Chapter 31

There were small battles going on all the time. A lot of people were dying. They couldn't get past the lines to get to the ministry. If they could take the ministry then they'd have a good foot hold to take out the rest to the evil wizard. Their next stop would be taking back Hogwarts. They were working on finding the head corners of where the evil wizard were housed. They'd find Harry and Albus there.

"Alek has a castle. His family lived them. At least, it's where his parents were murdered. I bet that's where they are," James said. "I think we should send a team there. It would have to be the best. It would be get in and get out as fast as possible. I want to go."

"You can't come with. Its too dangerous. You said so yourself. Let us take care of it,"

"I'm good enough to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. I good enough for this mission," James said.

"Fine, but be careful. I don't want to lose you. You're brother and father are both captured. I can'' let them get you too," Ginny said.

"You don't need to worry. I won't let them get me," James said. "We're going to save dad and Albus."

"Okay get a team ready. We're going to raid Alek's castle," Ginny said.

XXXX

It was a few days later that the team was ready. It as mostly people who lived through the last war. James stood out on that front. He could do this. "Okay let's do this," James said.

The group used the floo power to get into Alek's castle. They would end up in the basement. Once hey were there, "Dad!" James yelled, running over to Harry' cell.

"What are you doing here? You're going to get hurt or killed," Harry said. James used a spell to undo the lock.

"James, take your father and leave. We;'l take care of everything else," Ginny said.

"But, what about Albus?" James asked.

"We'll get Albus, you just get out of here with your father," Ginny wasn't taking no for an answerer.

"Fine," James grabbed Harry and used a portky back to the brorrow.

"Dad!" Lily cried, running into her father's arms, crying. "Where's mom and Albus?"

"Mom and the others are still working on that," James said. "She'll get Albus back, don't worry."

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It was several hours later that Hermione came back, holding onto Albus. "E-everyone else is dead," she said, panting.

"My mom's dead? James asked, gong white.

"No! Mom can't be dead!" Lily screamed.

Harry quickly went over and hugged Lily. "Shh, it's going be okay. We'll get the people who killed your mother. They won't go unpunished. Your mom saved your brother. She died protecting her kids. She would have done the same for you or James. I'm here for you. You're not alone."

"Mom!" Rose yelled, running over and hugging her. "I'm so happy you're safe. I don't know what I'd do if I lose you too. Losing dad as hard enough, but losing you would be too much for me."

"Mommy!" Hugo yelled, running over and squeezing himself into a hug with her mother. "I was so scared! I thought you were going to die like dad did."

"I'm here., safe and sound." Hermione said. The sadness was clear in her voice. I need to talk to Harry. Will you two be okay if I talk to him and Jame?"

"Y-yeah, just, don't go anywhere for a while," Rose said.

XXXXXXXX

"The castle is their strong hold. Alek himself was attacking us. He was much better wizard than I thought he'd be. Once we got Albus, Alek stopped attacking us. I think he was afraid of hurting Albus.

But we saved Albus." Hermione paused. "He has the dark mark on him-

"No. There's no way Albus would turn to the dark side. It must have been forced on him. There's no way he'd turn against his family," James spat out. "Let me talk to him. He might know more about Alek's plans. I'll ask him about the mark.

"I'm not sure you are the right person talk to him," Harry said. "You night need to cause some pain to make him-

"You're going to torture him for information? You can't do that! He's always been weak torturing would only make things worse," James said.

"And that's why you can't go in there and talk to him He's so close to Alek that he has to know something, and right now we need something. I'm sending in Teddy to talk to him. He'll do anything he has to get information out of Albus," Harry said.

"We just saved him and you're going to hurt him? What the hell is wrong with you?" James asked. "He's not going to trust us. Alek as probably feeding him lies about us and you're going to make those lies true if you hurt him right away."

"But he has the dark mark. He knew this was going to happen if he was even taken. He's a prisoner of war right now," Harry explained.

"No he's not. He's my brother, your son. Mom died to save him and you're just going to ruin everything," James protested.

"Look James, I don't like this anymore than you do, but we need information. Anything he knows can help us win this war," Harry said.

"Damn it. You don't understand anything. I doubt he knows anything that's going on, I doubt Alek would want Albus in on what's going on. Alek would want to protect Albus. He wouldn't tell him anything that was going on," James pointed out. "And think about mom. She didn't save his life for us to hurt him as soon as he gets back. That's not what she would have wanted. Let me talk to him. I'm sure I can get out of everything he knows, without hurting him.''

"Fine. You can try but if you don't work we'll be trying something different," Harry sad.

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James went into the room that Albus was being kept in. "James, it's good to see you. I-I saw mom get killed." James noticed that Albus was crying.

James went over to Albus and hugged him."I'm sorry you had to see that. I have some questions for you, if you're ready for them."

"What kind of questions?"

James pulled up the sleeve of the shirt Albus was wearing, showing the dark mark. "What about this? You know what this is right?"

"Alek said it was a friendship mark. That it would link the two of the together. Why?"

"It's the new dark mark."

"N-no. Only evil wizards get those and I'm not an evil wizard, and Alek isn't one either. It has to be some kind of trick. I-is is really a dark mark?" Albus asked.

"It is. Albus, do you know what Alek is planning?"

"Alek's not evil!"

"Fine, do you know what's going on with the people who held you there?"

"I wasn't aloud to leave the room I was in. I saw Alek sometimes, but I don't know anything that happened outside that room. Please believe me. I don't know anything about dark wizards or what Alek may or may not have been doing. All I know was I was locked in a room and given meals and anything I asked for. I never really asked for anything because I didn't know what to ask for. T-there had to be dark wizards there because they killed mom and the others."

"I'm glad we were able to save you," James said, hugging his brother. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise. You're safe now."

"Alek has to be being forced to be evil too," Albus said.

"I don't think that's the truth. We have seer. They say that Albus is evil," James told his brother, holding him close. "if he's being controlled then we'll stop him, but I don't think he's a good guy. He'll probably come after you. We won't let him get you again,'' James said.

"B-but I love Alek," Albus said, looking down. "He can't be evil."

"He was attacking the people trying to save you, the people trying to save dad. You're gong to have to learn that he's a a monster, but I have not doubt he loves you. That's what makes this hard. We'll try to save Alek if we can, but if he's evil he belongs in Askaban," James said.

"Alek he-he," Albus looked down. He buried his head in James' chest. "Is Alek really evil? I mean, he was always so nice to me. He promised he'd always protect me. I believed him. I thought everything would be okay because it was him and me. I thought Alek would always protect me. He loves me."

"I know he loves you. I have no doubt of that. That's why this is complicated. Love is a powerful thing. Maybe you could talk to Allek and make him give up his dark ways and come over to us."

"I don't think he- it makes sense that he'd be in control. No one would talk to me, but there were a lot of people. I-I heard Alek screaming any someone. I couldn't make out what they were talking about, but Alek was clearly dominating the conversation."

"I'm sorry," James said. "But everything will be okay. You'll be able to see him in Askaban, or St. Mungo's if he's being controlled."

"B-but I just lost mom, several family friends, and now I've lost Alek," Albus started to sob. "Everything is falling a part."

"Shh, I'm here for you. We still have dad and some family friends are still alive,'' James said."We'll win this war and then things will settle don. You haven't lost everything. We lost a to get you, you have to be to strong. Lily is depending on us to be strong. No. You don't have to be strong with everything going on. I'll be strong enough for all of us. Just rest in here for now. Everything will be okay."

XXXXXXXX

"He doesn't know anything," James said. "Hurting him won't do anything. He was kept in a room by himself the whole time. He's just upset right now, what makes sense, but I'm sure he doesn't know anything."

"You're positive?" Harry asked.

"I am. I think he'd be happy if you went in there and spent some time with him," James said.

"I suppose you're right," Harry said, leaving.

"And you're sure he doesn't know anything else? He has to know something. I mean, he has a dark mark on him,"Teddy said.

"He though it was a friendship mark. He had never seen the new dark mark so he had no problem letting Alek putting the mark on him," James said. "We should be able to remove the mark form him without much problems."

"I still don't like this. What if Albus is just playing dumb?" Teddy asked.

"I know my brother. He wasn't lying to me. Albus isn't very good at lying. He's really upset by what happened. I'm sure he's nott playing dumb."

"James!" Chloe screamed when she him He hugged her when she got over to him. "No one would tell me anything but a lot of people died. I was so afraid that you died."

"I'm alive," James said. "I love you." He kissed her. "I wouldn't let myself get killed. Not with you and a baby on he way."

"I've been on bed rest because of stress. They'll put me back in bed as soon as they find I left, but I had to see you were safe."

"Come on, I'll walk you back to bed. I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby," James said. "I won't do anything stupid again. I love you." He kissed her. "And our child," he rubbed her stomach. He smiled. "I felt I kick. Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?

"A boy. I'm having a boy," Chloe said with a smile.

"I'm going to have a son," James grinned. "I can't believe it. It'll be great! I'm going to be a farther."

"That's why you need to stay safe. Our son needs you in his life," Chloe said. "Let the others take care of everything. I know you want to help fight this war, but think about our child. He needs a father to take care of him and if you die in this war he won't have one."

"But they need me-"

"We need you," Chloe cut in. "Please don't go out again. I'm begging you not to go off and fight in this war. I can't lose you."

"Fine. I'll stay and protect you from here," James said. "I love you."

"I love you too."