She thought her life was over – but fate gave her another chance, in a world of magic. Now, running around Hogwarts with James Potter and his friends, she's about to make choices that will change the future in ways she never thought possible…

Marauder's Phase

CHAPTER FORTY

The Fire Of Friendship

No One's P.O.V:

Sirius stared at Emma in disbelief. She still had her wand pointed at him, her lifeless eyes trained on a spot just above his head. Beside her, James lay, whether dead or not Sirius couldn't tell. Beside him, Peter gave a frightened whimper.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked, staring fearfully at Emma.

Sirius frowned. "It must be…hold on!" He remembered how obediently Emma had followed the Death Eater's orders, how she had committed herself to obeying his command. "It's gotta be the Imperius Curse!"

Peter gasped.

Sirius was so angry he was seeing red. "You used the Imperius Curse on her! What the hell-!" He was cut off when a jet of red light zoomed past his left ear, straight from Emma's wand. "Oh God no…" Do I fight her and risk hurting her? Or do I stand her and let her kill me? What the hell am I supposed to do now?

Next to him, Peter seemed frozen in shock.

Sirius took out his wand, but he knew he wouldn't use it. He couldn't – this was Emma. The first girl he'd ever kissed, the only girl who wasn't superficial and fake. The only girl he'd ever really…Sirius gulped.

The only girl he could ever truly say he would love.

The Death Eaters laughed.

"Finish him off, Emma." Nott said carelessly, with an evil sort of smile.

Emma nodded.

Sirius looked at Emma, into her eyes, silently begging her not to do it.

Emma's back was to the Death Eaters, the only light was coming from the moonlight above and, just before the moon went behind another cloud and shrouded them all in darkness…Sirius watched Emma's lips curve upwards into a smile, and she winked.

Then she raised her wand and shouted: "Opugno!"

***

And from within the trees came a terrible array of birds, of all shapes and sizes, some with wickedly sharp beaks and terribly clawed talons. At my command, they started attacking the two Death Eaters who, for a moment, where visibly stunned, before they began fighting back.

I heard them yelling out spells left and right, as I ran over to where James was.

"Transform!" I called to Sirius, who nodded and became the huge black dog. He and Peter hurried over to me and James, where Peter and I lifted him onto Sirius' back, where I secured him using the rope-binding spell. "Go!" I ordered to Sirius, who took off running through the trees. Peter and I both transformed, I grabbed Peter (hopefully gently) in my jaws, and took off at a run after Sirius all the while thinking 'can we make it out alive?'.

***

Presently, the trees began to thin out, and I stopped just long enough to allow Peter to climb onto my head. Then I resumed my running.

Sirius and I ran side-by-side, making our way carefully because of his important passenger, and me all the while praying that James was still alive.

As daylight broke through the trees, Sirius and I stopped running at the same time, cocked our heads to the side and listened.
Not a sound could be heard except for the forest awakening – we had not heard Lestrange or Nott pursuing us for awhile now, and Sirius and I exchanged a glance, and then a nod. We were nearing the edge of the forest now, and we were safer.

We should transform back into our human forms.

I transformed, removed the rat from my head and he transformed into Peter, as I knelt down and began to undo the bonds tying James to Sirius. As soon as I had done this, and confirmed that James was still alive, I threw my arms around Sirius' neck.

He transformed instantly and wrapped his own arms around me as we kneeled together on the forest floor, hugging the life out of each other.

"What happened?" Sirius murmured to me. "Emmy, I thought you were…possessed…"

I laughed softly. "Oh, please, stop giving Nott so much credit – the curse missed me by miles."

Sirius' arms tightened around me. "What gave you the idea to use the 'animal attack' spell?"

"Hermoine." I replied and, of course, Sirius didn't have a clue what I was talking about but it didn't matter.

I could've stayed like that forever, but…

"Uh, guys…about James?" Peter said, and Sirius and I broke apart instantly.

"We need to get him to the hospital wing!" I said, standing up very quickly and dragging Sirius up with me.

"I'll carry him." Sirius said, with an unusually (for him) grave expression on his face. He went over and picked up the still form of his best friend. "Come on Prongs, old friend…" He said, his face pale and there was blood on his forehead, and I was reminded once again of how I'd led them all into a considerable amount of danger.

I felt so ashamed that I followed a fair few paces behind the boys, as we broke through the trees and into the early morning sunlight that now bathed the Hogwarts grounds.

I ignored my bleeding lips, my tired aching feet and everything else in between. I was just realising that running for it and never returning was better for everyone, when figures came running across the grounds toward us, black robes flying and I recognised, with a start, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, Lily Evans and Remus Lupin.

Lily reached James and Sirius first and, to everyone's complete shock, she burst into tears at the sight of James lying lifeless in his best friend's arms.

Madam Pomfrey swooped over them in an instant, as the two Professors and Remus hurried up to me and Peter.

Professor McGonagall was pale. "Mr. Pettigrew, Miss. Pax, what happened!?" I hadn't actually noticed it before, but Peter had three long gashes across his chest. I guess I'd just been too preoccupied with Sirius and James, only now I felt guilty about ignoring Peter.

I also couldn't answer Professor McGonagall but, to my surprise, Peter did. "There were Death Eaters in the forest, Professor," He said, and all three of them looked stunned. "They injured James, and tortured Emma – tried to use the Imperius Curse on her too…but she summoned all these attacking birds…"

Remus suddenly threw his arms around me and hugged me, and I felt my own arms slide up around his neck as I rested my head on his shoulder, and let sleep take a hold of me, because I was finally safe…