Hello! Thank you for the reviews. Here is the next chapter of 'Marked' and it is one I am very nervous about publishing! You'll see why as you read! The notes at the end of this chapter are just explaining my own thought processes as to why I did what I did with this chapter.
Marked
Chapter Two
1st September 1976
As they stood on the platform waiting to board the Hogwarts Express, James risked a glance over towards the Black family who stood halfway down the platform with their son Regulus. He had noticed upon entering the platform the Black parents looking at their estranged son with a mixture of revulsion, hatred and disappointment in their eyes before returning to pamper their new 'heir'.
Sirius had ignored them which was his usual practice whenever he could get away with it, but James' senses were heightened. Even Sirius' parents looking at their son made James feel queasy. He would not break the vow he had made to himself to keep his best friend safe.
"James," his mother said as pulled him into a hug and kissing him on the cheek. "Have a good term. Is it too much to ask for you not to get too many detentions this year?"
Sirius sniggered.
James glared. "No, because this idiot here will undoubtedly find a way to get me in trouble. I'm sure he will have concocted some hair-brained scheme to blame me for something by the end of the first hour on the train."
"Try thirty minutes… or even ten minutes. We all know I always get the brilliant ideas faster than you," grinned Sirius, laughing.
"I don't think I need to ask if you will stay out of trouble, do I?" smiled Mrs Potter, turning her attention towards her surrogate son.
"Come on, Euphie, Sirius lives for trouble," smiled Mr Potter. "I think he's had more detentions than James."
"I'm hoping James will overtake me…" Sirius ducked away as James lunged for him. "But it is harder not to be discovered since we are both getting so tall."
"If I'd known what James was going to get up to with the cloak I would never have bequeathed it to him," said Mr Potter quietly, shaking his head in defeat. He had long ago given up trying to get James to behave at school. After all James knew his own father had caused trouble himself. Fleamont Potter couldn't exactly tell his son off for doing the same things he had done. "Just have a good term boys. We'll see you over Christmas."
Walking on to the train James steered Sirius through several compartments before settling in one close to the middle. They placed their trunks on the rack above them and settled down facing one another, both sitting beside the window, looking out at the platform.
James saw Regulus leave his parents behind and board the train. Next moment the Blacks had gone. He spotted his own parents and waved at them through the window, then he sat back and watched as students went past his compartment, waiting for his two other friends to arrive.
Peter Pettigrew arrived first, pulling his trunk along behind him. His blond hair stuck to his forehead and he breathed heavily from the effort of pulling his trunk along behind him. James moved to help him lift the trunk onto the racks. "Thanks Prongs!"
James grinned. "How was your summer?"
Peter was silent for a few moments before he spoke. "It was okay."
"Sounds like it could have been better," piped up Sirius.
Peter sat next to James. "It's hard to explain. And I don't want to talk about it."
They all knew Peter's home life was interesting. His parents had an unconventional marriage having been in opposite houses at Hogwarts. His mother was a Gryffindor, a half-blood witch whereas Peter's father was a Pureblood from Slytherin. Pettigrew Senior was a hard man who had some sympathy towards the Pure-blood cause but disagreed with the notion that all Muggle-borns were filthy. It would be hypocritical of him to believe in that since he had married a half-blood whose mother had been a Muggle-born. The different personalities in Peter's parents had ensured his own Sorting had been the longest James could remember witnessing. Peter must have sat on the chair with the hat on his head for at least five minutes before the Sorting Hat had declared him a Gryffindor. All three of Peter's friends knew he could be sneaky when he really wanted to. And the hat had seriously considered Sorting him into Slytherin.
"I'm kinda glad my dad gave me the option to stay at Hogwarts over Chrisrtmas," said Peter. "I'm thinking of doing it. Remus mentioned he might be. Will you guys be staying?"
Sirius shook his head lazily. "Nah. James and I will be going home. It will be nice to have Christmas with family."
James swallowed. Even mentioning Christmas made him visualise Sirius' battered body from last year. No! No! No! Even Remus and Peter didn't know the full extent of what had happened the previous year. Sirius had wanted to keep it quiet. He had disliked James seeing him with his injuries but going to Godric's Hollow had been the only place Sirius could have gone. It had just been lucky James had looked out of his window and seen the collapsed form in the snow. Otherwise… He'd be dead now.
"Prongs?"
James shook his head, brushing a hand through his black hair, noticing Sirius was waving a hand in front of his face. "I'm fine."
"You look pale," noted Sirius with concern. He was searching his best friend's eyes intensely.
"Just…thinking," grinned James though he knew his expression was false.
Just then the compartment door slid open and Remus Lupin slipped inside. He heaved his trunk above him and sat down next to Sirius. He looked haggard and tired and there was a fresh scar on his neck. Being a werewolf had its disadvantages. "You're not usually this quiet," the light brown haired boy noted. He frowned. "What did you do to Prongs, Padfoot?"
James couldn't help laughing. When in doubt, always blame Sirius.
"I swear I'm innocent in this," defended Sirius, raising his hands up.
Remus cracked an eyebrow. "When are you ever innocent?" he smirked, folding his arms across his chest.
Peter chuckled and James roared with laughter.
"I guess this is insult Padfoot day," pouted Sirius.
"Isn't it always insult Padfoot day?" Peter interjected quickly, beating James to the punch.
"I don't think I like you guys anymore," Sirius turned his head away in mock insult. A few seconds later he spoke again. "Ooo Prongs, look who I spy arriving."
James snapped his head around, pressing his nose against the window. "Lily!"
"And she just completely blanked Snivellus…" noted Sirius. "Looks like even over the summer, she still hasn't forgiven him…"
"I still don't get how Lily could have even liked Snivellus," said James.
"They grew up together," said Remus. "They live a few streets away from one another."
"How'd you know that?" shouted James.
Remus shrugged. "Lily and I got to know one another quite well when we did Prefect rounds together. You know that anyway, James. We got talking about our childhoods. She told me Severus was the one who told her she was a witch. They knew each other for a few years before Hogwarts. Don't tell Lily I told you. She'll kill me if she knows you know, Prongs."
"I'll keep it a secret," answered James. He wanted Lily to like him, didn't he? Of course he was going to keep the secret. "We all will, right?"
"Sure," said Peter and Sirius together. They all knew when it came to Lily they had to follow James' lead.
James glanced out the window again only to find Lily and her parents had disappeared from his field of vision. His parents too had gone. "I'll go and find Lily later. Ask her how her summer went."
"Who wants to bet that Prongs will come away hexed?" asked Sirius, holding out a handful of Knuts.
James scowled.
After lunch James finally got the courage to go and seek Lily out. She was with her friends a few carriages down and the look of pure loathing she gave him when he opened their compartment door made him flinch. Nervously he ran a hand through his messy hair. "Hi Lily."
"What do you want, Potter?"
"I just wanted to ask about your summer."
"It was fine," she answered curtly before turning away from him and resumed speaking to her friends.
"Err… Lily…" swallowed James. Why was his stomach clenching like butterflies were flying within it?
"I thought I made it obvious I don't want to talk to you, Potter?" snapped Lily.
"Well… I thought… maybe we could…" James faltered when he saw Lily stare at him, arms folded across her chest.
"No. I will not go to Hogsmeade with you," she stated coldly. "Go away, Potter."
James deflated. Why did she always say no? Sighing he retreated. He had thought maybe if he tried a different approach Lily might have given him a chance… He knew she was the one for him. But how could he convince her and show her his true self when she wouldn't even spend any time with him? He looked back at Lily before starting to walk back to his own compartment when he noticed the train was slowing down.
"That's odd," he muttered to himself. The train never stopped. Not for anything. And they were not close to Hogwarts yet either. They were still hours away from there.
Anxiety roared into his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this.
"Potter!" A shout from behind him.
James whirled to find Lily standing there, hands perched on her hips. "What?"
"What have you done?" she shouted.
James gaped. How could Lily think he could have done something? "I haven't done anything! I don't know why the train is slow-"
As the train slowed to a stop, out of the carriage window, James saw several cloaked figures in black and wearing masks standing to the side of the tracks. Wands were in their hands and they began to move forward across the path as the train came to a shuddering stop.
"Shit." He reached for Lily's arm.
"Get off me, Potter!" she shouted.
"Lily, look! It's not me doing this! It's Death Eaters!"
The red-haired beauty followed his gaze to the window and she let out a gasp of surprise. She stopped struggling against him, sudden concern filling her features. "But…what could they want with the train?"
James already knew the answer. They're here for Sirius. The train is unprotected. "Lily, stay in your compartment."
"You're not seriously thinking of fighting them?" she asked. "They'll kill you!"
Screams and yells of terror erupted through the train. A group of seventh years ran out from a compartment two doors away, wands in hand and racing towards one of the carriage entrances. Any minute now the Death Eaters would be aboard the train…
They were defenceless… The only adult wizard James knew of on the train was the trolley lady though there was likely a train operator too, other than that there were the seventh years and potentially a few fifth and sixth years that could stand a chance against an attack. At least they would be able to put up more of a fight against any attackers than the lower years.
James grabbed Lily and pushed her back into her carriage. "I know why they are here." He ignored Lily's two friends: Mary Macdonald and Marlene McKinnon. "But I don't want you to get hurt."
"So it's alright for you to go and risk your neck but not me?" grated Lily.
James growled low in his throat. He needed to get back to his friends! He didn't have time for this! He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew the Death Eaters hadn't entered the train yet but he saw them through the window, pacing along the earth, looking into the carriages. "Lily," he took her by the arms, silently pleading with his eyes for her to trust him, "I don't want you to get hurt. I… like you… a lot… One of the last things I want is for anything to happen to you. If it did and I had it in my power to save you, I would. I'd die for you, Lily."
Lily's mouth fell open and James took the opportunity to whirl around, jog out the compartment, close the door, flick his wand to lock the door and cast the Ingressum charm which would hopefully keep the Death Eaters out of Lily's compartment.
He didn't look back as he ran back towards his own compartment, casting the Ingressum charm and the Colloportus spell. He knew it wouldn't really give the students much protection as Colloportus had a very effective counter-charm which nullified the effects of the locking spell. That was why he had chosen to use Ingressum as it prevented any door from being opened for a set period of time. It would provide a certain layer of security to the students however he wasn't sure if Alohomara could also counter-act both Colloportus and Ingressum.
A boom rocked the carriage as the doors burst open. He hadn't even thought to lock the main doors into the carriage. What a fabulous idea, Prongs!
James skidded to a halt, raising his wand as figures in black cloaks and silver masks boarded the train. There were six in total. Three peeled to the right where Sirius was and the other three turned to face James. He wasn't the only one in the carriage. A Ravenclaw seventh year student rushed up to back James.
"Good thinking on sealing the carriages. At least the students are safe," the Ravenclaw whispered in James' ear.
"Thanks," replied James, slowly stepping back as the Death Eaters advanced. He had to get to Sirius.
"Stupefy!" one of the Death Eaters yelled.
James reacted instinctively. "Protego!" The shield charm repelled the red stunner back at its caster.
The three Death Eaters dropped to the floor then the seventh year stepped past James, swung his wand at the three of them and shouted, "Reducto!" The force of the blast sent the robed figures flying back.
James started to run forward and as the three Death Eaters fell to the floor again, he swiped his wand in the same movement as the Ravenclaw student had before casting another Reducto curse, sending the three Death Eaters further down the train. He glanced over his shoulder at the other student and beckoned him to follow him. "COME ON!"
I hope I'm not too late!
Sirius had seen them first: the robed black and masked figures as the train slowed to a stop. "Shit!" He had leapt from his seat, realising this wasn't just a random attack. This was a co-ordinated attack on him. His uncle had warned him but Sirius had assumed that he would be safe – he never considered the Hogwarts Express wasn't a safe place to be. Sirius prided himself on being intelligent and considering the warning he was given he should have realised the train ride to school was an ideal place to attack him. There were no adults around to protect him.
"Death… Eaters… What are they doing here?" squeaked Peter, his nose pressed against the glass as the ominous figures paced towards the individual carriages.
Sirius didn't answer instead he grabbed his wand from his pocket. He hadn't wanted to tell his other friends about the threat to his life but it would soon become obvious. "I can't be found here." His black hair whipped across his face as he considered his options, his mind running through various options before discarding them all. He didn't have time to leave the train but if he could…
"They'd be after the Muggle-borns rather than Pure-bloods," Remus pointed out.
"Trust Moony to think things through logically," snarled Sirius, though it wasn't Remus' fault for assuming what would have been the correct assumption any other time. "But I know for a fact they are not after Muggle-borns. They're after me. I got a warning my family want me dead a few days ago." He reached up for James' trunk, flicked it open and started pulling out his things, finally extracting his friend's invisibility cloak from it. "I'm going to leave this compartment. You two are going to sit here wearing this. They know you two are my friends and they won't hesitate to target you to get to me."
"Padf-" Remus began but Sirius silenced him with a look.
"No. I'm not putting you two in any more danger. Don't make me tie you up either," he replied. "Now sit next to Wormtail."
Remus sighed and moved across to sit next to the smaller boy, glaring at Sirius as he threw the cloak over them.
"Good. Now don't move," said Sirius, before sliding open the compartment door and locking it behind him.
In the carriage corridor quite a few students were running around, screaming and shouting, whilst the two Prefects on duty were trying to calm them down, though even Sirius could tell there was panic in their voices. No one would think the train could be attacked by Death Eaters. Sirius ducked through the crowd, pushing his way through, before a blast rocked him off his feet as the main door to the carriage flew open. He went flying back, past the compartment he had been sitting in with Remus and Peter before slamming into the floor.
Pushing himself up by his hands before scrambling back to his feet, Sirius gripped his wand tightly in his right hand as three figures paced towards him with slow and steady footsteps.
"Shit," he cursed.
The closest figure reached up and removed their mask. The grinning face of Bellatrix Lestrange pierced Sirius' eyes. She stepped forward slowly, rolling her wand between her thin fingers. She tilted her head to the side. "Well… well… if it isn't the little blood traitor… Avada Kedavra!"
Sirius ducked as a jet of green light whooshed towards him, narrowly missing him over his head. Thankfully the killing curse impacted against the ceiling, narrowly avoiding one of the Prefects.
"Petrificus Totalus!" yelled Sirius but his cousin danced away cackling gleefully.
She held up a hand to stop the other two Death Eaters from casting curses. "This kill is mine! Go and play with some filthy Mudbloods! Reducto!"
The spell impacted against Sirius' chest and he went flying further back, crashing through the door to the next carriage. Screams erupted all around him as students in that carriage panicked as the unmasked Bellatrix Lestrange slowly, seductively, walked into their carriage. Students rushed to run up the carriage in their terror to escape, ignoring the fact that Sirius seemed to be the target.
Sirius swallowed, crawling back on his hands and feet, his mind calculating what he could do. At least he only had Trixie to deal with. "Stupefy!" He got to his feet as he cast the spell.
"Protego!"
Moving to the side, Sirius dodged the reflected stunner but a student behind him wasn't so lucky and collapsed to the floor. Sirius leapt back, tossed another hex her way but again she blocked it.
"Is ittle baby Sirius scared to use real spells?" Bellatrix taunted. "Crucio!"
The unforgiveable struck him straight in the chest. A scream tore from his lips and Sirius' legs collapsed beneath him, his arms jerking and his fingers loosening as his wand dropped from his grip. He tried to curl up as the pain wracked his body. He couldn't breathe…
The curse lifted and Sirius rolled onto his back, panting heavily. He couldn't move. His muscles had seized up. There was silence in the carriage – the other students who had been trying to flee had stopped, all trying to press themselves into the individual compartments, though those that couldn't tried to make themselves small and unnoticeable as Bellatrix approached Sirius.
The student that had been stupefied had been the prefect, whose body still lay motionless on the floor. Most of the terrified students seemed to be a combination of first, second and third years.
Sirius tried to get to his feet but collapsed again as pain travelled through his body. The strength of the unforgiveable curse had sapped him of his ability to move and fight. He was screwed. So screwed.
"I was hoping you would put up more of a fight, cousin. I wanted to torture you more before I killed you," Bellatrix knelt down beside Sirius and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her. "It is a shame you didn't live up to the name of Black. You are a filthy blood-traitor. Oh, how it thrilled me to be asked to kill you. If only I could have more time to scar your body…" A grin flitted across her face. "Oh… there's an idea…"
She placed her wand on his cheek, slowly dragging it down. She must have used a non-verbal spell as his cheek was cut open and his blood spilled from the open wound. Then she moved onto his other cheek and repeated her actions. "I wonder what blood-traitor blood tastes like?" Bellatrix hissed in his ear.
Sirius shivered and tried to wrench away but Bellatrix gripped his hair to hold his head in place before putting her tongue on the wound in his cheek and slowly licked the blood.
He felt sick, violated as his insane cousin repeated the same action on his other cheek.
"Filthy, dirty blood but tastes so nice! If I had more time I would enjoy seeing the life-blood drain out of you! Crucio!"
The torture curse struck him again and Sirius' back buckled as he tried to stop screaming, his body thrashing around on the carriage floor. Bellatrix laughed, now standing above him but then she went flying over him as a spell struck her from behind.
Sirius could barely keep his eyes open as he recognised the three figures that had saved him from the torture curse.
Consciousness didn't last long as he lost sight of the forms of James, Remus and Lily as he succumbed to the calling of the darkness.
As soon as James Potter had gone, Lily had quickly counteracted the charms Potter had put on her compartment and followed him, ignoring her friend's pleas to keep herself safe and stay with them. Lily hadn't been Sorted into Gryffindor for nothing. She wasn't going to sit in her carriage while students were threatened by Death Eaters. Why should she? As a prefect it was her duty to ensure no harm came to the students.
She saw Potter and a Ravenclaw student up ahead, blasting back several Death Eaters. Raising her wand, she quickly cast a shield charm that extended in front of Potter and the other student just as two stunners came flinging towards them as another two Death Eaters appeared behind the three collapsed ones.
Potter looked over his shoulder. "Lily! I thought – "
"Don't say it, Potter! I'm here to help!" she chastised him. "I'm not going back!" Reacting quickly, she pulled the sleeves of the two boys and dragging them to the floor, just as a throat cutting spell tore towards them. Lily directed her wand at the Death Eaters and was about to mutter another spell when a popping sound was heard behind them and Lily turned her head to see the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, who had just Apparated onto the train.
Lily breathed a huge sigh of relief. They were saved!
Commotion ensured as the five Death Eaters stared at the blazing eyes of the headmaster, his usually calm expression filled with anger.
"Quick! Let's go!"
"I'm not leaving my wife behind!" another yelled.
"She'll have dealt with the blood traitor by now!" one of them reached out to grab the arm of a Death Eater that was about to retreat back into the train before Apparating away.
All five of them vanished as Dumbledore had risen his wand again to cast another spell, but now he lowered it again, glancing down at Lily, Potter and the Ravenclaw Prefect. He didn't get a chance to speak to them as Potter leapt to his feet, yelling his best friend's name as he ran up the carriage. Lily followed. If there was still another Death Eater on board she was not going to let Potter handle them alone!
She pushed herself through the carriage and into the next one just as Remus Lupin stepped out in front of Potter from a compartment to the right of them. He looked pale and his brown hair was damp. Potter was already grabbing Remus by the arms, demanding to know where Black was and why Remus and Peter hadn't stayed with him.
And that was when they heard the screams coming from the next carriage along.
Potter forgot his anger and bounded forward, leaping into the next carriage. Lily and Remus followed, stopping when they saw the Death Eater torturing Sirius Black. Instinctively all three raised their wands and yelled "Reducto!"
The Death Eater went flying and Potter stepped forward, his wand pointing towards her.
Lily recognised her. Bellatrix Lestrange. Her face had been in the paper many times and she was notoriously hard to capture.
And then Dumbledore was standing behind them and Bellatrix's triumphant grin settled into a frown and slight terror in her eyes.
She raised her wand again, cast another killing curse at Sirius Black's motionless form on the floor, but the wall to one of the compartments ripped away from the wall so fast and blocked the spell. By the time Albus Dumbledore had placed the compartment wall against the side of the train, Bellatrix Lestrange was gone.
"SIRIUS!" Potter rushed forward, bending down and gently touching his friend's shoulder.
Lily nervously stepped forward and peered over Potter's shoulder. Black was bleeding down two long cuts on his cheek and he was shaking in his unconscious state.
"Miss Evans. Mr Lupin," Professor Dumbledore was behind them. "Please return to your carriages."
Lily nodded and gently took Remus by the hand, pulling him away from his two friends. She didn't go back to her carriage instead she stayed with Remus and Peter in their own with her own friends coming to join them.
Within minutes Aurors arrived. The train was sealed off and the students, in groups of ten, were given Portkeys to take them straight into the Courtyard of Hogwarts school.
Just before she was whisked away to the school with Remus, Peter, Marlene, Mary and a few other sixth years, Lily found her mind wondering towards the question as to exactly why Death Eaters had targeted a Pureblood. What was to be gained from it?
From her point of view, despite the shock she was feeling from the attack, it didn't make sense.
She couldn't help but have the feeling that this year at Hogwarts was going to be very different from any other. Hogwarts was no longer safe.
To be continued…
Please let me know what you think!
Notes about Chapter 2...
I was quite nervous about this idea but I remembered the Death Eaters in Deathly Hallows part 1 had boarded the Hogwarts Express to take Luna. So I figured the same tactic could be used for Bellatrix's first attempt to kill Sirius. Naturally, she can't resist playing with her prey. As Sirius is only sixteen, despite being a powerful wizard, this is the first real battle he has participated in. I didn't want him to have a long fight as someone with Bellatrix's experience could easily overpower him, especially in such a combined space.
The students not really helping… Most of them were in shock and those that did were quickly stunned. The Death Eaters orders were to kill Sirius and not harm any of the others. Even Muggle-borns but Bellatrix doesn't really care for that last particular order. The other Death Eaters are more inclined to follow both orders.
This will also be the start of building up James and Lily's friendship. I for one believe that it's possible, before their seventh year, they did at least become friends. The situation with Sirius in this fic is designed to bring them together and for Lily to realise James is a good person. However when I was writing from her perspective James was referred as Potter.
Pettigrew, it was revealed on Pottermore took five minutes to sort and couldn't decide between Gryffindor or Slytherin. I decided to, therefore, make Peter's dad a Slytherin and his mum a Gryffindor which I think would account for him being a true friend of the Marauders through their teenage years only to become more Slytheriny and prone to betraying his friends as the war wore on and he was forced to pick sides.
Another part of this chapter I was unsure of is Bellatrix licking Sirius' blood off his cheeks. She's insane enough to want to do that… I hesitated about keeping it in. Ultimately I kept it in as I felt it would demonstrate how insane and dangerous Bellatrix can be. Though it did feel awkward to write as well.
And the journey to Hogwarts is probably one of the only places Bellatrix could easily get to Sirius without any qualified wizards around to defend him.
I also made up the Ingressum spell simply by typing No Entry into a Latin translator. I also figured Lily would be one of the few who'd be able to break the Ingressum charm, especially since Charms are her speciality. I'm calling this creative liberty.
Chapter 3 is already being written and should be posted sometime next week.
Until then,
the-writer1988