"In you go, Lily" McGonagall said quietly, not quite meeting my eyes. Puzzled, I walked into the usually warm office; the fire was not lighted. Already at the table, Dumbledore looked up as I entered, his face looked exasperated. He had been in quiet conversation with another, odd looking man with chin-length blonde hair and multiple tired-looking robes – when he met my eyes a cool chill ran over me.
"Miss?" I question, turning back around to her, she glanced over at Dumbledore. He seemed troubled, as though something was preventing him from explaining. "Am I in trouble?" I further ask, wanting to break the uneasy atmosphere as I sat down.
"No," the blonde man said boisterously, "but your family ar-"
"Alistair!" McGonagall chastised.
"What, Minerva. The girls here, she's here to help us – we don't have time to tip-toe around the issue!" Alistair bellowed back, taken a-back I couldn't get what he said - "your family are" - out of my head.
"Now, Lily I'm afr-" Dumbledore began.
"What did you mean?" I say, panicked, to Alistair. "My family, what do you mean?" I finish breathily, the oxygen in the room was depleting quickly.
With a quick glance behind me at McGonagall, who was making her way across to the desk, the blonde man spoke, "Moody, Alistair Moody. I'm an auror – I'm sure you know what that entails." I nod weakly, glancing over to the desk where the two teachers stood with concerned expressions, "We've had information, and proof, of attacks lead by Death Eaters"
"Death what?" I ask again, trying to steady my voice and swallowing hard.
"Voldemort's servants, his pawns." I felt winded, all the remaining air in the room had been sucked out somehow, "They're launching attacks on muggle families with wizard children – cleansing the wizarding world, in their eyes" How were they not all suffocating too? Where were they getting air from? I felt duro'd. I felt sick. The room was so cold. "There have been a few minor attacks, it seems as though they're testing the water so to speak, a few houses have been attacked and there's yet to be any casualties. We've managed to agree with the muggle prime minister to pass them off as gang attacks – but we're sensing something bigger coming. They don't have much guidance, they appear to be unsure of where and how to attack."
"So why," I manage to breathe out, "why am I here, what does this have to do with my family?"
"Your parents have been assisting the ministry, haven't they" Moody asked.
"Yes, they wanted information about muggles – they're lives" I reply sheepishly "They love it, magic, they were so excited" I trail off.
Moody coughed, "Yes, well, the Death Eaters found out about this. We have inside information telling us they're specifically planning an attack to target them" and I. Could. Not. Breathe. My heart plummeted, I could feel it dropping through the ground and contracting, everything was being sucked in, my ribs were piercing my lungs as they were pulled inwards.
"We need your help, Lily," Dumbledore said, but I was barely listening. No. Stop. But I can't. I can't. Suddenly, there was a face in front of me, a sunken, tired face framed by dirty blonde hair.
"Listen, girl, I get this is hard, but you're doing your family no favours by sitting here. We can save them, we have this head start," Moody says intensely. Closing my eyes for a second, I nod my head and feel tears slip down my cheeks. Wiping them away furiously, I stand up – I hadn't even noticed I was crying.
Walking over to the table, Moody picked up a piece of parchment and noted down basic information – their house, where they work, places they're likely to be. "Now, is there anything you can think of – out of the ordinary, a chance where they'd be in contact with more muggles with wizard children?" Moody questioned.
"Alistair," McGonagall sighed.
"Minerva, Death Eaters aren't going to pop into an office block just to blow up one person." Moody retorted, I inhaled sharply at the end of his sentence. "She's okay, aren't you. She's got this," he said, looking at me. I nod my head, then suddenly I remember something.
"The date, what the date?" I ask.
""The 3rd," Dumbledore replies sombrely. Tomorrow, what was it about tomorrow?
"Lily?" Moody asked, with a glance at him I remembered the letter from my father last week.
I blurted out, "Please don't report me" before I apparated to the Head's dorm. "Accio letter!" I shout, clicking my fingers – I'd mastered wandless magic, with some spells only, over the summer – and the cream paper floated over to me. I apparated back into McGonagall's office, behind the group of bewildered adults. "Here," I say, walking around the table, reading my father's handwriting. I swallowed hard, "Yeah, tomorrow, they're," my voice breaks, "they're renewing their vows." I look up to Moody, who was already watching me, "They've become good friends with some of my friend's parents, muggle families, they'll be going" I say, thrusting the letter at him. "Tomorrow, 9 o'clock at Warm Stone Manor". I look around at the three adults, McGonagall had a small smirk on her face.
"Good, good, thanks," Moody said. They were all look accusingly at me.
"I..I..I've been reading about it," I shrug, embarrassed. "They'll be okay, you'll try won't you?" I ask.
"Our very best," Moody assures, "but you have to promise to stay her, Lily. This will be dangerous, and we still don't know whether they'll even attack and there's no need to startle the muggle world unnecessarily. Listen to me girl," I meet his eye firmly, "don't come. It won't help anything". I nod reverently,
"I promise" I say.
"You can go now, Lily," Dumbledore says, "We'll be keeping an eye on you, your room will be locked and watched tonight. We'll let you know if anything happens, of course. Sometimes, Lily, we have to do the things that hurt us most to help the ones we love," He finishes. I nod again and turn to leave.
"Oh, girl, I won't report you, but that's not to say someone else will," Moody says as I leave the room.
The cool air hit me like a brick wall and suddenly, the adrenaline and panic dealt with, the crushing fact my family may only have hours left to live hit me like I'd been stupefied. Clinging to the brick walls, I guided myself up to the owlery, tears slipping silently down my cheeks. Almost falling through the old oak door, I collided with another figure leaving.
"Oh hey, sorry – oh! Lils!" Sirius smiled, pulling away from me. After seeing my face his expression hardened. "Lily?" he asked, pushing my hair out my face and grabbing my waist with one hand.
"I..they're.." I choked out, bursting into tears. Sirius pulled me into him, the door closing behind us.
"Shh, Lily, it's okay, I'm here, I'm here," he soothed as he guided us over to the wooden bench. He held me as I cried, his head resting on top of my own. After a while, I coughed the tears away and sat up from his side. Leaving one hand on my back, he tucked my hair behind my ear, "Hey, hey," he smiled, "can you tell me what has happened?" he asked, concern furrowing his brow.
"Colloportus" I say to the door, pointing my wand at it. I turn back to Sirius, "Death Eaters, they're launching an attack on my family – and other families – they're attacking muggles with wizard children" I say, pausing to catch my breath. "They, they told me not to go, but, I can't! I can't just sit here and wait to find out if they've died!" I shout, a burst of tears following.
"Okay, okay. Go where Lily? What's happening?" he asks, his hand soothingly rubbing my back.
"They're, they're renewing their vows, like getting married again – it's a muggle thing. And there'll be other families like them there. They're going to attack them, Sirius," I whimper.
"Right, so, how do we make this better for you Lily. What can I do?" Sirius asks.
I catch my breath, my chest felt tight and trapped. I breathed slowly, piecing together a plan.
"Presumably they'll be trying to stop you from leaving if they've told you not to go?" He asks, "And, it'll be dangerous, Lils"
" I have something," I say, looking up to him cautiously.
"But?" He asks.
"It's highly illegal and goes against everything they've said, and it's dangerous, and stupid," I blurt out, standing up.
Sirius stands too, "Well," he grins, "the best ideas always are. What's the plan?"