James certainly wasn't new to the feeling of adrenaline rushing through his veins as he bolted forwards, but there was something new burning inside of him as he watched his friend writhe and scream in pain, saw the determination in Lily's emerald eyes as they moved simultaneously to the defence. It was something that he had never felt during a quidditch match, or performing a prank, or even illegally transforming and running wild with a werewolf. It was something much different that swelled in his chest and spurred him onwards, towards Lily and the Slytherins who had finally gone too far. With not a thought in his head of danger or a single consideration for himself James Potter leapt into his first real battle, his best friend on his heels.

Mary's pain echoed down the otherwise silent and deserted street, tearing into him at the same moment that his wand came up, seeming to act on it's own accord, and with an explosion of sound and light, Mulciber was blasted off of his feet, sailing a good twenty feet to collide with a brick wall. His wand, still trained on it's victim, fell to the ground, useless without it's bearer. Mary's screams fell to whimpers but none of her friends were in a position to comfort her.

As Avery and the masked wizard spun to meet their attackers James caught sight of four more death eaters as they hurried around the corner at the end of the street. Sirius shot a stunner that flew past Lily's ear but missed one of the oncoming death eaters by inches. Green light erupted from the wand of the one that stood nearest them and James leapt to the side to avoid it, dragging his friend with him. Lily's cry of "Stupefy" had the man spinning even as his own curse hit the chimney of a nearby building, sending rubble to the street, but it was too late as the stunning spell hit him in the chest and he collapsed. A roar of fury from the approaching death eaters warned James of their next target and as their wands came up James raised his own, shouting "Protego" so that their well aimed curses bounced away from Lily, causing considerable damage to a nearby flower bed and forcing one of their conjurers to leap out of the way.

"Crucio" one of the men shouted as he neared, but this time Lily was able to block the spell herself, and it rebounded upon it's originator, ineffective.

"Impedimenta" she retaliated and the larger of the two death eaters was stopped in his tracks. Sirius, who had been sparring with Avery swore loudly as the Slytherin turned towards Mary once more, clearly intent on finishing what his friend had started. Mary, who was just raising herself out of the dirt was forced to roll to the side so that the curse hit the ground, sending dust and debris into the air. Sirius leapt between them, intent on removing the muggle born from harms way. James and Lily stood side by side, shooting spells and hexes at the fully grown wizards.

"Expelliarmus!"

The death eater's wand was freed from his grasp, landing next to one of his downed comrades. James' view was momentarily blocked by the cloud of dust that had risen, forcing him to cough and squint through the blockage.

"Enervate! Enervate!" A furious and somewhat familiar female voice sounded, bringing her friends back to their feet. James charged her, but the woman seemed to be expecting him and he was thrown through the air, his breath knocked from his lungs as he hit a fence post and he felt, or heard something crack inside of him.

Sirius shouted "Prongs" and Lily "James" at the same time as Avery's gleeful, triumphant voice cried " Sectumsempra!"

Lily fell with a strangled cry and the next moment the air was rent with the sound of many people disapparating.

Flinching, James forced himself to his feet and stared around the quiet lane. The death eaters were gone. Avery and Mulciber were gone. He stumbled forward. Mary was leaning over Lily's still frame and Sirius was standing over them both, looking horror struck, still scanning the area, wand held aloft.

And then James saw the blood. It was flowing out from Lily's body, dark and crimson and clean. As he came closer and fell to his knees beside her he could make out the deep gashes and cuts in her upper torso from which the blood poured, like nothing he had ever seen, nothing he had ever been taught to deal with, and for the first time in his life he felt woefully helpless and unprepared.

And so James did the only thing that he could think of. Disregarding magic and any attempts at healing her, knowing from experience that that sort of thing was best left to Madam Pomfrey, he hefted Lily up into his arms, as the blood continued to pour over both of them and his broken body protested, turned and took off running up to the school. Sirius overtook him as they hit the main street, hurrying past, and James hoped that someone would be waiting once he reached the school.

Screams and gasps issued from shoppers and passersby as they tore down the road, Mary soon falling behind, her body weak from the curse. James stumbled under Lily's weight, but forced himself back to his feet, his heartbeat slamming in his ears. He was far too slow, he knew, as more and more blood coursed from Lily's body and he cursed himself for all the magical options he had neglected in carrying her back up to the school but it was too late for regrets as the front gates to the school swung open, admitting him and the girl he held in his arms. Her face had gone white from blood loss, her lips blue but James refused to even consider the fact that he might just be hauling a corpse.

His legs shook as he reached the front steps, nearly buckling beneath him, but years of Quidditch conditioning had not been for nothing and he reached the landing with relief. The great oak doors swung open as though of their own accord and he stumbled into the cool, shadowy castle. Cries of shock rose from the small groups of students who were standing nearby, dawdling in the entrance hall on their way to other things.

He could no longer support Lily's weight, his whole body cringing as he eased himself to the floor, cradling her lifeless form in his arms, as Cloe and Owen pushed the onlookers back, clearing some much needed air.

"James!"

He looked up in relief. Professor McGonagall was hurrying down the stairs with Sirius right behind her. The crowd parted and McGonagall blanched. Turning for but an instant, two shimmering silvery cats shot from her wand, back in the direction she had come.

"All of you, back to your dorms" McGonagall shouted furiously, hurrying forward for a closer look. As the other students distanced themselves regretfully James' eye was drawn to a thin dark shape that stood framed in the entrance to the dungeons. He had never seen Severus Snape looking so terrified, but there was something else in the other boy's eyes, something akin to guilt, unless he was very much mistaken. Snivellus turned and disappeared.

"James, you have to let her go." McGonagall spoke softly but urgently, forcing him to focus once again on the horror in his arms, on the blood, and Lily. Lily's blood. He was soaked through to the skin in Lily's blood. Was it possible for a person to survive so much blood loss?

Once again there was movement on the stairs and James looked up, relief flowing through him. Dumbledore. If there was anyone who could fix what had happened it was Dumbledore, who was looking more frightening than James had ever seen him, something seething in the usually sparkling eyes. McGonagall had conjured a stretcher, was speaking to him, words that he could not quite distinguish through the sound of his own heartbeat, and then with a rush as his eyes met Dumbledore's for one brief instant, as the old man leaned down over James and Lily and James finally allowed Sirius to pry his arms from the other Gryffindor and ease her on to the stretcher, everything cleared and he came back to himself fully.

Mary appeared in the doorway and Sirius caught her before she could collapse on the cold stone. Dumbledore's wand was moving through the air above Lily's wounds again and again, and he seemed to be chanting, his voice too low to make out the words. Madam Pomfrey was hurrying down the staircase towards them, and gave a cry of shock as she caught sight of the scene over Dumbledore's shoulder.

And then Dumbledore was walking away, Lily's stretcher born before him, Madam Pomfrey hovering over her. Sirius was leading Mary behind them, and James finally rose once more, ignoring his body's protests, trailing after the morbid procession at McGonagall's side, wondering just how many Hogwarts students the death eaters had managed to recruit...