This chapter was fun to write... I almost feel a bit evil...

Marked

Chapter Nine

James Potter was proud to say he was a brave and fearless young man but walking into the cave, wand in hand, fear spread through him. He was scared of what he would find, concerned for Sirius' health and whether he'd be fit to travel, if they could get him out. He glanced to Remus asking the silent question if anyone else was in the cave and his brown-haired friend shook his head. James took that as affirmation that he could proceed.

Even if Sirius was guarded nothing would have stopped James from rushing in to save him. But Sirius was alone.

Not for long.

"Lumos," whispered James, and light stretched forth from his wand as he wondered further into the cave. He swallowed as he slowly stepped forward as a nasty smell caught his nose and he nearly retched. To his left, Lily looked grin and Remus had anger littered across his face.

The wand light highlighted an area in the cave which was surrounded by torches and a crumbled figure lay nearly naked on the cave floor, blood splashed all over his body and his limbs at odd angles. Soft moaning was coming from the form and James rushed forward, falling to his knees at the bloodied body of his best friend.

"Sirius!" he gasped, gently touching his friend's face. His hazel eyes widened. He had never seen so much blood before in his life.

"Oh my god," Lily gasped from beside him.

James looked up at her and then followed her gaze to a deep wound on Sirius' chest. He felt sick at the carving. "Oh god…"

Carved deeply and going through several layers of Sirius' chest and nearly into the muscles of the chest wall surrounding the rib cage were the words 'BLOOD TRAITOR'. The individual letters were still leaking small droplets of blood.

"Like my handy-work, Potter?" a voice cackled gleefully behind them.

James whirled, wand in hand, pointing it at Bellatrix Lestrange.

"I was waiting for you to show up," she grinned, "it makes killing him so much more fun!"

"You dare touch him again…" spat James. How dare she… She had marked him for life. "And I will kill you!"

She giggled, clearly enjoying herself. "I doubt three teenagers are going to defeat me! It's going to take more than that!"

Lily stepped forward, her green eyes flashing. "You are nothing more than a sadistic torturer who enjoys watching other people's pain!"

Bellatrix giggled. "Do you want to hear him scream? I know I do! Crucio!" She moved ever so quickly, managing to point her wand at Sirius' form before Lily moved in front of her intended victim and taking the curse for herself.

"Lily!" screamed James as she fell to the cave floor, her wand falling from her fingertips as her body shook and she convulsed. "Stupefy!" His spell at Bellatrix missed but she removed the torture curse from Lily and danced away.

"I could kill you all so very easily…"

"Why don't you then?" smirked Remus, almost daring her.

"Oh the poor babies don't get it do they? It's not fun to kill you three now. Maybe after I've forced you to watch the blood-traitor suffering before I slash his throat. I did promise his parents I'd show them his head… I fully intend to go through with that…" She smiled evilly. The thought of removing her own cousin's head sent exotic shivers through her body.

James felt sick, tightening his grip on his wand. Anger roared through him in waves and he pointed his wand at Bellatrix, allowing all the power he had to sink into the one thought in his mind: Die Bellatrix. A jet of black light shot forth from his wand and the Death Eater moved aside at the last second, a look of mingled surprise on her face.

"A dark curse, Potter? Never thought you had it in you!"

James snarled. "I will do everything I can to protect my friends!" He didn't even know what curse he had tried to use, only his desire to rid the world of Bellatrix Lestrange had powered his magic and blown forth from his wand. At this moment he didn't care what curse he used, he just wanted that particular woman dead.

"If you are capable of that kind of magic… perhaps you would do well in my Lord's service. Any pure-blood is welcome… Though not the blood traitor, he is beyond saving," grinned Bellatrix, "nor the filthy half-blood or the wretched Mudblood. But you… You James Potter could become so much more at his side."

James glared at the witch. "Shut up! I will never join your so-called Lord! He is nothing more than a murderer!"

"He is a great man," replied Bellatrix. "Ridding the world of scum is worthy work. He will be praised in the history books in years to come as the man who saved us all!"

"He will never be known as a hero," muttered Remus quietly, a dangerous aura rising from him. James knew angering a werewolf wasn't wise.

Lily looked up and shakily got to her feet, retrieving her wand from the cavern floor. "You may kill us… but that won't stop people going against him. Light will always triumph in the end."

"The Dark Lord will triumph. People fear to speak his name even now!" she crowed loudly.

James rolled his eyes. "Voldemort!"

"You dare?"

"Yes," James' eyes hardened and he kept his eyes on the witch. "I'm not afraid of him. I will fight him every step the way."

Her eyes turned to slits. "Very well… Potter." She raised her wand.

James raised his and at the exact same time as she cast the torture curse he erected a shield and her curse bounded back towards her. She shrieked as she was hit by her own spell.

"How dare you hit me!" she screeched.

Remus yelled: "Stupefy!" and Lily added: "Impedimenta!"

The two spells combined and Bellatrix leapt to the side, focusing her wand on James, who swiftly got in another curse before she could hit him. He kept his shield powered, protecting Sirius from further harm. If there was one thing he was not going to let that bitch do and that was to hurt his best friend ever more. Sirius didn't deserve it. He felt sick even as he thought of him. The words that had been curved into his chest…

"Imperio!"

James felt a nice sensation befall over him and the words: Step away, lower your wand… echoed into his head. Over and over again the words were repeated. They were so tempting to… He lowered his wand and started to step away when a coughing sound interrupted his movement and he jerked himself out of Bellatrix's control.

She shrieked and power erupted from her and James was flung back, the shield protecting Sirius breaking. He slammed into the cavern side, wand falling from his fingertips.

Lily fell beside him and Remus on the other side of the cave, his head impacting against the side. Moony went limp. James tasted blood in his mouth, becoming aware he had bitten his tongue. He shook his head, trying to clear his vision.

Bellatrix paced towards Sirius, dagger in her left hand as she raised her wand with her right. The Cruciatus curse was focused completely on his friend. Sirius writhed on the ground, jerking screams ripping from his throat and fresh blood pouring from the wounds on his chest.

"No!" James feebly muttered but he couldn't get his bearings. He couldn't do anything… He couldn't move his arm and he realised Bellatrix was holding him in place with her raw display of magic and doing the same with Lily who was desperately trying to break free, a look of intense anger across her face.

"I told you, Potter, you would see him die, didn't I?" smirked Bellatrix as she reached her still-screaming cousin, not once lifting the torture curse. "It's nice to hear him scream, isn't it, and watch his blood run free? He doesn't deserve to have pure blood running through his veins… It deserves to run free from his traitorous body." She knelt down. "Him waking up broke you free from the Imperius, Potter… But never mind…"

Finally she lifted her wand from Sirius' convulsing form. He still shuddered from the pain and soft gasps erupted from his lips.

Kneeling down beside him, James watched as she contemplated her cousin before placing the knife to his throat.

No! No! NO!

Slowly she began to draw her hand back.

James couldn't watch. He couldn't see his best friend die.

But then something happened he did not expect.

Lily broke free and rushed straight into Bellatrix Lestrange, grabbing her hair and reaching for the knife at Sirius' throat, dragging the witch away from the teenager on the floor.

James felt movement in his limbs again, reached for his wand and quickly got to his feet, shaking his head.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" screamed Bellatrix, throwing Lily off of her.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" James bellowed angrily, sprinting forward. "Stupefy!"

The jet of red light impacted against Bellatrix's chest and she went limp. He stared at the body of the witch on the floor. He was surprised he had managed to hit her. Her reflexes were too good. She should have been able to block in time but she had been distracted by Lily's attack on her and he had taken advantage. Even yelling at her to leave Lily alone hadn't given her enough reaction time to block James' attack.

He stumbled over to Lily and turned her over. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, pulling her hair back behind her ears. "James… Sirius!"

James turned and ran back to his best friend. Sirius was unconscious again and there were small droplets of blood running down a wound in his neck. It wasn't deep enough to be a worry, she hadn't cut the jugular – if she had Sirius would have been bleeding to death. "Padfoot?" His friend was breathing, his chest rising slowly but he was still hanging on.

Lily approached him with Remus trailing behind who was rubbing the back of his head. When the werewolf removed his hand from the back, blood coated his fingers.

"How are we going to get him out of here?" asked Remus. "We didn't exactly come prepared for this…"

James swallowed. "I know. That's why I wanted Wormtail to inform Professor Dumbledore so he could meet us here. He should be here by now…"

"He will be," replied Lily gently.

"Not if I have something to say about it!"

They hadn't noticed Bellatrix had woken. His spell must not have been powerful enough to render her unconscious for that long.

"Damn," muttered James. They were back in the exact some position they were before. Remus was unsteady on his feet and power seemed to crackle from Lily.

"A simple stunner cannot keep me down for long!" she laughed. "But since you three are so adamant to get in my way, I think killing all three of you would be prudent. Then I can finish him," she finished, indicating her cousin behind them.

James swallowed. She was going to kill them. There wasn't anything he could use to block the killing curse with… If he moved away and she cast it, she'd hit Sirius, thereby completing her mission, but if he stayed where she was, he'd die and Sirius would lose his life anyway. The others seemed to be thinking the same thing, however both Remus and Lily moved closer to him, protecting Sirius for as long as they could.

Bellatrix giggled a harsh girly laugh. "This will be so much fun!" She pointed her wand first at James, then Remus, before settling on Lily. "The Mudblood shall die first. After all her existence is an abomination to the Wizarding World."

James gritted his teeth.

Then a phoenix flew into the cave, screeching loudly, its talons grabbing onto the curls of Bellatix's hair and pulling her back. And then suddenly Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were there, alongside a group of Aurors.

A protective bubble appeared around them as curses flew around them. At that moment James only cared for one thing and it was the life of his best friend. He fell to his knees, ignoring the battle going on around him and held onto Sirius' blood drenched hand.

In the end Bellatrix had escaped.

She had Apparated away after a short battle. Four of the Aurors had attempted to follow yet once again she had outmanoeuvred them all. By the time they had followed her she had already gone, leaving behind a cold trail.

They were not scolded for their actions in going after Sirius against orders though Professor McGonagall did give all three of them a stern look and they knew there would be ramifications for their actions. James simply did not care. He had gone to help his friend: the friend that had nearly been tortured to death by his insane cousin.

Dumbledore had created a Portkey to send them all back to Hogwarts and he promised James he would retrieve the broomsticks they had used.

They appeared in the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey started immediate work on Sirius whilst the others were ordered to get into bed and rest. No one was allowed to visit them, not even Wormtail who they later learned had been confined to Gryffindor Tower for his part in their plan to rescue Sirius.

James didn't regret it. All that matter to him was ensuring his best friend was safe. He didn't want to sleep but tiredness overwhelmed him and he fell into a dreamless sleep. He later realised the cup that had been beside his bed had been pre-emptively filled with Dreamless-Sleep potion. He hated being tricked but could understand the precaution.

"How is Sirius? And Lily and Remus?" asked James when Madam Pomfrey finally reached him a few hours later. His curtains had been drawn, shutting him off from the world.

"Evans and Lupin are recovering well. Evans is experiencing a few tremors from the after-effects of being subjected to the Cruciatus Curse, but is otherwise well. Mr Lupin has concussion and will recover. He just needs rest, peace and quiet."

James nodded. "And Sirius?" He noticed she had not said a word about his brother.

"Mr Black was transferred to St Mungo's."

"WHAT? Why didn't anyone tell me?" asked James.

"Because you needed your rest, Mr Potter," replied the matron strongly.

He swallowed. She had that look on her face that said to not cross her. "Is he okay?" Though he already knew the answer.

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "He is gravely injured and has internal bleeding."

"When can I see him?" He needed to be there with his brother for support. "He can't be alone."

"He isn't alone. The Headmaster and his parents are there."

James exploded. "His parents? They want to KILL him!" he emphasised.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Your parents, Mr Potter, are his guardians, correct? As I understand it he is an adoptive son of theirs?"

"Oh." James felt silly. "I thought you meant his biological parents…"

"No, I meant yours."

"So… when can I see him?" he asked again.

"Not yet. Not until the Headmaster returns," Madam Pomfrey informed him.

James muttered incomprehensibly under his breath.

"I will be able to discharge you soon, Mr Potter. You are otherwise unhurt and only needed a sleep. However I will be keeping you here until Professor Dumbledore returns. And I will know if you attempt to leave. Your Head of House told me you have ways of slipping through defences," she said.

James blushed. He realised what she was referring to. Still, there wasn't anything else he could do was there? Trying to see Sirius wasn't going to work. Perhaps if he stayed here and did not try to leave then he would be able to see Sirius sooner.

Reaching to the cabinet beside him, James reached for the sandwiches that had been placed there before he had woken and started to eat.

Professor Dumbledore arrived in the Hospital wing at the end of the day. By that time all of them were awake though Lily had the occasional shudder. He placed privacy charms around the cubicle they sat in, with Remus still in bed and James and Lily sitting on separate chairs.

"Now, all three of you have broken school rules and especially my orders. By that alone you should be suspended… however your actions did ensure Sirius Black survived long enough to reach medical attention," the old headmaster explained wisely.

James swallowed. "What do you mean?" He felt the colour drain from his cheeks.

"Judging by the injuries he sustained, Mr Black was close to death. He is now stable but in a medically induced coma. The words carved into his chest were done by a particular knife. It was imbued with dark magic. That dark magic seeped into Sirius' body, into the tissues surrounding his heart, into the arteries and veins and into his vital organs. All of them were slowly shutting down. When she was about to cut his throat she used the same knife… The dark magic in the knife spread to his brain… We do not know what damage has been done to his brain… but it has been tamed and removed from him. We will have to wait for Mr Black to wake which will not be for several days so his body can repair itself."

"I have to see him," blurted out James.

"James…" Lily said softly.

"I am afraid I cannot allow that," said the Headmaster. "Sirius Black is currently under-guard at St Mungo's and only parents and healers are allowed through the barrier."

"You are neither," noted Remus quietly.

"No, I'm not," agreed Dumbledore. "I was there in my capacity to bring your parents up to speed. I was not allowed to visit Mr Black myself once I had brought him in and healers had taken over his care."

James bit his lip. He could see the problem.

"Professor…" Lily hesitated. "What about the scar on his chest? Can it be healed?"

The Professor shook his head. "No. The wound was caused by dark magic and will remain on his chest as a reminder to Sirius what he went through. No magic can remove it however it can be hidden. He will have that scar for life."

James felt anger building in his chest. "In other words he has been marked. They wanted to mark him as a Death Eater to start with but he fought back… In the end they marked his body to remind him of what he truly was to them."

Remus swallowed. "He'll hate that."

"He wasn't meant to survive," whispered Lily.

"I know," answered James. Then the thought came to him as to why Bellatrix had done what she had to her cousin. "He was an example to be shown to the rest of us to what would happen to those that would defy their Lord."

It was not a sobering thought.

Sirius hadn't deserved what had happened to him. No one did.

James clenched his fist. I won't let anything like this happen again. No one hurts my family and gets away with it. I'll get her back for this. Bellatrix will pay.

To be continued...

Please let me know what you think!

Poor Sirius... The words Bellatrix engraved on his chest are what the story title refers to... I also believe wounds made by dark magic are impossible to heal so Sirius will have that scar for life. The knife was imbued with Dark Magic so it was never an ordinary knife.

Only two more chapters to go...

Next chapter will be posted next week.

Until then,

the-writer1988