A/N: Female stags are also called a doe and I think J.K.R. was a little confused in Doe and Hind. But it doesn't matter as on Pottermore it's written James' and Lily's Patronus were complements of each other. Also, unlike Tonk's initial unrequited love for Remus resulting in her patronus change. Lily's and James' Patronus don't change, they just are the complement of each other's personalities and love each other dearly and equally. Snape, well he doesn't have his personality, he is entirely driven by his guilt and desire for Lily.
As for Harry's patronus being a stag, it shows his personality and also his love and desire for his parents who sadly were no longer with him.
James had been in a foul mood since he read the Tha Daily Prophet, he scowled when he read the first page about around thirty Death Eaters being released by the ministry as they were under imperius curse and that there wasn't strong proof of them being associated with Voldemort. Half the paper was about the public's support of the decision while the other was of opposition to the decision. But it didn't matter as the damage was already done.
"All of them were the ones being caught by Thanatos," read James and cursed. "Are they stupid? They are inviting danger themself, releasing death eaters in war, what the hell."
"James, I think the purebloods who support you-know-who, must have forced the ministry to do so as they have more power and also it's possible that many officials might be under imperius curse, including the minister herself," Remus suggested.
"You are right, that's possible but Minister isn't under imperius curse, she is in hiding, Dumbledore says since the attack at her house, she has been threatened now and then, so she is hiding," sighed James. "Whereas, she should stand forward and lead the war but no, she is hiding in her office behind the Aurors. Already there are very few Aurors and she is using them for her security."
"If she will fall then there's a possibility ministry will fall too, James," explained Lily placing her arms around him to comfort him, she knew he was angry as his hard work had gone in vain. "And if ministry falls then muggleborns will be in real danger."
"No one will harm you while I am here, fuck, no one will harm any muggleborn or anyone," said James beating the table. "I will show them, I will show him."
Lily has been observing James, he has lost his control often since he received the letter that his parents are taken back to St. Mungo's as their health has declined. He has been happy and cheerful, normal in front of others but at night when he was alone with her, he cried holding on to her.
"Let's go to Charms, we have Charms first," said Sirius sensing James' foul mood.
"We will be doing Patronuses, cool," giggled Mary.
"I already know how to do," said Sirius.
"We know, you don't have to tell us, go tell some other chicks who will fall for you," said Marls.
"I bet your patrons will be a lion, Mckinnon," commented Sirius and Marls had to hide her blush.
"It should be a tigress," said James putting an arm around her shoulder. "Because if it will be a then Iion then I will lose the bet."
"And you think will be Lily's?" asked Marls.
James placed his arm around Lily's shoulder. "I have always guessed a lioness suits her but now I think a dragon will be more perfect to match her temper."
Lily shoved him in his stomach, "I don't have a bad temper."
"I know, babe," he said and then winked at Marls receiving another hit.
"He is sorry though Marls, I thought you were together before Christmas but he says you just left after that."
"He spoiled it by saying I am like this muggle girl he snogged," said Marls. "Really? Who does that?"
"Today we will be studying the theory of Patronus charm, will learn what the patrons represent and then will perform the charm, it's a week-long course and I should tell you it's a really hard topic. Many grown wizards even aren't able to perform it," said Flitwick.
"The Patronus represents the caster personality, it represents the person with an animal spirit, a guardian," he told the class. "The Patronus can be non-corporeal too when the person has a complex personality which can't be represented by a single animal. Like I have non-corporeal as I am a teacher, dueler, singer, musician, actor etc."
The class sniggered.
"Yes, Ms. MacDonald?"
"Sir, I read that patronuses sometimes represent Soulmates, is it true?"
"Yes, it is true," said Flitwick. "It's complicated yet beautiful," the professor exclaimed happily. "You see, you will find one person having the same Patronus as another person many times, which shows that that particular person is obsessed with another person, a few years ago I saw that a Hufflepuff girl having the same Patronus as her ex-boyfriend, who she had broken up with but hasn't let him go, I felt pity for her, it's not healthy, it's an unrequited love and obsession. I have seen many such couples getting together forced by the other and in the end, their relationship ended badly" sighed Flitwick. "Also I have seen a student having the same Patronus as his brother, who died years ago and that student has craved his brother's love which wasn't returned."
"So was that girl his soulmate?" asked a Hufflepuff girl giggling, she must have known the girl.
"Sounds like Potter," said someone from the back of the class where Ravenclaws and Slytherins were sitting, many students snickered and James tensed up in his seat a little only to be calmed by Lily's hand pressed over his.
Flitwick ignored the comment and shook his head. " They were not soulmates, she was obsessed with his ex-boyfriend. The same, matching patronuses are the ones in which one puts more and is obsessed while the other isn't interested in the relationship.
For the patrons to represent soulmates the patronuses have to be the complement of each other, they should be mating ones, understand like a lion and lioness. As for soulmates I have never seen that as it's a very rare phenomenon that both partners deeply love each other with the same intensity at this young age but I know a couple who were soulmates, I was in my third year in Hogwarts when that happened, they had been best friends since the first day of school and their patronuses, I recall were a bull of the boy and cow of the girl, it was the first in this century that we found a soulmate in Hogwarts."
"Do you know them, sir? Are they still together?" asked Mary.
"I don't know them personally but their youngest daughter was in her sixth year when I joined the school, so yes they are together and married and have three children, I guess," said Flitwick. "Remember class, soulmates are not made in heaven, they are made on earth, two people first get together, fall in love, and then grow to become soulmates, they don't directly become soulmates the moment they meet each other. This is why we don't see many soulmates in Hogwarts as most of the possible relationships are yet to grow to the soulmates part."
Several students agreed with him.
"Now, we should begin performing the charm, I hope you remember the spell?" the class nodded. "We shall start then, it's hard so don't get demoralized, many people aren't able to produce it in their entire lives. The concept is to focus on happy memories and go for childhood memories it will be easier as when we are children we are more carefree and less worried. I would recommend you to think of receiving your Hogwarts letter and then say the spell as it works for most."
Lily frowned, the same advice was written in all the books but she hadn't been able to produce a Patronus.
Soon the class began practicing as Flitwick roamed around the class examining and helping.
"Should we show them, Prongs?" asked Sirius excitedly from the next seat and James smirked and nodded. Soon four patronuses were running around the room and Lily's eyes were fixed on the stage.
"That's excellent, for the first time four students have performed it in one gom 10 points to each of you," squeaked the professor. "Continue practising class."
Lily caused internally as only white whisps produced from her wand, she looked around and saw many people have much larger silver gas formed from their wands, and she began practising again focusing on the said memory. She looked around again and found the stag circling her while James was busy talking with Remus and Sirius, she put her hand forward and the stag leaned into her arms though she wasn't able to touch him, he just looked like Prongs, except no clues of glasses, she smiled at the stag who looked at her affectionately. Then there was a happy cry and she saw that a swan had appeared from Hestia Jones' wand and was flying around before disappearing as Hestia dropped her wand in excitement.
Then Marlene's lioness erupted as predicted, and she poked out her tongue at Sirius, who just winked at her. Then a fox emerged from Mary's wand. Lily knew she should be happy for her friend but she felt sad at her failure.
James noticed her sadness and came to stand beside her, "What memory are you thinking about?"
"About Hogwarts' letter as Flitwick said," she shrugged. James frowned at her and moved to stand just beside her.
"That's where you went wrong, your memory has sadness and now more sadness after that incident. Most wizards' happy memory is receiving the letter, true but not everyone's," he said in her ears, and lifted her hand to wand length, and then removed his hand. "Focus on another memory," he whispered in her ears, she closed her eyes as she felt his breath on her skin, she could feel the heat coming from his face on her cheek. "A memory that is only happy with no sadness and guilt or anger, just happiness and joy and then say the spell loud and clear." Lily nodded as she thought of Tuney's wedding and said the spell was a lot bigger this time. "Good try, think of a happier memory." She closed her eyes again. This time she saw that it was very big, the size of a lion probably. "Fantastic, you are nearly there, what did you think by the way?"
"Of the lunch we had with our family," she told him and saw him shaking his head.
"Lils, you are feeling sad about my parents in that memory, the memory should be pure happiness and joy," he whispered, his lips touching her ears and sending shivers down her spine.
Her eyes caught the Stag walking like a king in a circle around her and James, she smiled and closed her eyes, she thought of her birthday night with James in the room of requirement, she opened her eyes, and caught the eyes of a stag, felt the presence of James behind her.
"Expecto Patronum!" she said loud and clear with confidence and the four-legged creature erupted from her wand, she jumped happily and turned to see James. "I did it! Thanks."
James was focused on her patronus and was watching it with open mouth, he could hear Lily saying something to him but he couldn't focus on her words. His stag approached Lily's Patronus they both were standing in the middle of the class and were looking at each other.
Lily noticed James looking ahead transfixed and that the whole class had gone silent, she followed his gaze and for the first time, clearly noticed her patronus, a doe standing in front of the stage and looking at him. Her face mirrored James' expression as the doe and stag moved towards each other and began nuzzling their necks together in affection.
She felt James wrapping his hands around her waist and kissing her cheeks as they watched their patronuses.
"It's beautiful," she gasped.
"It indeed is and we are soulmates," he smiled.
"Potter, I already knew that we are soulmates, I didn't need them to tell me this," she said grinning. "How thick you are that you didn't find out we are soulmates before."
"Not thick enough to prevent you from falling for me," he winked and she giggled. Both of them are unaware of the whole class watching from them to their patronuses their jaws on the ground.
"Phenomenal, beautiful, excellent, so now I have seen soulmates in my class too, a story I will have to tell to my next year class, thirty points for this," said Flitwick happily.
"Sir, does that mean that Lily's Patronus or James' Patronus changed to complement James'?" asked Mary.
Flitwick shook his head, "See, what you need to understand about patronuses is that two people who don't know each other well or have never met can have to complement Patronuses too but that doesn't make their soulmates. As for Lily here or James, I don't know them very well but I can say that James has shown leadership qualities so he is a stag. I know from my classes that Lily is a kind, gentle girl and from what I have seen during the Dueling Championship, she is just as quick and fast in her movements as a doe is. So, that indicates their personality complement each other and their Paronus might have evolved to complement each other and not change."
James and Lily separated as Sirius wolf-whistled.
James noticed an angry-looking Snape collecting his things and avoiding them and he couldn't help but chuckle.
By the end of the day, the news was spread like fire in the castle.
"Your stag represents leadership, strength, agility, and endurance," Mary told James from the book she has taken from Flitwick about Patronus and was telling the meaning of their patronuses.
"It suits him," said Remus.
"And Lily, your doe, besides from representing that you are his soulmate, represents instincts, intuition, speed, agility, grace, gentleness, and devotion."
"It all suits her, she has all those qualities," said James kissing her again. "Just the temper thing is missing," he chuckled as Lily pouted like a baby.
James jumped from his bed sat on one knee and looked up at Lily with an innocent face. "I am very happy and I think this is the perfect time to. . ." Lily gasped and so did the others as they watched James, who had put his hands in his trunk that was under the bed. "To. . . Lily . . . are you ready. . .to . . . celebrate." He pulled out a bottle of butter.
Lily smacked his head after looking at him in shock. "I hate you," she said turning to face the wall.
"What? I want to drink butterbeer," smirked James.
"There's the possibility of three attacks tonight," James grimaced as he sat across Lily, Remus, and Peter in the boys' dorm.
"We can split and tackle," suggested Peter. "Remus can cover for Lily."
James shook his head, "We stay together or we don't go. It's far too dangerous to split."
"So, do you know all the three locations?" asked Lily.
"I am confident about just one location," replied James. "So, we will go there."
"How do you get all this info, and shockingly all are correct?" asked Remus.
"Not all are correct, nearly half the time, no death eaters appear and we just return with no success," Lily sighed.
"As for how I get the info, I have my way," winked James.
Remus stayed in the castle while the other three went on another adventure. James and Lily had begun destroying wands and injuring the death eaters to give them a clear warning, this was because the Ministry had released death eaters the past week. The three of them returned at six in the morning and found Dumbledore walking in the corridor, James saw the blackened hand rotting, which was soon hidden from the sight.
"We got away from Dumbledore," exclaimed Peter and received a hit from James to stay quiet. It was a successful morning having caught two death eaters and prevented them from torturing the muggle police.
But sadness and grief followed the happiness, they were sitting in the great hall when Minnie hurried towards them and asked Lily to accompany her to the Headmaster's office but before Lily could even stand, an owl landed in front of her with Ministry's stamp. These stamps were the bringer of either good news or bad news but lately, it has been bad news only, each week a few students would receive such letters informing them the death of their relatives.
Lily ignored Minnie and opened the letter with shaky hands and read it.
"NO! NO!" she cried and the whole hall went silent except for a few Slytherins who snickered.
James stood up next to her and read it, his face went white and tears formed in his eyes, her parents died in a car blast last night in front of their house, no other vehicle was around, probably death eaters attack was what was written in the letter.
Lily looked up at the staff table, Dumbledore wasn't there. She turned to Minerva. "Where is Dumbledore? Where is he?" she shouted.
"Calm down, Lily, he might be in his office, I was asking you to come to my office and we. . ." but before she could speak another word, Lily stormed up to the headmaster's office. James ran behind her to calm her.
"You promised to save them, you said you would provide them protection," she shouted the moment she entered the office and looked at the old man who looked at her sadly.
"I did but they were out of the house and. . . "
"But they are dead, gone, killed by those filths," she shouted.
"Please sit, Lily, you are in grieve,"
"HA! HA! Of course, I am, my parents are dead, and you are telling me to sit?" she said running both her hands over her head. James appeared behind her breathless and put a hand on her, she turned to him and looked with defeated eyes, the green eyes no more had those sparkles or fire but just sadness. "They are gone, we made the wrong choice, we should have gone to another location, we failed, I failed."
"It was not your mistake, Lily, I failed to provide them with enough protection, they were followed and then killed. I am sorry, I failed," said a grim-looking professor. "Please sit and talk."
"I don't want to talk," she shouted turning at him. "I want my parents, it's my fault that they died. I refused the death eaters that's why they killed them. I will kill each of them."
"It's only their fault and not yours, you should not act rashly, be calm," said Dumbledore calmly.
"How can I be calm?" she said in a defeated voice failing to stand, James caught her.
"Do you have names?" asked James.
Dumbledore shook his head.
"I am taking her with me," James told him and left with Lily who kicked the door with her leg in anger.
She wasn't able to think, the world was turning fuzzy, she just felt the arms around her before everything went black.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself curled up in a ball against James who was holding her tightly, she closed her eyes again, snuggling close to him and fell into the dreams of her parents again.
The next heartbreak came when Petunia's letter arrived the next day, blaming Lily for their parent's death and saying that she didn't want Lily to come near her house and family. Lily began crying again, James saying that Petunia was just grieving and would come to her senses didn't calm her. First her parents' death and then her sister's letter, she couldn't take it.
"Please, take me away from all these, please," she requested to James who looked at her sadly before engulfing her into him and putting a blanket around her so she was seeing nothing.
"Just listen to my heartbeat and nothing else," he told her and she obliged.
"Why it has to happen to us?" she asked weakly.
"I don't know, Lily, I don't know," he replied. It took Lily the entire week to get to her feet but the sadness and guilt were still hurting her and then at the funeral, Petunia shouted at Lily and after that ignored her and James completely.
Marlene later confessed to James that her parents were targeted by the death eater too and had destroyed her house but luckily her parents were with James' parents in St. Mungo's. According to her, her parents are asked to join the death eaters too and now are a target.
Peter informed James that he had heard Synde talking about the death of Lily's parents to Avery, Mulciber, and Snape.
"What's next?" asked Remus.
"We can't just go raid and capture Synde, we have no proof, I will tell Dumbledore though," sighed James.
"They have been capturing and killing the Aurors, our side is outnumbered," Remus said.
Sirius entered the room and sat by James, "What you all talking about?"
"We are talking about how we are losing the war," sighed Peter.
Sirius furrowed his eyebrows, "As long as we have Dumbledore, no one can defeat us."
"Where were you the whole day anyway?" asked James.
"It was you lot that were not in your room last night and you're asking me," Sirius said.
"We were in the kitchen, you were already asleep so we didn't disturb you," lied James.
"Well I was talking with Reg in the room of requirements and you will want to know what rumour Reg has heard today,"
"OH! What?"
"He heard Synde goating about Lily's parents' death," grimaced Sirius. "His parents were involved in that attack. And also the news is that the death eaters have captured four Aurors and later killed them. They have taken Reg with them to a few attacks during Christmas, I am worried Thanatos will catch him."
"No, Thanatos knows who is good and bad, he will protect Reg," said James.
The conversation shifted to the upcoming quidditch match and N.E.W.T.s.
Later, after making Lily promise that she will remain calm, James tells her that it was Synde's parents who were involved in the attack. Lily has remained silent and closed her eyes.
"Promise me that we will not let them walk free," she said to James.
"Of course not, I will make sure of that, your parents meant a lot to me too, Lils," he said pulling her closer into his chest.
"I am ready to go on night adventures," she said and he agreed to take her. "Two weeks have passed since their departure but it still hurts the same."
"I know," he grimaced. "I wish I could take away the pain from you."
"Now, I have no one left, my parents are dead and my sister has broken our relationship," she sobbed in his chest.
"I am still here Lily, I will be with you until the very end and your parents haven't left you, they are here in your heart," cooed James.
"Keep speaking like this, please," she requested and thus James kept speaking soothing words until they both fell asleep.
After three days, James, Lily, and Peter went for another night adventure, this time in Birmingham where death eaters were reported to attack a half-blood family who had helped in arresting two death eaters.
Lily didn't know what the night held ahead when she apparated with James there, they had thought that they would try to capture the three death eaters and leave but Faith had other plans.
This was the first night both of them met the top death eaters, this was the night that she has for the first time met Bellatrix Lestrange, who according to Daily Prophet is the most dangerous death eater. They had met the Lestranges, the most faithful followers of Voldemort tonight along with Dolohov and Nott.
This was the night she saw Voldemort himself, she didn't know how he was summoned here but she had seen him, she had seen the most dangerous dark wizard and had escaped him.
It all began after the two death eaters arrived and both Lily and James were using the trap on them but then three more death eaters arrived, and these three were different, one of the death eaters was a woman who was laughing as she was involved in the duel, the trap failed as these three were more powerful than either James or Lily would have anticipated.
Peter has lifted the anti-apparition junx but neither James nor Lily got the chance to disappear at all. Their backup plan failed as these three death eaters without hesitation put the surrounding building on fire and muggles around began shouting.
The only thing in James and Lily's favour was that the previous two death eaters were already knocked off.
Rabastan hit the ground first as Peter's spell from his secret location hit him on the back but then Peter had to run and take away the muggles as the house on which he was hiding began burning.
Lily was duelling Bellatrix, and the death eater was laughing, mocking and teasing Andraste for not knowing how to duel and fooling the wizarding community.
"Oh! how nice it would be to. . . uncover the face of. . the war goddess," she laughed. "Who are you baby. . . where are your parents. . . Go to mama."
Lily felt her eyes burning with anger at these words. "So glad. . . to meet you at last Bellatrix . . . how's Voldemort's bitch doing?. . . I hope that he is giving you proper satisfaction. . . or is it your husband that fucks you. . . whose bitch are you?"
Lily saw the anger rising in Bellatrix's eyes and she laughed at her expression. "Or is your husband gay too? .just like your sister's husband."
Lily smiled satisfactorily as Bellatrix was maddened and began throwing curses at her, Lily ducked them and deflected them, she also ducked the killing curse two times. But she didn't care for her life now, she wanted revenge for her parents.
She saw through the corner of her eyes James fighting Rodulphus in a neck-to-neck duel. She hoped he would remain safe, she couldn't lose him too.
She focused on her duel with Bellatrix, there was a loud shriek and both the ladies saw Rodulphus falling and groaning while Thanatos charged to finish him off and from getting to his feet again but Bellatrix intercepted him. Now, Bellatrix was fighting James and Lily together she wasn't laughing anymore.
"Call him now," she shouted to her husband while engaging James and Lily with herself.
Soon there were three more death eaters but the two members of the half-blood family came out to aid Thanatos.
"He is coming," shouted one of the death eaters. "We have outnumbered them, just hold them."
For a single moment Lily's and James' eyes connected and several things exchanged in that single moment, they both knew that only a miracle could save them. Perhaps all their luck has worn out.
"Mine, this bitch, the so-called Andraste is mine," shouted Bellatrix as the death eaters came to her aid. "What did you say about my sister? How did you know that?"
"Afraid are we Bella?" laughed Lily as she fought her alone and James thought of two death eaters alone. The two other wizards were engaged with other death eaters. "Afraid that little secret will get out?"
"How do you know?" screeched Bella firing a killing curse at Lily who jumped to her left and fired back a strong curse at Bella who ducked it.
"Because I am Andraste, I am a Valkyrie too, I know a lot of things about your master that you, who is in love with him don't know," said Lily deflecting a spell.
"You know nothing," snapped Bellatrix.
"How about your father, do you remember who killed him?"
"Don't. . . you . ..talk . . .about my father," Lily dodged all the three hexes.
"Voldemort tortured and killed him," laughed Lily. Listening to James' dreams was useful here as she felt that she was very near to defeating Bellatrix.
"Don't you dare use his name," gasped Bella.
"Oh, so his girlfriend is afraid to even use his lover's name?" mocked Lily, praying for the effect she intended and the chance she needed.
Then she found the chance and hit Bella with a strong spell that threw Bella flying back to the ground.
Lily turned to help James who was fighting three death eaters and found that he was hit by a yellow spell and fell to the ground.
"NO!" Lily shrieked and moved forward but saw two other death eaters advancing at her.
"The Dark Lord has ordered not to kill them," shouted a death eater. "Capture them, he will handle them."
Lily's wand was flown out of her hand as she in an attempt to dodge two spells jumped towards James but her hand hit the ground and the wand left her hand. One look around, she saw ten death eaters, the two aid that had come to help them were captured by the death eaters. Lily moved towards James to take hold of him and use the portkey but when she reached James and took hold of him at the exact moment she was hit by a full-body binding curse. She looked at James, his Jack's face, his eyes closed, she wasn't able to move her body, tears fell through her eyes at his face. This will be the last time she will see him, probably on the other side they will meet.
The death eaters were cheering but then there was white light all around and they began to shout again, Lily saw through the corner of her eyes that many Wizards had arrived to their aid, the death eaters were engaged in a duel with them, probably the Aurors or Order members.
"Hold them, I want to finish that Thanatos tonight," said a cold voice and Lily saw Voldemort, his snake-like face, he was fighting with two people, one was a man with an odd eye on his face, Mad-eye, she recognized him.
"Lily. . . go . . . run, I can't, too weak . .. too painful," came James' voice as his eyes half opened, the tears from Lily's eyes had woken him, but he was very weak, too many injuries on his body. He turned his head slightly and groaned in doing so and saw Voldemort. "Run. . . he is here. Run, please."
He didn't know she was under a curse but even if she wasn't she would leave him. She remembered James saying he needed her to protect him, Lily saw the companion of Mad-eye thrown back, not long before Voldemort approached and killed them.
She had to do something, her wand was a few feet away and James' wand was inches away from his stretched hand but he was too weak to get it and do any magic.
He seemed to read her mind and groaned, "Wandless."
And she did so, as Moody let out a shriek and was pushed back, as other death eaters engaged with him and as Voldemort set out his eyes on these two and began walking toward them, Lily summoned her wand and James' wand and freed herself from the curse, she got to her feet pulling James with him, she saw Voldemort raising his wand to stop them but she acted quickly with her wand hand too and fired a spell at him who deflected it but was pushed few steps back and was shocked at the strength in the spell.
"He will use killing...duck," groaned James and he brought her down along with him using his last strength. And at that same moment, a green ray of light passed from their previous spot. "Quick."
And Lily held the ring on her finger while clutching James tight and said, "Ducere." She spun on the spot with James and saw another spell coming from Voldemort's wand but before it could reach her she was in another location. The Potter's Manor.
"Not here. . . not enough meds here. . . we have to return . . . to Hogwarts," James groaned as Lily held him.
"James you are in no state to travel," she reasoned.
"I can. it's the only option. . .quick. . . I can't fight unconsciousness for long," he said.
"Pardey," Lily called but the house elf was not there, so Lily did the only thing and took James out of the house with the help of magic, and disapparated inside of Honeydukes just above the trapdoor not caring for privacy, as she knew James will get unconscious the moment that they will reach there. As she made the way back to the castle, James' unconscious body began to go cold. She took him to the Room of Requirements and luckily for her, a worried-looking Remus and an injured-looking Pete were there.
They laid James on the bed and Lily who knew more about healing began healing James ignoring her injuries. After thirty minutes of healing and consulting books, she realized it was a more serious condition and out of her ability.
"We should call Poppy," said Peter.
"We can't tell anyone, the situation has worsened today. Call Dumbledore," she said.
"He isn't here, I checked the moment Peter alerted me, and he was out, so Peter went for help at Diagon Alley and I sent back-to-back four patronus messages to the head auror," said Remus.
"That helps, but we need to get help and involving Poppy can be dangerous, we can't let anyone know our identity," said Lily messaging her temples and looking at James. He has saved her alone and she was failing to save him. "Get Mary, quick, she is very good at healing, she will help, go, quick."
Both the boys ran as fast as they could.
Lily sat beside James' side and gently stroked his unconscious form, "Stay with me, please, I can't lose you too, please stay with me. Hold on, we will save you. Be strong my gallant hero, stay with me." She kissed his forehead.
Soon, Mary and the two boys entered but they were followed by a worrying-looking Marls and Sirius too.
"What the hell is going on?" asked Sirius.
"How has James got so many injuries?" asked Marls.
"What happened to you two, who attacked you?" asked Mary.
"Not now, Mary, please you know healing better than us, you have taken lessons from Poppy, please help him, we will get every potion and item you need," requested Lily.
They all went silent as Mary with the assistance of Lily and Marls began healing James, while the others looked around for required things and even stole many things from the hospital wing.
Four hours, it took them four hours to stable James' condition.
"He is fine, though I think he will be weak but he is fine now just unconscious. There were many injuries I had no idea of, if not for these books, I wouldn't have been able to heal him," said Mary.
"Heal Lily now, she is injured too, and why is your hair short and eyes black, Lils?" asked Marls noticing Lily properly for the first time.
"I forgot to transfigure it back," said Lily as she pointed her wand at it and her red hairs returned then did the same with her eyes. "Now I remember, his eyes will still be different, I will transfigure it back. I transfigured back the rest of his face while healing but forgot his eyes as it's still closed."
"What the hell is going on, can someone explain?" asked Sirius bewildered.
"Why did you bring him and Marls, I said to bring Mary only," Lily asked Remus as Mary healed her wounds.
"Well, we have to make some noise to get to Mary as we can't get to her dorm, and she didn't pay attention to my patronus message, so Peter became a rat and went up but he wasn't able to open the door and when he became human, the floor too became a slide and he came down, so we sent a dog to open the room."
"And you know what once inside, you can turn into a human and it won't become a slide. So I became the first one to enter the girls' dorm," chuckled Sirius.
"We already know, that magic is only on the outside of the dorm room and not inside. And you Sirius are not the first boy to enter our dorm," smirked Marls. "Someone already beat you and even slept in there." Lily turned red as she remembered James coming to her bed in the middle of the night.
"Who?" asked the three boys.
"James, who else, he couldn't resist Lily for even a night," snorted Marls.
"Enough of that, care to explain why you both are so badly injured?" asked Mary.
"Yes, what happened, were it the slytherins because then I will go and kill them now for touching my brother," said Sirius clenching his fist and looking sadly at James.
"No, it wasn't them," said Peter.
"We will tell you everything once James is awake, it's his secret," said Lily sitting beside James and gently stroking his head.
"I agree with her besides we are tired," said Peter as Mary healed his cuts and burns. "I need a bed to sleep in, luckily it's a weekend."
Soon more beds appeared and all of them already tired went to sleep. Lily couldn't stay away from James and lay carefully next to him and fell asleep.