I thought you might like a chapter or two... so here is a long one and I'll try and get you another one before I go to bed...
Chapter 25:
We're Going To Win This War…
March brought yet another change in the weather. Spring had finally arrived. There were new leaves on the trees and the ice covering the lake was beginning to thaw. The sixth years' work load was continuing to increase. Their teachers were piling the homework on them now in spadefulls. Defence Against the Dark Arts was by far the favourite lesson.
Professor Lomax sat comfortably behind his desk. There were images projected onto the board behind his desk by magic. He flicked his wand sharply and a new image came up. The images were incredibly dark, with strange mutilated corpses depicted in them. "They are corpses, dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a Dark Wizard's bidding. This is truly dark magic; the dead body is reanimated by the Dark Wizard… in a similar way to zombies."
The class were sat in complete silence; taking in the professor's every word. "The inferi are gaunt skeletal beings. Being human corpses, they have individual appearances based on the humans they were created from."
A hand shot up, "professor, my mum said that she heard that Voldemort is using inferi. Do you think it's true?"
"I wouldn't like to say," Lomax frowned, "there is as of yet no evidence to suggest it but I wouldn't put it passed him."
"But Professor… does that mean that anyone… perhaps someone we love could be killed and still come home… and kill us?" a very timid hufflepuff asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. That's why it is essential that your families are correctly securing their homes – we are living in very dangerous times…" Professor Lomax nodded, "Inferi have no free will, and cannot think for themselves; they are mere puppets. They are not alive but they can speak. They are incredibly strong; they can easily kill and they are not easily damaged themselves."
"To defend oneself against the Inferi is therefore is a bit of a challenge. Being creatures of the dark, they have a great aversion to light and heat. The most effective spell against them is therefore a fire-summoning spell, such as Firestorm. Inferi are resistant to most spells because they do not feel pain. It is believed that Gellert Grindelwald sought to create an army of Inferi."
"Sir, do you think Voldemort will try to do the same?" James asked.
Professor Lomax frowned, "he'd have to kill an awful lot of people…"
"But he has killed a lot of people, sir," Sirius replied.
"Yes… but he hasn't stolen the corpses… I'd be more concerned about the possibility of an army of inferi if there were widespread reports of disappearances…" The professor sighed, "lets get back to work please… all this speculation is giving me a headache. I would like you to make notes on the Firestorm charm for the rest of the lesson." When the lesson came to a close, Professor Lomax told them to prepare an essay on the use of fire-summoning charms for defensive means for Wednesday.
"But that's only two days, Professor!" Sirius complained.
"And?" Lomax looked perplexed, "you are a N.E.W.T. student Mr Black; it's time you started acting like it."
Defence was not the only lesson that had suddenly sparked the sixth years interest. After lunch the students made their way to potions. Professor Slughorn talked animatedly about Veritaserum; "Three drops will get you telling the entire class your deepest secrets. Veritaserum is a powerful truth serum. It is clear, colourless and odourless and is almost indistinguishable from water. It takes a full lunar phase to mature and is quite difficult to produce; although I don't think you will fail to accomplish it if you work hard."
The class groaned in unison at the idea of even attempting such a complex potion. "Today's lesson will be devoted to preparing an ingredients list; you will work in the same pairs that you worked in for our last project." James and Lily set to work happily together. They barely noticed the time fly as they searched their textbooks for the list of ingredients. Professor Slughorn grinned when it was time to finish the lesson; "for homework you will work with your partner to prepare an essay on resisting Veritaserum and the potion's limitations. Thank you."
Sirius was becoming more and more sulky, "why the bloody hell do they keep giving us so much homework?" he complained.
Marlene laughed, "come on Si, it's not that bad."
"We've got two essays to write already and it's only Monday!"
"We'll just have to spend a bit of time in the library," Marlene winked.
Sirius sighed, "I hate the library."
Marlene grinned, "stop being a child about it."
"It smells like old books; all damp and musty."
"Don't let Evans hear you saying that," James chimed in.
The rest of the day flew by. Professor Sprout became Sirius' favourite teacher when she didn't set them any homework for the first time in months and Professor Flitwick set them an essay on the Aguamenti Spell; including a comparison with the Aqua Eructo Charm.
At dinner, Peter turned to James, "what are you going to do this evening?"
"I've got a wad of homework to do," James sighed. "So I'm going to spend a good three hours or so in the library."
Peter frowned, it was the first day in ages that he hadn't received any homework and he had hoped to spend some time with his friends. "What about you Remus?"
"Sorry Wormy, I've got even more homework than Prongs and if I don't work on it tonight I'm bound to fall behind."
"Padfoot?"
Sirius stopped kissing Marlene and looked over at Peter, "what'd you want?"
"What have you got planned for this evening?"
"Library; sorry Wormtail."
The sixth year Gryffindors left Peter alone at the Gryffindor table a few minutes later. They grabbed the biggest table they could find; a large round table towards the very back of the library that fitted approximately twelve people comfortably. "Should we all start with potions?" Sirius suggested.
"Sounds like a plan," Lily grinned as she took a seat next to James. "should we start with our textbooks and then try some of the library books?"
"Sure…" James nodded. They were sat very close together and James could smell her shampoo and perfume.
Veritaserum is the most powerful truth serum in existence but it can still be resisted through different methods; including taking an antidote or Occlumency.
The victim only states what they believe to be true; it does not give room for insanity or a person's perception of reality.
Before the students knew it, the light coming in through the windows had gone. Sirius and Marlene were the first of the couple to leave. Alice laughed when she saw them go, "going in search of a broom cupboard me thinks…"
The group laughed happily together, "sounds about right," James nodded. He had an arm around the back of Lily's chair whilst he researched fire-summoning charms. Lily was working tirelessly on her Ancient Runes homework; she shivered silently. James felt her shiver and pulled off his jumper; "here you go Evans. We don't want you getting a cold."
"Thanks James," Lily smiled happily. She pulled the jumper over her head and sniffed. It smelt just like him; clean with a slight hint of lemon. She sighed happily at the smell. She recognised it as one of the scents from her Amortentia potion. She wouldn't want him to know it but she was pretty sure she knew what that meant.
Alice and Frank quickly grew bored, "we'll see you back in the common room."
Their friends were wrong; they weren't hiding out in a broom cupboard. They had found a quiet spot up at the very top of the Astronomy tower. "Sirius, are you scared?" Marlene leant into his side. She was wearing his coat and yet she still felt cold.
"About what, Mars?" Sirius kissed the top of her head.
"The war… Inferi… Voldemort…"
"Yeah…" Sirius whispered, "I'm terrified, but I won't let that stop me."
"But what if…"
"No; you listen to me Marlene," he pulled her head up so that she was looking at him, "we're going to win this war and when we do, I'm going to ask you to marry me… and then we're going to have kids… three kids; a boy and two girl; We'll call the girls Elsa and Loretta and our son will be called Jesper. We're going to grow old together; just you wait and see."
"I don't think you've ever said anything so romantic, Sirius," Marlene grinned before leaning up to kiss him.
Remus finished him Ancient Ruins homework before turning to see his girlfriend struggling to keep her eyes open as she tried to make notes for her charms essay. "Come on Katie," Remus grinned, "time to go." He practically carried her out of the library, "see you guys in a bit."
That left James and Lily alone. The lights were dimmed and most of the students had gone. "How much more do you have to do, Evans?" James asked kindly, he still had his arm around the back of her chair and he was rubbing soothing circles on her shoulder. "Not too much more; but you don't have to wait you know…"
"I know but I want to," James smiled, "besides I've got more work of my own to do."
Lily beamed, "ok – we've only got an hour until curfew anyway."
They worked happily for another forty minutes in a companionable silence. When Lily finished her essay, James was in mid-flow, working on his charms essay. He was somehow managing to work on his essay with only his left arm; "I didn't know you were left handed, James," Lily commented with a yarn.
"Yep," James laughed, "there's a lot you don't know about me, Lils."
Lily smiled and leant into his side. She closed her eyes, "you're probably right."
James continued working on his essay as Lily rested her eyes. Ten minutes later, Lily was completely asleep and James had just finished his essay. He cleared their table with his wand and whispered, "Lily, we need to get back to the tower before curfew… wake up Lils."
She yarned, "I'm comfortable here."
"So am I but…"
"Then lets sleep here," Lily replied before he could finish.
"Tempting but I don't think Madam Pince will be too impressed."
"Who cares," Lily laughed, "she's probably on a date with Filch anyway."
James sniggered, "I really do love you Lily Evans."
That woke her up. She shot out of her chair and stood to her feet, "we better go."
James laughed, "sure thing."
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