CHAPTER 7: GIRL MEETS GIRL

(Severus POV)

"Why didn't you tell me there was a form of transportation like this before?" spoke a disgruntled-looking Ilya, frowning at the raven-haired boy.

Flashback

It was four O'clock in the afternoon. After saying goodbye to the brown haired girl, Severus thought it was finally time to head home. Now was not a good time to continue their shopping. When they reached a corner, out of sight of Evelyn, Ilya suddenly stopped.

"Hmm?" Severus asked the white-haired girl.

Ilya did not reply, but simply looked at the brown-haired girl. Slightly confused, Severus did the same. They watched as a tall man, (who Severus assumed as to be Rufus Scrimgeour) with similar hair and eyes to Evelyn, ran towards her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Okay, let's go," said Ilya.

"What was that all about?" asked Severus.

"I just wanted to confirm something," said Ilya simply.

Then Severus eyes slightly widened, as he remembered something.

"Just what did you do back there?" the raven-haired boy gasp. He was asking Ilya about the odd behavior of people, as they were turning and leaving when approaching them.

"Oh, you mean why people were ignoring us?" chirped Ilya. Severus nodded, glad that the girl got his message. "Well, I placed a Bounded Field around us."

"A Bounded Field?"

"Yes, to stop people from bothering us."

Severus still looked confused. Ilya continued.

"A Bounded Field, a kind of protective barrier, which stops people from getting close, making them remember that they have something else more important to do. No one would be able to come near us."

"Then why was Scrimgeour able to get through?"

"It is the condition I placed on the Field. The only person who will be able to pass through is someone whose priority is Evelyn's safety. Anyone who had other types of intention, such as harming, usurping, gossiping, interrogating, etc. will be affected by the spell, and thus will be unable to approach. I set it to deactivate when someone who truly cares for and prioritizes her comes, so the Field's gone now," she finished, as Severus noticed that other people were now starting to swarm around Evelyn and her brother.

"I see," Severus, finally understanding the situation. This Bounded Field seemed to be some kind of Protective Magical Ward.

"So umm…" began Ilya. "I think we should be going now…"

End of Flashback

And now he was facing an irritated-looking white-haired girl, who was brushing off cinders from her from her face and dress. She was wearing a green and white Sunday dress, which was his mother's. The clothes may be plain, but they look good on the white-haired girl.

Ilya's clothes were covered by mud when they arrived the night before. Although it could easily be cleaned, it was the only set of clothes the girl had with her. Severus decided to let her borrow some of his mother's old clothes… and they seemed to fit Ilya perfectly, (As the raven-haired you man recalled, there was one time, during the Christmas Holidays in fifth year, when Severus and Lily were caught in the rain, Severus let his best friend borrow a set of Eileen's clothes. Unfortunately, the girl was really picky with what to wear, so she had actually cast a Shrinking Charm on all of them to fit herself.).

This means that Ilya and Lily have similar body s… ahhh, what am I thinking! Thought Severus Snape.

Then he saw Ilya, wearing one of the clothes his mother owned. She was approaching him. She placed her hands gently on her face and then…

OUCH! THAT HURT! WHAT DID YOU THAT FOR?!

A painful pinch on the cheek brought Severus sharply back to reality.

"You were completely ignoring me while I was talking," fumed the white-haired girl. "I was asking you, why didn't you tell me you such fast transportation methods as this… Floo…Fireplace…Network…or whatever it's called."

Ilya was still pouting, and Severus realized that he had been ignoring the girl when he unintentionally entered daydream mode.

"I'm…sorry," began Severus. "I was just thinking about something…and I sort of… spaced out." Severus could feel himself blushing."

"Oh, and what exactly were you spacing out for," said Ilya, smiling mischievously.

Still under influence of his recent not-so-gentlemanly thoughts, Severus felt his face burn even more from looking at the girl. Severus noticed that the girl was looking at him in satisfaction. She was obviously not happy about being ignored, and she was getting payback for it, by watching his discomfort. Severus' mind was not working properly. A painful silence passed…

"So, then, said Ilya," in a surprisingly business-like tone, as she passed Severus and sat down on a couch. "Sev, what exactly is an Auror? And who is this so-called Dark Lord…"

Severus winced, noticing the serious expression on the girl's face.

-BREAK-

(Lucius POV)

"The Dark Lord is not pleased with us," said a black-haired woman. She was tall, proud, and beautiful, dangerously so.

"This is all those two's fault," spat Mulciber. "If that greasy-haired git and his Mudblood girlfriend didn't get in our way, the Dark Lord would have been giving us praises, not firing curses at us!"

The Death Eaters were talking amongst themselves. The fiasco of the failed kidnapping operation was hovering over their heads. Their Master was not pleased with them.

Lucius Malfoy was contemplating on things. The plan was simple. Stir up trouble. Use it as a distraction. Grab the girl. Take her to the Dark Lord. Wait for further instructions. Five people would have been enough. It was an easy task. With twenty people on the job, they were assured of success…

Or not…

Instead they were utterly humiliated… by two underage wizards, no less. Taken completely by surprise, the duo managed to get the better of them, launching an endless barrage of whatever spell it was they were using. Lucius never saw any of it, as he was the first one knocked out cold by whatever curse it was. All he could remember was feeling something like hot iron hitting him in multiple parts of his body, with considerable force before he passed out. From the statement of his fellow Death Eaters, the girl was using some kind of wandless magic, black balls of light, fired at them in continuous succession, which led to their devastating defeat. They barely managed to escape as the Aurors arrived, at the worst possible moment for the Dark Lord's followers.

Fifteen injured, five rendered unconscious, five still out cold, ten of them, including the five unconscious ones, literally catching a cold. Whatever the spell was, one of its effect probably lowered a person;s defenses to sickness.

Also, they failed to capture the girl, the Dark Lord's wrath was set upon them. But the worst was that five of them were captured by the Ministry.

Those five were people Lucius did not know. They were new recruits, and they did not yet have the Dark Mark burned on them. The abduction of Scrimgeour's sister was supposed to be their initiation, and Lucius was supposed to be the one showing them the ropes. Unfortunately, out of foolish pride and arrogance, he revealed his and Bella's name to them when he was conversing with Severus Snape, which indirectly revealed to his non-knowing companions as well. What a stupid mistake on his part. The Ministry was sure to be hot on his trail soon.

It was overconfidence, which led to this current predicament. He was absolutely sure that the situation was under control. He knew that Severus was likely to join them. However, he was also too attached to the Mudblood girl Evans. Had Severus accepted his invitation, Lucius, out of respect for the new recruit, will simply place a Memory Charm on Evans to make her forget the whole event. Then, aside from the Auror's sister, he would have brought with him another wonderful present to the Dark Lord.

If Severus refused, as he half-expected he would, he would just kill them (and perhaps have some fun with the Mudblood girl, who appeared to have changed her hair color). Simple as that.

Severus opposed them, knowing it was futile. Well, that was his choice. The mission would still be a success as planned, and Lucius would be rid of two pests at the same time. Two birds with one stone.

Yet the exact opposite happened. Instead of the other way around, the Death Eaters were instead the ones brought to shame.

The Dark Lord had given them a new mission, to make up for their error. He did not want to displease the Dark Lord even more. If pissed off, their Master's torture sessions will be even longer, and his followers would be subjected under it (Lucius gulped, as the Killing Curse would probably be preferable to a slow and painful death with the Cruciatus curse. The Dark Lord would not care if any of them died, he would merely say they were weak to have not survived such a simple test of endurance, and thus deserved what they got.). Also, the Ministry would be doing a better watch, keeping an out for him…them… now.

ALRIGHT!

Lucius was awakened from his thoughts by a shout from Mulciber.

"Here's what we'll do," he was saying. "We will pay old Snivellus a visit, torture him, force him to tell us where the Mudblood lives. If he still wants to join us, fine by me, but if not, we'll just burn him along with his house. Then, we take the Mudblood's parents as hostages, no , kill all of them but leave one alive as bait. The girl will probably become desparate, and will be easy to kill. Then, after we dispose of her, we dispose of the bait. What do you think?"

"You know," said Lucius, sounding slightly impressed. "For someone who acts before he thinks, that's not such a bad idea."

"Really, you think so?"

"Yes, it is a wonderful plan. Now all we need to do is think of the best way to pull it off."

"Why don't we make a move now," Bella cut in their conversation. "The Dark Lord gave us only one day to complete this mission. We need to act quickly. His patience but not be tested."

"I know," replied Lucius. "But we need to ensure that things go without fail this time. Our enemies may have some more tricks up their sleeves. I hope you haven't forgotten what happened just a couple of hours ago at Diagon Alley?"

The Death Eaters shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes," said Lucius. "They might not actually be that strong, but they are cunning. They took advantage of our bad habits. We were lax, confident, and off-guard, and look where it led us."

"But…"

"No buts, Bella," replied Lucius. He knew there was no point hiding their names now. There were only ten of them in their group now. The other Death Eaters were also assigned missions of their own, so the ones who were sent to Diagon Alley beforehand will also be the only ones sent to abduct the Prince Heir and eliminate the Mudblood.

"It is only five in the afternoon," said the blonde-haired man, taking a look at his watch. "We still have plenty of time to think of a…ahhhh…AHHHH….CHOOOO!"

All eyes were suddenly fixed on Lucius.

"Excuse me," he said weakly.

The sneeze he had been holding back all this time finally got through. Flushing a bit out of embarrassment, he turned his back on his companions, as he started of thinking of the best possible methods of going about their mission.

"Bella," Lucius addressed the haughty, black haired woman.

"And now you want to talk me?"

Lucius ignored the comment. "How is Greyback doing these days."

"Oh, he's doing well," replied the woman conversationally.

"Will it be possible to invite him to come with us tonight? You know how he likes the taste of… young...especially female... flesh…"

"I'll contact the beast," replied Bellatrix automatically.

"Thank you Bella," replied Lucius cheerfully. "And ask him if it is possible for him to bring some of his fellow halfb…werewolves… along…"

-BREAK

(Severus POV)

"I see," said Ilya quietly.

In the past hour, Severus, in summary, had been telling her more or less everything he knew about Hogwarts, the Dark Lord, the Death Eaters, Aurors, the Ministry and its different Departments, and other things about the magical world. He also told her about methods of transportation like broomsticks, the Floo Network, Portkeys, and Apparition. There was too much information, too many details that Ilya wanted to find out about, needed to find out about. She asked and her questions, and her Severus answered as best as he could. She particularly focused her questions on offensive spells.

Severus told her about the different hexes and jinxes he knew about and their effects, The Stunning Spell, Disarming Spell, Impediment Curse, and all other useful spells he could remember…Then he told her about the three Unforgivable Curses. The Imperius Curse, which forces the victim to obey against their will. The Cruciatus curse, which causes immense pain, used to torture. And Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse, which will instantaneously kill the target upon contact. Severus shared with Ilya everything he knew.

"Sev?" said Ilya quietly.

"Yes?"

"You were planning to become a Death Eater weren't you?"

The raven-haired boy fell silent to the question. Ilya noticed it. She was quite observant, and she realized.

Severus Snape was finally able to be honest with himself, with his heart. True, he was infatuated with the Dark Arts, he liked using forbidden magic, but he never really wanted to harm anyone. He thought his friends, who were Dark Lord fanatics, the Death Eaters, and Voldemort himself, were just like him. He thought it was where he belonged. He thought they were similar.

Now he realized they were not. They shared the same liking for Dark Spells, but he did not share in their joy in hurting others. He could actually say that the James Potter and the Marauders were closer to the Dark Lord's Servants in nature than Severus ever was, the joy of inflicting pain and torment was a sentiment they closely shared. In his time at Hogwarts, Severus never actually used a curse on anyone who did not do him harm first, and most of the time he only used hexes on Potter's gang. Lily, however, judged him because of his company, and she was partially right, but also partially wrong. She saw the Marauders for what they were, in a way, but was also partially incorrect with her judgment.

"They don't use Dark Magic though," Severus remembered Lily say. She overlooked the fact that the supposedly non-Dark Magic hexes they use was being deliberately utilized to have fun harming people.

"Yes, I was," Severus finally admitted. "But not anymore," he declared, quietly but sincerely, his black eyes locked with girl's emerald ones. After everything that happened, he had lost all interest in the idea.

"Why did you want to become one in the first place?" continued the girl.

Severus fell silent again.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to though," said Ilya, surprising the raven-haired young man. "It must be a personal matter. I'm sorry for intruding in your…"

"No it's okay," replied Severus hastily. "It's a long story though."

And he started telling the white-haired girl about his life. He told her about his mother, his cruel father, his life at home, at Hogwarts, the Marauders and then Lily. The girl simply continued to stare at him in the eye, and Severus got the feeling that she was actually reading him.

"She was the only true friend I ever had," Severus was saying, and he noticed that he was on the verge of tears. "She was the only one who stood by me, despite all my mistakes, yet I hurt her. I called her a Mudblood. After all she did for me I hurt her in the end. In the end when she wouldn't forgive me anymore, I told her that she should have been thankful that I ever thought of her being worthy as my friend…when in fact I was the one who wasn't worthy of her… I was the one who wasn't even worthy of being her friend," Severus finished.

Tears were now flowing from his black eyes. He couldn't take it anymore. All the pain and anguish he felt started flowing out of him.

Ilya approached him, then gently wrapped her arms around him, burying his face in her chest. The man hardly noticed that just the other night their positions were reversed. Like a little kid he wailed and cried, unable to keep his emotions in check.

In the past he used to cry alone, all by himself. Ignored by his mother, abused by his father, he pretended to be strong, exposing a hard exterior while hiding the fact that he was in fact soft and fragile on the inside.

All in all, Severus Snape could say that Lily Evans was truly the only friend he could truly call a friend he ever had. Still, Severus lied to her. No, he had to lie to her. Lily was weak, fragile like Severus. If Severus showed her that he was the same, he thought she would break. For this reason, he had to pretend to be strong. No, he had to be strong. He had to be there whenever Lily needed someone to lean on. He could never truly communicate with others, even with Lily. He could never be truly honest with her. Always wearing a mask, fooling everyone to thinking what he was not, managing to fool even himself.

He had never been truly honest before. He could never be truly honest, even with himself…

Until he met Ilya.

"Don't worry," the silver-haired girl was telling him gently. "It's okay. Your sadness… Your sorrow... Let it all out…I'm here for you…

For the first time in his life, people did not depend on him. For the first time in his life, he had someone he could depend on in return, finally able to release sixteen years of misery and pent-up emotions that built up inside him.

-BREAK-

(Ilya POV)

The tears have finally stopped. The man was now silent. He had finally calmed down.

She looked at the raven-haired young man, who was now sleeping peacefully, his head on her lap. The silver-haired girl could feel her face tinge red. Still, she couldn't find it in her heart to disturb the boy, who had just been relieved of an awful burden. Somehow, in some ways, she and the boy were similar.

She had been selfish. She had only been thinking about herself, thinking that she was probably the most miserable person in existence. Her family was gone. Her brother sacrificed himself to save her. Her friends perished in the last War, some fighting in the battlefield, others merely victims of the catastrophe. Everyone she ever cared for, dead. She failed to realize that it was impossible for her to be the only person in the world who felt that way.

The raven-haired boy she met, he was kind. He was gentle. He had the air of someone tough and uncaring, but Ilya saw through his illusion. Most people would have been deceived by his façade, but Ilya was not. Like her teacher Rin Tohsaka, some people wear a mask of indifference to hide their true nature. Rin, as Ilya realized eventually, was actually a kind-hearted, good-natured person, but hid it behind her cold-hearted person.

Ilya too, hid behind a mask. She joined the 5th Holy Grail war to kill her brother, to take revenge on the son of his father Kiritsugu, the man who betrayed the Einzberns. She was cold and cruel, and will show no mercy to his enemies. With her Servant Berserker, she set out on her quest.

The truth however, was that Ilya was a fragile girl. She was not fragile because of her short lifespan. She was fragile because she had been hurt, deeply wounded, by the betrayal of the man who was his father. But what hurt her even more was the cruel way she was raised and treated by his grandfather for ten years. To him, she was nothing but a tool, a doll who would do his bidding, win the Holy Grail and open the door to one of the Five True Magics. No one tried to understand her. No one wanted to understand her. She was all alone in the world. She was lonely.

The truth was, all Ilya ever wanted was to be loved, even just a little. A little bit of love, a little bit of understanding. That was what all she wanted.

And it was given to her. When she met Shirou in the War, her objective was to kill him. As time passed, however, things changed. Her brother was different from what she expected him to be. He loved her, and accepted her. Saber, Rin, Sakura, and Fuji-nee were the same. They too, learned to like her for who she was. They loved her. They cared for her. She was no longer alone. She now had a family. Then one by one, they perished… until she was the only one left. She was all alone again.

Ilya took one look at the boy who was currently sleeping on her lap. She did not fully understand his whole situation, but Ilya understood one thing for certain: it is painful to be alone. It is painful not to be loved. It is painful to be shunned, to be hated, to be outcast. It is painful to know you have nowhere to go to. It is painful to know that you have nowhere to belong.

And it is painful to lose a friend, to lose someone you care for, even if that someone no longer feels the same way about you.

"Sev…wake up…Sev…" said Ilya, stroking the boy gently on his head, until he stirred.

"Wha…what…Ilya?" said the raven-haired young man, still in a daze. Then…

WAAAA…I'M SORRY…I MUST HAVE DOZED OFF. The boy shouted, as moved back away from Ilya, realizing what he had been doing. His face was red.

"Sev," said Ilya seriously. "I'm sorry for waking you, but I need to ask you for a favor."

"No, I'm the one who should be saying sorry," Sev replied, still red in the face. "…What do you want me to do?"

"Take me to Lily Evans'…"

-BREAK-

(Death Eaters' POV)

"Let's go," said a hooded figure to his two companions. "It's time."

The Dark Lord's followers now started walking towards the raven-haired boy's house at Spinner's End. They were moving based on Lucius' strategy. According to their intel, Severus Snape lived alone, his parent having died a couple years before. Therefore, they were to watch and wait until the man went to sleep. When he did, they were to ambush him, bound him, and try and convince him to join the Dark Lord If they failed, they were to tell him that they had Lily hostage, and force him to swear an Unbreakable Vow of loyalty to the Dark Lord in exchange for her safety.

Not that they were going to let the girl live. According to Lucius, in the panic of the moment, they will be able to trick Severus Snape into swearing an oath loyalty without any of the conditions involving the girl involved. The raven-hair would be devastated, but he would have no choice. He would eventually see the way of the Dark was the right path to take, as after all, he would have been eager to join it in the first place if not for the Evans girl.

The other seven were already on their way to the Evans household, and according to Lucius, there will be others accompanying them as well. It was as simple as taking a look at the girl's address in the Ministry records. Nott, heir to the House of Nott, was easily able to gain access to the records, on the pretense of double checking his O.W.L.s result. Political influence always allows things to move quickly.

The watcher saw the light of the house put out. Then, they waited for about half an hour before they made their move.

They were now walking towards the house. Each of them carried a hand-shaped lamp. The Hand of Glory, a magical item which gives light to one but its bearer. They went through the yard, not noticing a faint red line, which formed a circle around the house, start to glow, its light outshone by the Hands of Glory they had.

"Be careful," said one of the Death Eaters to his companions. "The man's a Slytherin after all. There might be some traps waiting for us inside."

His two companions nodded. They started walking toward the front door, but they found it quite difficult. Little did they know that they would not even be able to reach it.

"Is it me," asked one of the hooded men to his companions. "Or does the air somehow feel rather heavy?"

"It's not just you," replied one of his companions. The man was sweating and panting.

Another two seconds, and the three Death Eaters could no longer move from where they were standing. Two of them fell on their knees. Panicking, they tried to turn and run away from the house.

"Something's wrong…I can't breathe…"

"Let's get the hell out of here…"

But it was too late.

The three Death Eaters, servants of Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark Lord of all times, could only watch in horror, as a dozen swords materialized out of thin air, and shot down towards them.

The Death Eaters screamed as the swords impaled their bodies, dying a very painful death.

It is never a good idea to attempt invading a magus' territory without sufficient preparation.

-BREAK-

(Lily POV)

It was her father's, Mark Evan's 50th birthday. The cheerful man told her daughter that she could invite some of her friends over. She had invited the Peter, Remus, Frank and Alice, her friends from Gryffindor house (She despised Potter and Black so they were not invited.).

Unsurprisingly, she also did not give Severus Snape an invitation.

She was greatly saddened by the fact that she had to end his friendship with her first best friend, but it was the only way.

Her Sev was already too deep into the Dark Arts. He liked what he was doing, which was something that Lily considered as…evil. Her best friend even proudly told her that he was held in high regard by Lucius Malfoy, that the man was telling You-Know-Who about Severus Snape in a positive light, and soon he would be joining the Death Eaters, become part of the Dark Lord's inner circle, who Severus would proudly serve.

This was something which hurt Lily Evans.

She did not want to lose his friend, but she did not approve of his ways either. She had given him several hints already, but the raven-haired boy would not listen. Two days before the incident at the lake, she told his friend that she is giving him one last chance, that it was time for him to choose, her or them.

On that day of the O.W.L.s exam, when her former friend insulted her with that awful word, Mudblood, despite the fact that she tried to defend her from James Potter and the Marauders, she knew he had made his choice.

That night, Severus went up to Gryffindor Tower, pleading, asking for forgiveness, but she had had enough. He had made his choice. He had chosen his path, and it was in opposition of the one Lily was taking, It was the end of their friendship. Lily went out to talk him, rejecting his apology, then quickly returned to the common room. From there, she could here her former friend shouting. She could not decipher every, but she heard him shout the world "Mudblood" clear as day. She couldn't help but burst into tears. It's been almost two months. She was feeling better now, but she had not completely gotten over.

Why Sev, was the question that entered Lily Evans every now and then.

"Mr. and Mrs. Evans, thank you again for inviting us," she heard Remus say.

"Oh don't mention it dear," Lily heard her mother reply. "It was a pleasure to have you with us."

It was already eleven o'clock in the evening. Most of the guests, old friends of Mr. and Mrs. Evans, had already left, and only Lily's friends remained.

"I hope you don't begrudge us for remaining friends with James and Sirius," said Remus, addressing Lily. "They're actually really nice when you get to know them. Also, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but James…actually…kind of… fancies you."

Lily Snorted. "Well, if they stop bullying people and being such *s**s, I might consider inviting them next time something like this comes up. And as for James, well, he can keep dreaming for the rest of his life."

"I guess we should really be going now," squeaked Peter.

"Bye, Lily," said Frank.

"We'll see you at school then," added Alice.

They were just about to enter the house to leave via Floo Network, when a haughty voice spoke.

"Are we interrupting your party Evans?"

Lily and the group turned around, to see themselves facing seven hooded figures, wearing masks. Death Eaters. Behind them, stood ten rough-looking wizards, wearing tattered robes. One of them had long messy hair, sharp yellow eyes, his teeth bared.

"Fenrir Greyback," said a low voice. It was Remus Lupin, his normally grey eyes becoming yellow and beast-like.

"Well, well, if it isn't little Remus Lupin," grinned Greyback savagely. "How do like the gift I gave you eleven years ago? Amazing isn't it?"

"YOU MONSTER!" roared Remus, and Mr. Evans and Frank actually had to hold onto him to stop him from charging the werewolf.

To say that Lily Evans was frightened would be an understatement. She was terrified. What were You-Know-Who's servants doing, knocking at her front door? Is it Severus? Was he the one who asked to do this? She took one click look at the situation, and saw that things weren't looking good. She didn't even want to think of that possibility, but it is very possible. Still, she knew she ought to try and delay things. If they were distracted enough, one of them might be able to get through the Floo Network and alert the Ministry. She noticed that Frank and Alice were alert, and even the scared-looking Peter. They were not about to go down without trying.

"I don't remind sending you invitations," said Lily coldly, doing her best to stop her voice from trembling.

"Oh," drawled a bored voice. "But we are merely paying you the same courtesy you gave us. Weren't you the one who crashed into our party just this afternoon?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said another voice suddenly, as a jet of red light was flung at Alice's retreating back, apparently attempting to run to the fireplace to Floo away and get some help. She barely managed to dodge.

"And what do you mean I crashed into your party?" confusion noticeable in her voice. "For your information, I never left my house even once today. I was busy with preparations for my father's 50th Birthday."

STOP LYING, YOU FILTHY LITTLE MUDBLOOD! yelled one of the hooded figures. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten what you did!"

"Playing dumb will not work on us, Evans," said one of the hooded figures, and the man removed his mask to reveal the face of a red-nosed Lucius Malfoy. He was coughing a lot, and must have removed his mask because it made it hard for him to breathe. "I'll soon be on the wanted list of the Ministry thanks to you. But no matter. Whether you admit it or continue denying is of no relevance, as you and your friends will die tonight. No Severus Snape will come to save you. Your little parlor tricks will not work this time."

Lily was confused. She had absolutely no idea what Lucius Malfoy was talking about. But he said Sev will not come and save him this. He must be involved in all this somehow .thought Lily.

"Can I play with them first?" Greyback was addressing Lucius.

"Do it after they are dead," replied the blonde-haired man.

"Awww, but it's no fun violating a corpse," complained the werewolf. "They can't scream in pain and agony as I take my pleasure time with them. That's the best part."

Lily and her friends went to their pockets to take out their wands, but before they could do so, seventeen jets of light, all green, were already flying towards them.

AVADA KEDAVRA, the attackers roared in unison.

Lily watched, as if in slow motion, the jets of light approach. The attack was launched in such a way that escape was impossible. No matter what they did to evade, duck, move to the left, to the right, or dodge, each of them were assured of getting hit by a curse. And even if they miraculously dodged the first batch of Killing Curses, their enemies were already preparing to launch another batch of spells. They were trapped. There was no escape.

Lily closed her eyes, awaiting her inevitable death. And then, two voices cry out, in sucession. The second was a familiar male voice, and Lily knew that it could only belong to one person. The first one, however, sounded very much like her own.

RHO AIUS!

GET BEHIND IT! ALL OF YOU!

-BREAK-

(Lily POV)

Lily Evans knew it was the end. There was no possible way that she could have survived getting hit by a Killing Curse. When she heard her own voice cry out strange words, she thought that she must snapped.

She kept her eyes closed. And then, she heard Remus and Franks' voice.

"What the…"

Lily opened her eyes.

Then she saw it. There was a glowing object in front of them. It was an astounding sight. Even for someone who lives in a world of magic, Lily had never seen anything like it.

The shield was pinkish red in color, and it looked so much like a flower, with seven petals. It was like a giant hyacinth, and it appears to be protecting them. Jets of green light were still flying towards them, but the spells simply dissipated as they hit the flower, causing it no visible damage. Lily heard the Death Eaters conversing with each other, their voice carrying the tone of mixed confusion, irritation, and awe.

"Impossible."

"Our spells can't get through?"

"What the hell?"

"What kind of magic is this?"

The Death Eaters stopped firing, reserving their energy.

"Hmmm…" mused a voice, which sounded exactly like Lily Evan's. "You've wasted all that magic, yet you can't even penetrate a single layer of the Aius. How disappointing…"

Lily looked around for the source of the voice, and then… she saw her.

It was like looking in a mirror. The girl looked exactly like Lily. The main difference was the color of her hair, which was silvery white instead of dark red, she was slightly paler, but as for all other aspects, they were strikingly identical. Even their eyes... the girl had a pair of emerald eyes like Lily. They were like twins.

Lily was confused. So were her friends, as she saw that they had same confusion expression as her: they, too, were looking at the white-haired stranger. Their attackers, however, shared the same sentiment. One of the hooded figures was unable to contain herself.

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? she shrieked.

"Forgive me for my earlier rudeness, Bella" said the white-haired in a conversational tone, but loud enough to be heard clearly by everyone. The Death Eater gasped at the girl's instant recognition of her by her voice. "I apologize for not introducing myself at that time."

All eyes were on the mysterious strange, her silvery hair floating gently in the wind.

"Good evening," greeted the green eyed, silver-haired girl. "My name is Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya. You can call me Ilyasveil for short."