Some things I just think have to happen,

It is very different, but similar…

Sorry bout this.

This is pretty intense, A T at least.

Chapter 40

When Darness Falls

March had come in with a vengeance. It had rained for a week now and it was only the 5th. James was leaning against his window wall staring out into the black night. Lily was on duty with the Ravenclaw prefects tonight, he had an upcoming match against Hufflepuff. He really needed to concentrate as it was Gryffindor's final match before the cup. They were guaranteed a spot being the one of the only teams with two wins, however if they won the Hufflepuff match there would be no cup game at all as they would be the only team with three wins, thus making them the cup holders. Unfortunately, he couldn't concentrate. He had received a letter from his mum at breakfast.

His father had been severely injured on a mission, he was at home and recovering but he was still not well off. Tomorrow he and Sirius were going home for the weekend to see him. To James that sounded bad, really bad. Hogwarts didn't let you run home for nothing. Something bad had happened, and he was worried for his father's life. He stretched out before walking to his bed and throwing himself face first onto his bed. He stayed that way for a long time, not asleep but not really awake. He only lifted his head when he heard the door open because it was not the door in the heads office that opened but the door that lead to the boys tower in Gryffindor house.

"You awake?" Sirius' voice said from the darkened opening.

"Kinda." He said in a rough voice, that let Sirius know he had been crying.

He heard the door seal shut and felt the bed shift as his best mate and brother fell onto the bed beside him, not much differently that James had done himself a few hours ago.

"Where's Lilykins tonight?" Sirius asked in a muffled voice, suggesting his face was pressed into a pillow.

"On rounds, it's her night. She is taking the weekend too, Rem is going to stand in for me."

"Are we leaving after classes or after dinner?"

"Classes, I figure mum will cook for us."

It was quiet for a while before James broke the silence in a quavering whisper.

"Does it make me a bad son that part of me doesn't want to go?"

Sirius leaned up onto his elbow so he could look at his friend.

"No, it makes you scared, and that makes you a son that loves his father."

James rolled so he was looking up at the ceiling and at Sirius. The unshed tears were glistening behind his dark lashes.

"Gryffindor's aren't supposed to be scared… remember bold, daring, brave. Scared isn't in there anywhere."

"Mate, scared isn't listed in any house's qualities but I am certain that everyone gets scared sometime. You are human, you are going to get scared sometimes. Wait until Lily thinks she is pregnant for the first time…Scared doesn't even begin to cover it."

James couldn't help it, he burst into laughter.

"And you would know that how?"

Even in the dark you could see the blush creep up Sirius' cheeks.

"I may have forgotten to use a contraceptive charm a month or so ago. She's not…But scared the bloody hell out of me."

"You didn't tell her that right"

"Well no, I'm not a complete twat you know."

James chuckled lightly and rolled back to his stomach.

Neither of them heard the door reopen. Neither of them knew that Remus had crept in, walking silently as only he could. He leaned against James' window and slid down, watching his two friends sleep, tossing and turning. He knew them better than they knew themselves. They were both torn up, they were both terrified and both for different reasons.

James had never lost anyone or anything. He was his parents' whole world, their everything, as they were his. He would not handle losing either of them well, and he was still so young to see a parent die. Remus knew what it was to lose a parent but to see one die was a different story all together. Mr. Potter was not young anymore and from the sound of things, he was gravely injured.

Sirius was another story. He had never felt loved or accepted by any parental figure, until James' parents. He was scared to lose the only happiness he had known. Any piece of it. Sirius had been through torment and things that Remus could not imagine. He would not recover will from a loss like this.

But through it all he knew that his two friends would lean on each other and he would hold them both up when they needed it. His thoughts were confirmed as Sirius threw his arm over James; shoulders and instead of throwing it off James settled in his sleep and they both actually fell into what looked like a peaceful sleep for the first time that night. He watched them for a while, not noticing as he himself drifted off against the window.

Hours later Lily murmured the familiar password to James' room, knowing this would be his last night with her for three nights. When she walked in and saw both boys asleep side by side on the bed, and Remus sleeping in front of the window with his head lolling on the glass, she smiled. In that instant she realized one thing, her whole world was in this room.

OoOoOoO

James watched Sirius disappear into the flames of Dumbledore's office before turning to pull Lily into a brief hug and kissing her lightly. He smiled at her blush, apparently kissing her in front of their head of house and headmaster was a bit much for her. He smiled quickly and waved at Remus and Pete as Lily spoke softly into his ear.

"Have a good weekend, give your mum and dad hugs for me." She looked into his guarded, obviously scared eyes. "It is going to be fine, James. Your dad is mending and you will be back here in three days." She kissed his cheek as he sighed and stepped into the fire.

oOoOoOoOoO

He stepped out into the room and knew instantly that something was wrong. Everything was black, you couldn't even see the sun shining in from outside, he walked into Sirius who was standing upright and in a defensive position. James used his shoulders to steady himself.

"Siri?" he questioned.

"They are here Jamie, we have to get out."

"And I wish you luck, every fireplace in this house has been sealed." They heard a vacuum sound as the fireplace behind them sealed shut. "Now let's have some fun."

"Siri Moony's place. Run!" James shouted certain that Sirius would understand his code.

He saw Sirius' head nod in acceptance before he took off at breakneck speed through the room, trying to make his way to the hall by memory. James saw a light wiz by his head and he dropped to the ground, and rolled to avoid the curse. He hopped up and ran towards where he knew the archway to the hall was. They had flooed onto the second floor into the family den so he only had to get to the library. Only one hall away, he just had to make it to the end of this hall and around the corner. His mind briefly flashed to Sirius, he couldn't hear him at all. He was likely trying to keep quiet to stay undetected. He then thought of his mother and his hurt father. If they had been attacked was his father up to defending himself?

James tried to push down the nausea that he was feeling, knowing that it wouldn't help anyone if he got sick right now. As he made it out of the room the darkness still permeated the air he tried to turn towards the library and ran into someone much bigger than him. He felt the arms start to wrap around his shoulders and could smell putrid sour breath on his cheek. Flailing out with his arms he ran backwards and felt the world disappear from beneath him for a moment until he reconnected harshly with the hard marble that could only be the front staircase. He felt his head hit at least four steps before he passed out.

oOoOoOoO

He didn't know how long he had been asleep but he was dizzy and his head felt like it was going to explode. He opened his eyes slowly. It seemed to take everything a while to come into focus.

"Mum?" he mumbled.

"Jamie, it's going to be alright son, don't struggle alright." She said gently.

It was only then that he realized that he couldn't move his body at all, he seemed to be restrained.

"Wus happened?" he said thickly.

"Prongs I did it, I'm sorry, you said to go to the room, I went, it took me a bit but I did and I think they were waiting for one of us to open it, your mum and dad were already inside and I let them in, I let the death eaters in." Sirius wailed.

"Sirius settle down son, you couldn't have known. You did what we would have wanted you to do, get to safety."

James eyes popped open at how strong his father's voice sounded.

"Dad, you…I thought you were worse than you were. You're…You sound ok, better than I thought…are you alright?"

"It was a trap son, I was never hurt. We holed up in there two days ago. I don't know how but they figured out the enchantments, they needed one of the two of you to get in. They sent the letter that you and Sirius received, they lured you here."

"Yes, and now we have you all. I see the littlest Potter has finally awoken. I was worried we weren't going to get to give you to our Lord, he so wants to meet you himself ickle wittle Potter, he desires your wittle Black friend there too. I was nervous that your spill down the stairs had finished you off. And we have so much fun planned. But first, I need your wands for something important."

James vision refocused at just the moment to see his and Sirius' wands fly from a side table into his hands.

"I have waited two days for you to reawake to get to do this little boy." The harsh voice said.

The boys watched as Sirius' wand swiped through the air and James' father fell to the floor screaming and writhing before their eyes. He heard Sirius' screams mix with his father's and mother's but he could only bring himself to stare helplessly.

"No, please, stop, please just take me with you, leave them." Sirius screamed.

James watched as his own wand was thrown to a masked accomplice and as it was used to crucio his own mother. The next 24 hours passed in much the same fashion. Every once in a while it would become too much and James' head injury would pull him back under. Twice Sirius was tortured into oblivion, he passed out for a few hours each time, leaving James to stare at his unconscious parents himself.

There were several times that both boys had been untied and tortured together, never losing sight of their parents' stricken faces, or the fear in each other's eyes. Even just sitting here, James felt as if his skin was tingling, sliding off his bones, he had been crucioed and cut, they had used whipping charms and stinging hexes. He was sure that he looked at least as bad as Siri, who was covered in dry blood and vomit. You could only withstand so much torture before your body betrayed you.

His mum and dad lay on in pools of blood on the marble flooring. Their eyes had not reopened in a long time, they were no longer being tortured at the moment but every once in a while one of them would let out an unearthly scream. Their tormentors had been gone for a while, James assumed they were sleeping or eating. He tried to add up the days in his head. They were in the actual library now, and they had watched the sun set a few hours ago.

From what Sirius had said he had been unconscious for a little more than two days. Two days where none of them had eaten and Sirius refused to tell him what had happened to himself or their parents during that time. If what Sirius said was reliable they had left on Friday, He was unconscious Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday. He had been awake all of Sunday night and Monday. The school had to be wondering where they were. Someone would come soon. Someone would have to come soon.

The sun rose on the old library, bringing with it the sight of James' parents lying bloodied and bruised on the floor. James and Sirius had both been woken up from their fitful sleep violently. Waking to the screams of your mother was none too pleasant.

"Well boys, today is the day that he comes to see you, today is the day that you become true purebloods or dead gutter filth like these blood traitors that lay before you."

James' face blanched, he could hear Sirius dry sobbing across the room, they had screamed so much that there was little of their voices left. He saw his father's eyes. He was awake and looking between the two boys a terrified expression on his face, terrified but determined. He was being held by the hair at the base of his neck, Sirius' wand pointed at his temple. His mother's squeak was the only thing that pulled James' gaze from his father. She was on her knees in front of him, his own wand being held to her neck.

"My boys, you will be strong do you understand me. You will fight. You WILL FIGHT." He said, his voice laced with vengeance, and fervor. "You will make it out and you will fight this malice and scorn of the earth. Do you understand me?"

Both boys nodded, pulling against their restraints, tears flowing freely down their cheeks.

"Yes sir." They said in unison, making their voices as strong as possible.

James' mother was screaming in seconds when she realized what her husband already knew. The death eater holding Charles kicked him hard in the side as what the boys took to be the head spoke.

"You are a miserable old wreck, and I want you to suffer for killing some of my greatest friends and allies, if I didn't need your son and your pathetic tag along here I would kill them in front of your eyes. I will have to settle for you wife I guess. Sirius screamed a wordless howl. James tried to rip his way free of his bonds, trying to reach his mother.

"NO! NO! Mum no, I love you, please NOOOoo!" James screamed with everything he had, every ounce of Gryffindor bravery leaving him in that instant. He felt the blood vessels in his eyes pep with his screams.

"I love you my sons, please just be happy, be happy." She cried as a cutting spell sliced into her again and again, James' own wand betraying him and killing his mother.

Charles Potter was a heap on the floor, shaking in despair. Neither, James or Sirius could pull their eyes from the desecrated body of their mother, James' by birth and Sirius' by heart.

"Now, Charles, lead auror and thorn in my side, tell your boys goodbye."

He lifted his head and looked first at Sirius and then to James, the son that was every bit of himself.

"You are brave, you are strong, you will move on and you will honor your mother, both of you. You are both loved deep, deep within my soul." As he stopped to take a breath he was enveloped by a green light rushing forward from Sirius' wand.

Sirius hung limply in his binds, shaking with sobs, unable to voice the despair that he felt. James felt as if his whole world had halted, everything that mattered had gone. He looked at his mother and felt every bit of hope leave his body, replaced with malevolence, hatred and deep sorrow. It was then that the room grew frigid, the only thing that saved either boy from feeling the wrath of the dementors that surged in was the fact that in the moment neither could remember what happiness even was. They only held thoughts of grief and righteous anger.

With the hooded terrors came a new fear, a new bone chilling voice. They both knew in an instant that this was surely the sound of their deaths. They lifted their eyes to one another. Making contact, silently speaking in a way that only they could. They would honor their father. They would certainly die, but they would die men, they would die for what was right. They would die together, side by side.

"Why gentleman it is so nice to finally meet you face to face." The smooth voice said, caressing each word. "You have eluded me before, I have come today to take you into my utmost inner circle, you will be worshiped above all. The two rightful heirs of the most prominent of families, two perfect purebloods, two men that shall have anything they desire."

Sirius opened his mouth to speak before the nightmare raised his hand and silenced him, his mouth snapping shut seemingly of its own accord, James felt his own cement shut as well.

"Manners boys, manners.. I will speak first and then, and only then will you be permitted to answer. I desire both of you greatly. As such I think we can start out on a first name basis.

Sirius Black, rightful heir to the name and to the house. I already have possession of your younger, not as talented brother. I would like to keep him, he will prove useful for breeding more purebloods. But you son, you could be one of my crowned jewels. A leader amongst this new world.

I will give you anything you desire, I would gladly do away with the idiocy that is your parents. I know how they lavished everything upon Regulus and failed to see the perfection that was and is their oldest. I value bravery and independence. You would fit perfectly into my ranks.

I will give you all the women that you would like in your bed, I know much about you. I know you like women and the pursuit of them. You can have your pick, you will build the new, stable, ferocious house of Black. I will hand everything to you my son."

He turned to James' ignoring the murmurs of indignation coming from the ranks of death eaters around them.

"Ah James. You my son are the only heir to the Potter crest. You are the end of your line. I am sorry about your parents, they couldn't be convinced and they wouldn't let me speak with you. I did not intend for you to see this though. Nor was it my intention for your own wand to be used. I shall rectify that mistake for you. Though I can sense the hatred it has instilled in your heart, I value hate, it is so much stronger than love my child.

I can give you the world my boy. You already have nearly everything that you could desire, and I know that my ways are not something you would likely fall easily into but I will have your brother of sorts. Both of them. I will acquire the werewolf Remus Lupin, he will join my ranks and I will keep him secure, safe and he will be praised among my creatures of darkness.

I know from a very reliable source that you have an infatuation with a certain mudblood. Now of course we can't have you breeding with that sort as we want purity above all, but you may have her too. She can be yours in everyway that you desire, you may consider her however you like, mistress, slave, servant, whatever you fancy. The point is, she will be yours and will be safe.

She will not perish in the purge of filthy blood and thievery of magic. Your allegiance to me will keep her safe, it will keep her alive. She will be protected under the strength of the name Potter and no one will be able to contest that. No one.

You do understand boys that the two of you are the key to two of the four most ancient lines of magic? I will have you both, I desire you both. You will answer only to me and no one else, no one will have power over you or anyone you so desire to be yours. By pledging me your loyalties you are saving everyone you hold dear and securing yourselves a place of honor in my world.

I shall unbind you and give you ten minutes to make your decision. I bid you not to try and run, it is fruitless."

When the ropes holding them to their chairs released both boys fell face first onto the blood stained marble flooring. They remained still until everyone had vacated the room. Sirius tried to stand and fell back to his knees. He made his way across the room to where James had stayed laying on the floor, he had merely pulled himself next to his mother and was stroking her hair. Tears flooding his face, he was choking on the sobs.

"Jamie, I can't run. I am not strong enough. They have done too much." Sirius choked.

James looked up at his brother, his very best friend.

"Nor can I. Nor will I. Siri they are dead because of me. They are dead because he wanted me. Lily is going to die because of me."

Sirius grabbed the blood soaked robes and pulled James up to his own knees supporting him by the elbows.

"They are dead because they fought evil. And do you think Lily would want to be the sex slave of a death eater? No matter the protection that it offered her? You know Lils better than that. I do not care what they offer me, I will fight as I know you will.

We will stand together one last time, we will fight together and die together, we will make our parents and everyone else proud of who we are and what we stand for. We will bring light to this war, we will ignite a fire, we will be the beginning of the end of this war. I know it. We will not go down quietly and we will not join him."

James looked deep into the blue eyes that he had known and trusted since he was eleven years old.

"I want to move them. I will find the strength, I don't want them used for dark acts, help me move them."

Sirius nodded in response and they both pulled all of the strength that they had left, knowing that they were using the only chance they had at escape to save the bodies of their parents. They pulled them into the panic room and James used the secret books to close the door. When he and Sirius died his parents executors would open the room, they could give them a proper burial.

Both boys remained standing barely and leaned against the solid wall. Each staring into the face of the other, trying to memorize everything about the friend they were about to lose forever.

"We will stand together." James said with conviction.

Sirius gripped his shoulder.

"Yes, we will be united now, and forever. This is what is right."

The door began to open as James spoke what were to be the last words between them.

"Together, my brother."

The silky voice spoke, seemingly straight through them.

"Why is it that it seems you have both chosen wrong?"

Sirius spoke strong and clear.

"Because, you are on the wrong side. We have chosen what is right, we will never be yours."

"Aye, I was afraid of this outcome. I knew that seeing the torture of these two blood traitors would turn you against me. It certainly was not my intention. This was all messed up, my source failed to fill me in on some things before hand and now I have lost you both."

It was James' turn to pretend to be braver by far than he felt.

"You never had us to begin with. We never would have said yes to you."

"Yes, yes, so you say. Pity, you both really would have been perfect for building the purest of populations. I have perfect pureblood witches ready for both of you, waiting to bear perfect pure children. Alas I now will be forced to see to both of your deaths and then your friend's as well. I would keep you around to see it but I prefer the less messy route to just kill you right now."

They both kept their eyes open, starting death in the face as he raised his wand above his head. They stood tall in the face of darkness, both hoping for death to come quick and their fear betraying them, both fearing that they would be the one to see the other fall. A fate worse than dying, watching the other die. He brought his wand down with such speed it was barely noticeable and as the green jet shot out the walls and very floor shook around them.

Already being unsteady on their injured frames they both fell to the ground, causing the curse to miss both of them by mere inches. Sirius grasped James wet robes pulling him close as James pushed them both back against the wall.

"When will you learn Tom? When will you learn to leave those that are under my protection alone?" A solid clear voice rang out.

James allowed himself to collapse to the floor as he breathed as deeply as he could. Sirius held tighter to James and he let every ounce of strength seep out of himself. They no longer had to fight, they did not have to be strong, they did not have to die. They were saved, he had finally arrived, Dumbledore was there.