AN: Chapter title's pretty ominous, eh?

Chapter 21: Dead

Lily's POV:

Once I had accepted the fact that I would die, the pain almost seemed to lessen.

Almost.

I don't know for how long Regulus tortured me; I don't know at what point that my screams were the only noise left in the room.

All I know is that it seemed to go on forever and ever, never stopping except for brief reprieves that would be accented with kicks.

Until finally he stopped once again. I tensed, waiting for the kicks that were sure to come. When they didn't, I chanced a glance upwards, hoping it was not just another trick. I was surprised when I didn't see him leering at me; he wasn't even in my blurred visibility.

Had Regulus left me, then? Left me to die? I heard a noise behind me and turned over, wincing at my bruises and cuts that were forced to touch the floor. I thought I saw him curse and cast a spell at the door, although I cannot be sure.

He seemed satisfied with that and turned back to me.

"Watching me, mudblood? Your eyes don't deserve to see me. Your filth should not be in my presence." Regulus glared and walked purposefully back over to me, raising his wand as he came.

I curled into a fetal position, afraid, even in my half-conscious state. He laughed at my feeble attempt to protect myself, kicking me again and again.

Then, again, the pain wracked my body as I twisted and turned, a silent scream escaping from my lips erupting into a full out wail that hurt my ears, creating an awful headache.

This time, when he stopped, my head throbbed, and I lay there, limp, no longer caring. I could make it go faster if I didn't resist. The pain would leave if I could only let go, if I could… I shuddered at the word and the pain. If I could die.

Regulus kicked me, then used his wand to flick me about in the air. I cried out; it hurt even without the added impact of the unforgivable curse. He released the spell and I fell out of the air, landing on my wrist.

I heard a crack, and a new pain washed over me. I screamed yet again. This was surely worse than the pain before. But when Regulus again shouted "Crucio!" my broken wrist only added more agony.

He flung me into the air yet again, jerking me back and forth, up and down. I was up extra high when a gigantic "BOOM!" rang throughout the room. Regulus turned towards the noise, releasing me from the spell.

As I fell, I saw flashes of light as Regulus dueled with a man, a man with a long white beard and red and white striped stockings. I don't know why I remembered the stockings, but I caught a glimpse of them as his robes spun.

But when I landed, I heard another crack, this time from my leg. I screamed yet again, and the pain threatened to knock me out.

Lights danced before my eyes as the two dueled. I thought I saw a couple boys my age run in who had dark hair and looked panicked.

They seemed vaguely familiar. I pondered this thought as I drifted into a blackness that seemed to engulf my whole being, erasing the pain.

Who are they…?

James' POV (a bit before):

Padfoot and I ran down the halls after Dumbledore. Sir Galahan galloped through the paintings on either side, egging us on.

When we arrived at the third floor, I slipped and crashed into a suit of armor, sending it tumbling everywhere.

Dumbledore ignored the rolling pieces of armor and blasted open the first door with his wand. I looked inside the room as Padfoot pushed the armor off to the side. Nothing was in the room except for 30 or so desks.

I helped Padfoot gather up the armor as Dumbledore opened the next three doors. We finished and started following him from door to door. Finally, we had walked the length of the hall, and there was nothing except for empty classrooms.

"Is this a prank, boys?" Dumbledore turned to us, eyes glistening with anger.

"No, it's not, Professor!" Padfoot replied, "I promise!"

Dumbledore looked at us suspiciously, but went to examine the wall in the middle of the hallway. Padfoot and I looked at each other, confused and worried.

We stood there for a few moments until Dumbledore said, "I think I've found something. Stay back."

The Headmaster pointed his wand at the wall and muttered a spell. An explosion ensued, and through the smoke we saw Dumbledore walk quickly into an opening he had just made. We ran after him, entering a large room, and saw him dueling with an unknown person that I assumed was Regulus.

It was then that I turned and saw Lily.

She sat on the floor, one of her legs sitting under her in an unnatural position. She looked at Padfoot and me, almost confused.

Then, time seemed to slow down as she sank to the floor.

"LILY!!" Padfoot and I screamed simultaneously. He ran to her, and I started to follow but held back, torn between my worry and love for Lily and my respect for their relationship. I probably wasn't wanted.

I took a couple more steps and sank to my knees, crying harder than I ever thought I could.

All I could think was Lily can't be dead, she just can't be!

I hardly noticed when the bangs from the duel stopped, or when the nurse rushed in to bring Lily up to the hospital wing, or even when Dumbledore took me and Padfoot back up to Gryffindor tower.

We sat in the common room, tears running down our cheeks, reduced to silence. At some point Padfoot dropped off to sleep, and I stared into the fire, his snores creating a white noise that eventually must have sent me off to sleep too.

AN: When he wakes up it's a Saturday, just to clarify.

I woke up the next morning, stiff from sleeping on a couch. Looking outside, I saw that the sun was just up.

I shook Padfoot awake and said, "We should probably head upstairs and get dressed or something. There'll probably be an announcement at breakfast."

He blinked sleepily and followed me up to our bunks. I got dressed and headed back down to the common room while Padfoot climbed into bed for a little more sleep.

I sat there trying not to think about the previous night until about 9 o'clock when Professor McGonagall, our head of house, stepped through the portrait hole.

Kindly, she said, "Good morning, James." I straightened a little at that. She never called me James, let alone spoke in a kind tone of voice.

"Professor Dumbledore," she continued, "will be making an announcement about what occurred last night during breakfast, but if you do not wish to come I will understand."

"I think I'll come, ma'am," I replied quietly, getting up from the chair, "Can I head down now?"

"Certainly," she smiled, "I'm just going to wake the rest of the house."

I climbed out of the portrait hole and began to walk slowly down to the Great Hall, happy that there were no crowds wandering around yet.

When I entered the Great Hall, echoes of footsteps beginning above me, I sighed.

Today would be a very long day.

AN: Admit it. I deserve LOTS of reviews.