"They better not be around," James muttered angrily. He probably still hadn't forgiven them for refusing to obey him.
Except for the study, the rest of the house was dark. James checked the runes again, which shone on the walls with a dark glow that didn't shine in the dark. They appeared to be intact.
"You go with Lily," he said to Alastor, who looked particularly frightening in the dark. "I'll make sure there's no one here and we'll meet in the study."
"Don't give me orders, boy," he snarled in reply.
James rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to run away, alright? I just want Lily to get to Hogwarts as soon as possible."
For some reason this argument convinced Alastor immediately. He clutched Lily's arm firmly and held his wand ready.
"Lead the way," he told her, "And don't forget, constant vigilance!"
Lily looked at James apprehensively. He gave her a slight encouraging smile and hurried toward the stairs. Lily turned the other way, to the workers' quarters.
The whole house was dark. Mrs. Chambers would have never allowed it, and this strengthened her sense that everyone had gone. She was going to turn on the light, but Alastor stopped her, saying it would be better if it would appear that there was no one in the house.
They went down the stairs, Lily groping for the wall in the darkness, and Alastor limping confidently as if he had night vision (maybe he did). Soon they reached Lily's room, and she conjured a dim light at the end of her wand to help her dig through the closet while Alastor's eye swirled wildly. Lily began to suspect that he could see through the walls and ceiling.
After a few minutes of searching she found what she was looking for. She opened the faded book on the first page, as if to make sure the dedication was still there. She hadn't touched the book since she had arrived at the beginning of the summer – so many things had happened that she hadn't had time to go through it, like she always did when she was afraid or tense. She hadn't thought of it during the summer, and perhaps she had freed herself from the confidence that her mother's hand writing had always installed in her, but in the light of real danger she thought of it at once. She didn't think she would be able to hide in Hogwarts knowing that the last gift her mother had given her was out there.
She put the tattered book to her breast and announced that she was ready to go. If Alastor thought it was odd that she had come back to take an old children's book he didn't mention it. His enchanted eye focused on the cover of the book and she protected it with her hands, fearing that he would be able to read the personal words her mother had written to her.
They were back in the main corridor when a flicker caught Lily's eye; A lonely rune flickered on the wall and died into a smoky black symbol. Lily stared in horror.
"They're here," Alastor growled.