A New Life in San Francisco

Chapter 11; The Truth

San Luis Reservoir

James woke as soon as the rising sun crept through the window and hit his face. His first reaction was that this wasn't either his apartment or even the cabin at the camp. The ceiling was different and the walls were brick. The bed was also softer and wider. He had a fleeting thought that he was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts but then he smelt the faint scent of antiseptic, something never used when magic was available.

He looked the other way and saw a body shaped lump in the next bump but the person's face was blocked by a sliding curtain though it didn't look like it was purposely done. He frowned in confusion before trying to prop himself up on his elbows but as soon as his right elbow took any weight a massive wave of pain made him fall back onto the bed with a groan. How'd he get himself injured again?

With that thought the events of presumably the last night came back to him like being hit with a sledge hammer. First the brief kiss with Chris and then the small argument over James' past. Then the fight between Shadow and the three death eaters. Lastly he remembered that Chris had saved him somehow. He remembered that Chris had turned into those orbs but still been hit by the Killing Curse, did that mean he was dead? No, because he had somehow knocked both him and Lucius off course and prevented James from being hit by the Sectumsempre Curse which out here on his own would have meant bleeding to death since only dark magic could cure it and he didn't have access to such magic.

How had Chris done that? Had his Whitelighter tried to save him but not managed it in time or was Chris a Whitelighter? A noise distracted him and he opened his eyes to see that Chris' older brother Wyatt was now standing at the foot of his bed with a rather stern expression on his face.

"Wyatt?" James asked though he wasn't sure what he was asking.

"Hi, James." The blond young man said. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore." He said simply. "Where are we?"

"You're in Lucy's clinic in the main part of the camp." Wyatt explained. "Paige took the kids back to the city this morning. There was quite a bit or complaints since you weren't there to see them off."

"Where's Chris?" James asked with a bit more emotion colouring his voice. "Is he alright?"

"He's there." Wyatt said pointing at the body in the next bed. "As far as we know he is fine though he hasn't woken up yet."

James knew that it was only the next morning since the children had only just been taken back to the city but he was still concerned by the news. Though Chris was very lucky not to be dead. "What happened?" He asked trying to find out what Wyatt knew of the event.

"I was hoping you would tell me. I saw some rather peculiar tracks around there, tracks that stopped in the middle of the beach for example." Wyatt said and locked his eyes unnervingly on James'. Wyatt was normally very cheerful from what he knew of him which was slightly different then Chris who was rather direct and a little more collected. According to Chris, Wyatt had a way of just letting things happen whereas James knew Chris couldn't ever stand by and always had to give his opinion.

There was none of that cheerful go with the moment attitude in the twenty-three year old that stood before him now. "We were attacked by something in the forest." James said eventually, he hated that he had nobody to tell the truth to but he couldn't help it. "I don't remember much."

"Cut the crap, James." Wyatt said and James shut his mouth with a snap. "Chris always thought you were that Panther from the Island and from that kid's place. And I saw your prints last night."

James looked at him in shock. "Chris knew?" He said admitting his own guilt. He was torn between a nagging feeling of betrayal that Chris had known but not admitted it and a small sense of relief that Chris had already known when he'd kissed him. "How?"

"He recognised your eyes." Wyatt told him. "You and that Panther both have rather strange dark green eyes. I knew for sure last night once all the piece fell into place. You share the same injuries as we saw the Panther get plus the fact that it would show up to protect that kid from his own father just after you separated them. Then there was last night and the fact that the paw print led straight to you."

"Did anybody else see it?" James asked.

"No. I erased the prints before Aunt Paige could get a proper look." Wyatt told him. "Why are you here?"

"What do you mean?" James was confused at the sudden accusatory look in Wyatt's eyes.

"Why did you come here?" Wyatt asked again. "Why are you befriending Chris? What do you want from him?"

"Nothing." James stammered out as he rose again with a wince. "I was running and stopped here." James told him.

"So you didn't come here specifically for Chris?" Wyatt asked.

"No, I only met Chris after getting the job for Paige." James said. Wyatt considered this for a while as James struggled to stand next to the bed. He kept his right arm close to his body but other than that he was fine. "What is Chris?" This got a response from Wyatt who gave him a sharp look.

"What do you mean?" He skirted the issue.

"He turned into white lights to dodge a spell." James told him turning from where he had been looking at the next bed to face Wyatt squarely. "He should be dead."

"He can orb." Wyatt said with a sigh. "He was probably trying to dodge it."

"He's damn lucky." James told him. "That spell kills anything it touches. There is no defence, everyone it has hit has died. Apart from me."

"That must have had an effect since Chris is still unconscious." Wyatt added.

James walked to the end of Chris' bed and looked at the peaceful look on his face. "Does he had other powers?" He asked without looking at Wyatt. "He knocked my attacker off target when he shot a spell at me."

"He's telekinetic." Wyatt said but it was obvious he was holding back.

"Have they attacked before?" James asked. "You don't seem surprised about their magic."

"We've seen magic before." Wyatt told him.

"But not this kind. Chris tried to dodge that spell so he must have known it was bad. Have they attacked before?" James demanded turning again to face Wyatt.

"They attacked the camp earlier in the week and we turned them away. We felt the magic in those spells." Wyatt explained. "Then Chris saw them attacking you by the campfire that night."

"I was hoping none of them saw that." James whispered.

"So you were conscious for it." Wyatt nodded.

"They are here for me." James muttered to himself though Wyatt could hear him. "And you're getting caught in the crossfire."

"How do you know they're after you?" Wyatt demanded. "We've had plenty of evil come for us before."

"Who's we?" James latched on to this.

"My family." Wyatt said.

"You're all magical?" James asked but didn't wait for an answer. "The Charmed Ones?"

"That's actually my mum and aunts." Wyatt explained. "How do you know of them if you don't know who they are?"

"My Whitelighter told me." James told him.

"You have a Whitelighter?" Wyatt asked.

"I've only met her twice and the first time I was barely lucid enough to know she was there, I don't even know her name." James said with a sigh. "She told me that I could find help with the Charmed Ones."

"That's what we do." Wyatt said but his voice was slightly bitter.

"I know how is feels to have everyone expect you to save them. I was like that back in my world but they betrayed me and locked me away in a place so horrible you couldn't imagine it." James told him. "Eventually they'll find me."

"We'll help." Wyatt decided. "We're supposed to right?"

"According to my Whitelighter, I just never imagined that she meant Chris." James chocked and looked back at the unconscious body before making his decision. "Tell him I'm sorry for what happened."

"What do you mean?" Wyatt blurted out. "Where are you going?"

"I've brought a war here that you cant fight, already it nearly cost these children and your brother his life. They are after me and hopefully with me gone they wont come after you." James screwed up his courage and after a quick look at Chris' face he turned back squarely to Wyatt. "I'm sorry for causing this."

"You're a witch though. You said it yourself that its our job to help you." Wyatt countered. "We can fight these Wizards."

"No you cant. There magic is too different, you couldn't understand it let along fight it." James told him. "And even if you got lucky you could never stand up to their Master. Only I can kill him."

"How are you going to leave?" Wyatt told him. "Chris could easily follow you, let alone if we all helped him. How can you run from something that can travel anywhere in seconds?"

"You're not the only one with powers, Wyatt." James told him. "Like I said, you cant begin to understand this magic and I couldn't live with myself if your family were killed over my war. Tell Chris I'm sorry."

Before Wyatt could reach out to grab him there was a crack that filled the air and James disapparated. Wyatt looked at the space that James had just filled before hanging his head. His brother was not going to like this at all.

He was glad in that instant that his Aunt Paige had agreed to take her own car back and that Lucy had left the camp that morning since Wyatt had told her that he would take both Chris and James to the hospital as soon as they awoke. He walked to Chris' side. "Time to go home little brother." He muttered and placed his hand on Chris' arm. They burst into a cloud of orbs which they streamed off out of the window.

XOXOXOXOX

James' Apartment

James reappeared with another crack at the foot of his bed and settled down onto it with a sigh. He put his head in his hands and sat there in silence as he let his feelings wash other him knowing that if he tried to hold them in he would snap. He didn't want to leave, he was happy here. He had two great friends in Sam and Jackie, ones that he didn't want to lose but he couldn't help it. Then there was his job and all the children he could have helped.

He couldn't risk using the same name once he had left which meant that his degree was useless but it would be easy enough to redo it but this time keep himself distant from those he worked for.

He felt sorry for all of the children, he had promised so many of them that he would make sure they were safe and that he would visit them but now they would only feel betrayed again. He stood up before he could let himself change his mind and went into the living room to grab a piece of paper from the counter top. On it he wrote a simple note to Sam and Jackie and left it on the top in plain sight. He knew that eventually they would miss him and come looking, at least this way they knew at least that he was safe and that it had been his decision to leave.

He shrugged off his shirt and the bandage he found under it before turning to the mirror and concentrating on the huge bruise that covered his right shoulder. He willed the magic to heal him but it was slow and exhausting but he did manage to seal the cuts and get rid of the swelling. Some of the bruise remained as well as a couple of scars where the larger cuts had been but it was good work all the same.

He grabbed some of his favourite clothes from his cupboard and put them in a backpack before readying himself to leave. He knew he could start over easily enough, he had started a life here with nothing to his name and at least this time he had clothing and money to start with. Also this time he would be better mentally healed than the first time.

He paused before he left and thought of his Whitelighter, would she be able to follow him. He knew then that she wouldn't, she's helped him use his own magic to hide himself and he knew that that protection went against her as well. She only be able to find him if he called for her and that wasn't going to happen. He looked once more around his apartment before concentrating on Seattle and disappearing with another crack.

XOXOXOXOX

Halliwell Manor

Wyatt landing next to the double bed in the room that he and Chris shared whenever they were home. His two sisters had a room each down the hall and then their parents were in the main room but since he and Chris were barely both here they shared this room when needed. He made sure Chris was comfortable before heading down the stairs to find his mom.

He found her along with his dad and his two younger sisters in the kitchen making breakfast. "You're all up early." Wyatt pointed out as he saw them all gathered around the table.

Normally Prue and Anna would be up this early for school but it was still the summer holidays, at least for a few weeks anyway. "We're going to Aunt Phoebe's for the day." Anna told him cheerfully.

"Why?" Wyatt asked.

"Paige called us last night so we're all getting together here to deal with this situation. Your Uncle Coop is going to look after the others so we can focus on this." His mom told him she handed him a bacon sandwich. "How are Chris and James?"

"Chris is upstairs sleeping, he wake up soon I think." Wyatt told them. "I think he exhausted himself somehow."

"How did he manage that one?" Leo asked. "It's very rare for a witch to drain themselves."

"I've got an idea but I'd like to talk to Chris about it before I tell you." Wyatt told them. His mom seemed to want to argue this but then second guessed herself knowing that it was pointless trying to force an answer out of either of her sons.

They heard a noise from upstairs followed by a rather sarcastic sounding "Ouch." Wyatt hid his laugh before gesturing for his parents to stay here. He grabbed another plated sandwich and a glass of water before heading up the stair to the his old room. As predicted Chris was struggling to stand with the aid of the bed. Wyatt watched him for a second with a grin on his face.

"Are you just going to stand there or help?" Chris demanded without looking up. Wyatt chuckled before placing the plate and glass on the bedside table and helping Chris stand before depositing him on the edge of the bed.

"Here, drink something." Wyatt offered as he picked up a glass of water and gave it to his almost twenty-two year old brother.

"I don't believe how tired I feel." Chris complained.

"Maybe you should get some more sleep then?" He suggested.

"It's not that kind of tired. What happened?" Chris muttered. "I feel like I got slammed by a wrestler."

"I think that would have come out better." Wyatt sighed. "What do you remember?"

"I remember kissing James." Chris said with a rather dazed look.

"You kissed him?" Wyatt's eyebrows disappeared towards his blond hair.

"Shut it." Chris snapped lightly.

"What happened next?" Wyatt prompted.

Chris seemed to pause as he thought for a second but whatever he was remembering he didn't offer to his brother. Obviously something private. He moved on easily enough. "James shoved me backwards and threw himself to the ground as one of those Wizarding spells just missed us. I think it was that red curse that Wizard hit you with that nearly took down your shield."

Wyatt waited patiently for a second before Chris began to describe the discussion between James and the three attackers. "He knew them and they knew him. I've never seen so much hate in James. And I think they killed his godfather and his guardian. Something about putting his half-breed guardian out of his misery." Chris shook slightly as he remembered the pain in James' voice when he heard about his guardian. "It was awful, they just taunted him about their deaths."

"Who started the fight then?" Wyatt asked to get his brother's mind off of those emotions.

"The older man, I think he was the same one from the other night, shot that green curse at me that only just missed me the other time. I remembered the death I felt in it before and James screaming 'No!' so I orbed. I don't remember exactly what happened but I felt like the world had exploded around me. I think the spell hit the orbs 'cause I woke up sore and saw that the Panther again and I knew that it was James. Two of the attackers disappeared with loud cracks like they were Blinking." James described with a frown before continuing. "Then the Panther turned on the man that shot that spell at me but couldn't reach it in time. I knocked them both to the side as the man yelled a spell making him miss."

"Can you remember anything else?" Wyatt asked drinking in the details and trying to remember everything he knew of the magic being used.

"I think the spell went something like Sectumsempre but I don't know what it did." Chris explained. After that the Panther pounced and ripped into the man before the man disappeared like the others. The last thing I remembered is the Panther looking at me. God, Wyatt, it must be James. There's no other explanation."

"I know. I talked to him this morning once he woke up." Wyatt sighed. "I told him I knew he was the Panther." Wyatt went on to explain everything that James had told him and sat down next to his brother as he told him of James disappearing for their safety.

"We should find his Whitelighter." Chris decided after it had all sunk in. He had already thought long and hard about what he would do when he could prove that James was magical and he had decided to do everything he could to help him but now James was gone.

"Hold on." Wyatt raised his hand. "Everyone's meeting here soon. We're going to have to tell them everything about James and get them to help us."

Chris nodded. If James' Whitelighter had told James that they were supposed to help him then that is exactly what they would do, whether James wanted it or not. "Let's go." Chris told Wyatt before allowing his older brother to help him out of the room on his weak legs and down to the Solarium where they found their parents and sisters.

"Sweetie!" His mom said heading for Chris where he was propped up against his taller brothers shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Just exhausted." Chris told them with a small smile though their was too much going on in his mind to say more at the moment.

Leo took Chris' other side to hold him up before addressing Wyatt. "Could you make sure Prue and Anna get to your Aunt Phoebe's?"

"Sure." Wyatt told him before shifting Chris's weight fully onto his fathers. Whilst Prue and Anna could easily orb around an area like the house, they had more trouble orbing long distance so even though they would orb themselves, Wyatt would guide them. He crossed the room and disappeared in a cloud of orbs with his sisters by his side.

Chris drunk water and ate a rather large breakfast as they waited for his Aunts to arrive together. Since his Aunt Phoebe could travel around like he could, Paige would pick her up on the way. They didn't have to wait long at all and both of them hugged him as soon as they saw that he was up and about. Wyatt returned from Phoebe's house not too long later having obviously been held up my their younger cousins.

Chris then went on to tell the whole group everything that he remembered about the night before and then he and Wyatt explained to them their reasoning behind James being the Panther and why they had used their magic to hide him from being scryed. Wyatt also retold the story of his conversation with James that morning and Chris was gratified to see that they were more concerned for James then angry about him lying to them.

"So you think that he is one of these Wizards?" Piper asked as they finished speaking.

"I think that he came from some hidden world in England. They have this big war on and he was betrayed by his friends. His godfather was killed by this 'Bella' from last night and then the other two killed his guardian." Chris summed up.

"So he fled to America to escape them?" Paige added. "I think something else happened though. He told me he wandered around England for a while before coming here."

"We'll have to figure that time gap out later then." Piper put in before motioning to her son to continue.

"I think what he told Aunt Paige is true after that. He enrolled in the college and started to work with her at the centre." Chris told them. "As for his powers I don't know. He seems to understand that magic so he would be a Wizard but he has a Whitelighter so he should be a witch like us."

"Could he be a Wizard from England and still have a Whitelighter?" Piper asked Leo since he had been a Whitelighter for decades before they had met.

"No." Leo shook his head. "If he has a Whitelighter then he is a Wicca Witch like you. Wizards and Witches are forbidden from receiving help from Whitelighters."

"Why?" Wyatt asked his father.

"This might take a while." Leo told them. "Millennia ago in Egypt there was a disease that ran through the Witches. Then the only type of Witch was like you. The Disease crippled their ability to use magic. Eventually those that were effected found that by using Magic they could manipulate magic around them to get whatever results they wanted. They turned on your kind and droved them to near extinction."

He let that sink in before continuing. "From then on they worlds separated, the Demonic world first ignored and then forgot about their world until it was lost to both Wicca Witches and Demons. The Elders kept tabs on them to be sure but eventually even they forgot about us."

"Do you know what's going on their now?" Paige asked him.

"The last I heard was from about thirty years ago." Leo told them. "A madman was on the rise and had hundreds of followers. He was killing as he saw fit and trying to over through the rather corrupt Ministry. I didn't hear anything after that."

"So, it's bad if Demons are allying themselves with these Wizards." Wyatt suggested referring to that first attack at the camp.

"That must be why James' Whitelighter told him to seek the Charmed Ones help." Paige added. "He cant fight both Demons and Wizards alone and neither can we. That Wizard kicked the crap out of us without even trying."

"So why did James run as soon as he found out who we are?" Piper asked. "Why didn't he ask for help?"

"Because he is like us." Wyatt told them quietly. "He said his world looked to him to save them from everything bad that happened to them and then they betrayed him. Just like our world expects us to save them all the time but at least they don't turn their backs on us when we need them."

"There must be more than him not wanting us to help with his problems." Phoebe joined in.

"There is." Wyatt sighed. "He doesn't want us caught in the crossfire like Chris was last night. That spell kills anything it touches just like we thought and there is nothing that can block it. If Chris had waited another instant before orbing he'd be dead right now. We don't know what these spells do and we cant defend against them."

"I don't care about that!" Chris snapped suddenly. "I want to help him!"

"I know." Wyatt conceded realising that he had been condoning James' actions. "I think we are going to need his help as much as he needs ours."

"So what?" Piper asked. "We try to scry for him?"

They all nodded and Piper, Phoebe and Paige left the room to collect the equipment they'd need as well as the blood they'd collected originally from the Panther. Chris and Wyatt worked on a spell that would release the protection that they had placed on him which was easy really, all it needed to do was severe the magic that tied them to the spell.

In ten minutes they were settled again around the wicker coffee table in the solarium. Wyatt and Chris had countered their original spell and now Paige, who was the best at scrying, was swinging a crystal scratched with James' blood over a map of San Francisco.

"Nothing?" Piper asked her sister after another fifteen minutes of tense waiting.

"No really, it keeps pulling to the North but it's nothing strong." Paige told them.

"Perhaps he's no longer in the city. He can do that Blinking thing after all." Wyatt added helpfully.

Paige grabbed the larger map that showed the whole of Northern America. She swung the crystal again but it would settle on anything. "I think he's in America somewhere but it wont pinpoint anything other than that he is in the west."

"That sounds like what happens when a Whitelighter hides their charge." Leo told them suddenly. "It gives a general area but nothing more specific."

"So what do we do now?" Piper asked. "Call the Whitelighter?"

"We could if we knew a name." Paige told them since she was a part time Whitelighter. "But you said that he didn't know it." She directed at Wyatt.

"Yeah." Wyatt nodded. "How about we call an Elder?"

"We cant just go around calling an Elder for any odd reason." Leo admonished.

"Why not?" Chris said as he sat upright despite his weakened state. "If we need his help so badly and our world could come crashing down without it then they should help us."

"They'll be really pissed at being summoned down here." Leo pointed out.

"Like I care!" Chris snapped though it wasn't directed at his father. He looked up slightly before yelling. "One of you get your arse down here this instant!"

"Christopher Halliwell!" His mum cried. "Watch your language!"

Chris went slightly red as he realised what he had said and ducked his head. "Sorry, mom."

She was interrupted from saying more when white lights filled the room and a chuckling woman appeared in their midst wearing a Whitelighter's cloak. Her face was hidden by a golden glow. She looked around the room being lowering her hood to reveal a middle aged woman with brown hair pulled back in a pony tail. She smirked at Chris.

"Chris, you just annoyed quite a few Elder's up there." She told him with a smile. "I thought I'd come down rather than let one of them berate you for doing what had to be done."

"Who are you?" Chris asked her with a frown.

"I'm James' Whitelighter." She said simply.

"Why doesn't he know your name?" Was the next question he asked. It had confused them all that a Whitelighter wouldn't reveal their name.

"He knows me as what they call a Muggle, I helped him when he first came to the city and then to get other his depression the last few years." She sighed. "He would react very badly at the moment to find that the person he trusted not only was magical but knew all about his life."

"What happened to him?" Chris asked wanting to know what James had refused to tell him after their kiss. He wanted to know what had caused the pain and fear that darkened his eyes.

"Can you tell us where he is?" Piper asked.

"I don't know where he is." She answered immediately.

"How is that possible?" Leo demanded.

"Something I overlooked." She admitted with a sad look. "The protection spell that Whitelighters normally use was too weak to protect against all of the spells that were seeking him. They managed to overwhelm my own spell and that's how they found him at the Reservoir."

"So you used his own magic?" Leo asked with realisation. She nodded and he turned to explain to the others. "A Whitelighter can hide their charge either with their own magic which allows them to seek them but nobody else or can use both of their magic to create a more powerful cloak."

"Unfortunately the only way I could hide him was to put as much magic in it as I could. He is hidden even from me unless he calls for me. Something that he wont do." She admitted. "I didn't think he would do that at the time since he was so desperate for help. After what happened to Chris he must have decided that help would come at too high a price."

"So, can you collapse the spell?" Chris demanded.

She thought for a second. "If I pull my magic out of the spell it should collapse his part as well since he doesn't actually know how it works."

"So, do that then." Chris said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"There are many others that are looking for him. Without the cloak it would only take moments at the most for the others to track him down." She told them. "And it wont be pretty."

"Who are we talking about here?" Paige asked. "Demons and Wizards?"

She shook her head. "Demons aren't bothered about him at the moment, they are only teaming up with the Wizards to try to get the power needed to come after you." She explained. "There are three parties of Wizards that want him enough to send a small army as soon as he reappears. Firstly, his old friends who want revenge for his supposed betrayal and want him as a tool in their war. Secondly their version of a government which want to look him up for a trio of murders he never committed and lastly, the group you should worry about most are called Death Eaters."

"Are they the ones that attacked us?" Chris asked.

"Yes, they answer to Lord Voldemort." She explained. "He is destined to kill Voldemort but the man wants him to destroy James' mind and use him as a tool. If that fails then he wants him dead. You must be careful, Voldemort will always strike at James' heart, he killed his parents, his relatives to frame him, his godfather and his guardian. He has slowly destroyed every link that James has had of a happy life and he may come after you to do the same."

"How can James still be sane?" Paige muttered.

"Because he's extraordinary." James' Whitelighter told her plainly. "What I just told you comes to nothing compared to other things in his life."

"What happened to him?" Chris asked wanting to know what James had refused to tell him after their kiss. He wanted to know what had caused the pain and fear that darkened his eyes.

"You remember the power of that creature on Alcatraz Island?" She told him and they all went pale as they remembered it. "That is called a Dementor. Alcatraz Island's basement levels are filled with hundreds of them. If James hadn't already trapped the others in the rock fall you would have all been overwhelmed and your souls sucked out."

"What does that have to do with what happened to him?" Chris demanded as she got off topic.

"When his relatives were killed he was arrested and convicted for murder without a fair trial. He was locked in a prison called Azkaban where only the worst offenders of that Wizarding World are sent. The island is guarded by at least five hundred Dementors who's sole purpose is to bring up every bad memory in the mind of the inmates." She explained with another sigh. "I was forbidden from helping him to escape except to lead him on the path to his Panther form so that he could escape. He spent eighteen months in a five by five pitch black cell with only water and bread to keep him alive as he was forced to live his worst memories more times than I would care to imagine."

"That's just another reason for us to get to him and help him." Chris said as he forced himself to his feet.

"I'll lower the cloak and take you to him but you must be ready for anything." She told them sternly.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Seattle

James had paid for the motel room easily enough and spent most of the morning going through his head trying to create some sort of plan but no matter what he did his thoughts always returned to his conversation with Wyatt that morning and his short romantic stroll with Chris the night before. Could he really just ignore this war?

He was remembering that brief kiss for what seemed like the hundredth time when he felt something snap within him. He felt his magic recoil as if the strand that held it below the surface had just snapped and sent it falling back to his core. He countered the effect and pulled it back to the ready even as he realised what had happened.

What had his Whitelighter done? Why had she stripped him of his protection? Was it just so she could find him?

He remembered her warning about the Aurors, Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters, all of which were trying to find him and now they could see him. He grabbed his stuff as if their was no tomorrow and legged it from the room just as he heard a trio of cracks in the room he had just vacated. He stuffed the rest of his belongings in his backpack and slung it other his back. It had taken whoever that was only thirty seconds to find him and arrive which probably meant they weren't Dumbledore's order since they wouldn't have the numbers to constantly man a search spell against him.

A spell hit the wall in front of him as he turned the corridor. The wall exploded into the luckily vacated room on the other side. Definitely Death Eaters then, Aurors were much more subtle in the destruction they used. He heard three rapid cracks from behind him as his pursuers disapparated. James frowned but then realised with horror what was about to happen. He turned sharply and through himself through a window and hit the concrete flooring of the carpark. He rolled and concentrated on his magic. He forced it into a shield around him just as the building behind him exploded outwards sending bricks and other debris into the cars and trees around them.

James felt his shield fail against the first onslaught and gasped in pain as a brick slammed into his side. He stood dazed for a second before he realised who he was facing. The bright glow of the burning motel lit the area in an eerie glow even though it was daytime.

Regardless of who was in front of him though he couldn't help but feel anger at the fact that there had been at least five guests and two employees in that motel when it exploded. He turned to squarely face those before him. Fifteen Death Eaters stood with wands ready. One though wasn't hidden behind his mask.

'Oh shit.' James shook slightly as the man stepped forward. His red eyes glowing with arrogance.

"Looks like you slipped up, young Harry, or is it James now." Voldemort smirked at him. "How sweet to use your Muggle-loving father's name. You'll die the same way regardless."

James pulled up his magic as a last ditch attempt to protect himself but no matter what he was now he knew he'd never survive against so many Death Eaters especially with Voldemort at the helm.

XOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter