AN: On a light note, I've been told by some people (namely my wonderful Frenchy friends (Gilkey and otherwise)) that they (Hogwarts students) wouldn't have used inches when talking about their papers, they would have used centimeters. I know that, but I kinda forgot; so I won't go back and change stuff, but from now on I will try to remember that little detail. :) On to the story!

Chapter 22: An Announcement

Sirius' POV:

I awoke to Moony shaking me, staring right into my face.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" he said, falsely cheerful, "McGonagall's just come and told us that we're to be downstairs for breakfast in 20 minutes! I think there's something wrong..."

"Yeah, it's Saturday!" Wormtail whined, "I wanted to sleep in!"

I snorted, and muttered to myself, "You'd sleep in even if it was Monday."

Moony glared at me (how could he have heard that?), and announced, "Why do you think they're making us all go to the Great Hall? What could have happened last night? I didn't hear anything..."

Oh. Right. I remember what happened last night. I know why the whole school was required to be in the Great Hall.

Lily might be dead.

Right.

I sank back into bed and buried my face in the pillows.

"What?" I growled, when Moony poked me.

"Get up!" he urged.

"No. Go away."

Moony crouched down next to my bed, and whispered, "Look, I can tell there's something wrong. Were you involved with what happened last night?"

I grunted non-committally.

"Just come down with us, alright?" he asked.

"Fine."

When he didn't think I was looking, Moony glanced worriedly at me while we walked, or in my case trudged, down the stairs to the Great Hall.

We entered to happy, chattering students. Or really, not so happy. Most were actually grumbling about having to get up so "early" on a Saturday.

Moony led us over to the Gryffindor table, and seeing Prongs, went and sat by him. Wormtail sat down, but I stared at Prongs.

He knew too.

Prongs glanced up, his eyes red and puffy. I supposed mine were in a similar state.

"So, what happened to you guys?" asked Wormtail, as Moony tugged at my arm to get me to sit down, "Not get much sleep?"

Neither Prongs or I offered an answer. I stared at my empty plate.

Wormtail rattled on, "I mean, you look terrible! No offense or anything... But I could understand if you're tired, 'cause that Quidditch game last night was intense!" turning to Prongs, he said, "It was so cool when you caught the snitch! I thought for sure..."

I tuned him out. Had it really only been last night that we had won our match against Ravenclaw?

Wormtail's seemingly endless monologue was finally interrupted by Dumbledore clearing his throat. The hall fell silent except for a couple of giggling first year girls who quieted soon after.

"Now, you are probably all wondering why you have been roused from your beds on this fine Saturday morning," Dumbledore began, as grumbling rippled through the students, "but a matter of great import has arisen."

A few people perked up, sitting up straighter in their seats. I continued to stare at my plate.

"As you know, the wizard known as Voldemort," I felt, rather than saw, the shudder that ran through the people around me, "is attempting to gather followers. This summer, one of Hogwarts' own students joined ranks with him." I looked up at the other tables.

People shifted in their seats. Others glanced nervously about, as if expecting someone to jump out of their seat and start sending hexes flying everywhere.

"Fortunately, we were able to apprehend this person last night," I saw people relax, and then tense up again as the headmaster continued, "but not before they were able to, shall we say, partially 'complete their task.'" Next to me, Wormtail shivered.

"Their task was to eradicate the muggleborns of this school."

Gasps went up from table to table.

"From what we have deduced, the student used a version of the Imperius curse which allowed them to control the muggleborns only when and where they wanted to. Using this spell, they made the muggleborns of all houses and years go to a hidden room on the 3rd floor. There, they again used the spell to make the trapped students preform the Cruciatus curse on one another."

There was frightened whispering among the crowd. Who, they wondered, could have done such a thing?

I knew all too well who had done it.

"Many students died last night, and the rest are in the hospital wing. Most we are almost sure will recover, but a few are in critical condition and may not."

Moony turned and whispered to me, wide eyed, "Is Lily...?"

"She's in the hospital wing," I whispered back, "She... Well, Prongs and I aren't sure."

He bit his lip and turned back towards the front as Dumbledore resumed speaking.

"If you have muggleborn friends, you may check the list that is to be posted by the entrance of the Great Hall for visiting times. First years may go up now. The rest of you may check the lists in a minute."

A few benches were pushed out, and first years from the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff tables began to leave the Great Hall. A few people passed where we were sitting, and I saw a girl supporting a crying friend. Others were in similar states.

I watched as the eleven year olds walked up and checked the list. Most hurried off, but one boy cried out and sank to his knees.

When the Ravenclaw boy rushed off in the opposite direction of the hospital wing, I saw Prongs go over to the lists, since we were seated near the door.

James' POV:

I looked at the other years' lists first, not wanting to find out what had happened to Lily.

I didn't want her to be dead. She couldn't be dead.

On the first years' list, I saw that there were only a few muggleborns.

One name in particular stood out.

Attercop, Riley. Ravenclaw.

It was the only name under the section marked "dead."

Glancing at the other lists, I calculated a total of 21 muggleborns who had died.

Not counting the sixth year's list, at least.

At first glance, the list under "Dead" seemed to be longer than all the others. Without reading the names, I counted each section.

One was sure to recover. Four were in critical condition. Seven were dead.

I scanned the list of dead.

Dead:

Bakerson, Phillip. Hufflepuff.

Birch, Regina. Ravenclaw.

Dricket, Jenny. Ravenclaw.

Filio, Alexander. Hufflepuff.

Hadley, Clara. Hufflepuff.

Hunter, Christopher. Ravenclaw.

Jepash, Mike. Gryffindor.

Rabcott, Thomas. Gryffindor.

Yorlander, Elizabeth. Hufflepuff.

I sighed with relief. Lily wasn't dead. But upon looking at the rest of the list, I wasn't so relieved.

Some girl from Ravenclaw named Ruby was the one who was sure to recover.

"Evans, Lily. Gryffindor," was in the "Critical Condition: Recovery Uncertain" category.

Recovery Uncertain.

I walked out of the Great Hall, not even bothering to check the sixth years' visiting times. I just needed to go outside and think; or rather try to clear all thoughts from my mind.

Recovery Uncertain.

For all that we had done, Lily might still die!

I transformed into a stag and bounded into the Forbidden Forest, not stopping until I was out of breath.

When I had transformed back into a human, I pounded my fist into a tree and sank to the ground, the tears that were still fresh reappearing.

"Not Lily," I whispered, "Please not Lily."

It was getting dark when a big black dog ran into sight, nose to the ground. It looked up and saw me, then transformed back into a human.

"We can go visit her now," Padfoot said quietly.

Recovery Uncertain.

"What's the point?" I asked him.

He didn't reply, but stared off through the trees as the sun sank below the horizon.

Padfoot turned to me, tears in his eyes, "I don't know, Prongs. I don't know."

Then he turned away and, transforming mid stride, ran back towards the castle.

AN: -sniff-