Raylynx's POV

Ocean waves crashing… the feeling of chilly foam lapping up against my body… gritty sand pressed against my face…

Blearily, I opened my eyes.

I was lying down on a totally deserted ocean beach somewhere. The waves came up to my chest, but I was luckily, able to breathe.

I slowly tried to get up, pushing my wet matted hair out of my face. I was soaked in salt water from head to toe. I winced as I stood up. The pain around my stomach was almost unbearable. I shivered as I looked around.

The winds and waters were freezing cold, and my fingers were blue.

I clumsily rummaged inside my cloak and to my utter relief, found my wand intact. I could also feel the cold metal of the Horcrux locket. I shivered more violently.

Though it took a few tries, I managed to dry my clothes. I couldn't get the spell to work on my skin and my hair because it took concentration and power I didn't have at the moment.

I wanted to warm myself up further and I definitely needed to heal my stomach, but I knew I had to get off this beach first. I was too exposed to watchful eyes and to natural elements.

Grimacing in pain, I managed to make my way up the sandy shore and stumble over some rocks and then I found myself entering a forest. Dead leaves blanketed the forest floor. I made my way to a nearby log and lowered myself onto it. With my foot, I scrapped away the leaves to reveal wet dirt on the forest floor. I pointed my wand at it and some bluebell flames shot out and danced in that spot on the floor. I put my hands over the fire. Feeling began to come back into my tingling fingers. It felt almost painful. I started to lift my shirt to see the damage when I thought I heard something- not a bird cry, but a human voice. I stood up and started to look around when-

I hurriedly ducked behind the log.

I spotted, not too far away, a group of five or so humans.

Snatchers. They were Snatchers: rogue gangs who hunted Muggle-borns on the run and turned them over to the Ministry or worse, to Death Eaters.

I tried to calm down, tried to think of a way out of this. They were still some ways away. I pointed my wand at the flames and extinguished them. Then, I got up and holding my stomach to ease the pain, started to jog quietly through the woods, hiding behind trees and keeping low.

Minutes passed with no sound and when I was nearly out of breath, I rested against a tree, laying my head back and gasping for breath.

Then, voices reached my ears.

"A fire. This wasn't extinguished too long ago, Mads."

I grimaced. Damn, they're faster than I thought.

"Clearly made by magic," another voice replied.

"Should be able to find them. Spread out!" another voice commanded.

My heart sank. I didn't last a chance.

They were coming ever closer now.

I took a deep breath- I would have to make a break for it- I pushed myself off the tree trunk and started sprinting as fast as I could in my current condition.

Suddenly, a shout broke through the trees.

"There! There she is!"

"I see her! I see her!"

Gritting my teeth and holding my wand tightly, I continued running through the forest, zigzagging to avoid trees.

"Incarcerous!"

Ropes went flying past me, just missing me.

I pointed my wand over my shoulder and thought "Stupefy!"

A jet of red light went flying towards my pursuer.

Somebody shouted at me, "Easy!"

I kept running, though the pain in my stomach was making me nauseous. My vision was starting to go blurry.

The hillside started to go downhill and my pursuers suddenly had the higher ground.

"Incarceous!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

"Iterdum!"

"Ah!" I cried aloud as a Trip Jinx caught me, causing me to stumble and fall. I tripped head over heels and went rolling down the hill, crashing through the foliage. Everything was a whirlwind. All I could do was hold onto my wand and pray I wouldn't hit a tree or stone. If that happened, I would break a bone, at least.

I reached out and tried to grab the ground through the leaves. I managed to slow down on all fours, like some wild animal, gripping at the ground with my feet and hands. I pushed myself to keep running in a half-crouched position, trying to keep going despite the fact that my vision was all but gone. My breathing was beyond ragged.

I tried to look at where they were behind me. I could see shapes splitting up, some running on the hill, just above me, and others coming up behind me by taking to the lower ground.

My odds were better if I ran straight ahead, parallel to them. I kicked up my heels again and started racing as fast as I could. A few Stunning and Freezing spells were aimed at me but they were caught by the trees I ran behind. The light crackled into the trees above me, throwing debris everywhere. I shielded my head with my arms as I ran.

I spotted a clearing just up ahead- not good for me, as it offered no shelter, no protection. I cursed and instead began to run downhill again- but as I'd predicted, the throng of Snatchers behind me were beginning to gain on me.

I nearly tripped and fell as my adrenaline overtook my senses. I could hear their shouting, and knew they were gaining on me.

I knew what was happen if I stepped foot in that clearing, but I no longer had any choice. I tried to run through it, but sure enough-

I yelled as ropes caught my legs and I fell to the ground. The ropes slithered across my body and bound me down.

I tried to think of cutting spells, but the spell missed the ropes and instead hit an oncoming Snatcher. He yelped in pain.

"Stay away!" a voice commanded and for a second the familiarity of that voice overwhelmed me. But the recognition was mixed with pain and confusion. My vision was blurring, my breath was beginning to heave… Surely I was imaging those familiar tired eyes, the short blonde ponytail…

He approached me and tried to say something to me, but my eyes closed on their own accord.

I managed to whisper aloud, "Professor…?"

I thought I might have been gently lifted off the ground, but I wasn't sure of anything anymore.


Lily's POV

Harry cried aloud.

"Sh…" I hushed softly, taking Harry out of his crib and cradling him against me.

He rested his little head against me, cuddling into my neck.

I couldn't help but smile. He was just so dear to me, so wonderful, so perfect.

A moment later, and he started to whimper again.

"It's okay, baby," I said quietly, rubbing his back gently. "Harry, Mummy's right here. Mummy's right with you, and she'll always be."

"Cry all you want," I said to Harry. "I feel like that too, most days. I think about Dorcas and Marlene and Raylynx and all the others… Gideon and Fabian, Benjy, Caradoc… I think about my parents, too, and how I can't contact them because it might put them in danger. I miss them. Even Tuney... But now I have you. And you know what, Harry? You are so loved. All these people, they'd have loved you as soon as they saw you, I know it. In fact, they all loved you even before you were born."

"Do you know when I first knew I was going to have you, I felt so guilty? I felt like the timing was horrible. But the girls, they said to me, they said to me that you are the reason we are fighting this war. You are the very thing we are striving to protect. I was so grateful they said that to me. But you know, they weren't exaggerating. You, my baby boy, are worth everything."

"And the boys, too. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter… All of these troublemakers who wouldn't dare bow down to Minerva or even Albus… They fall right over for you. They can't stop themselves." I giggled a little.

Harry hiccuped and fell quiet. He felt so warm and tiny in my arms. As soon as he was born, I knew instantly that I would give everything I had to protect him, even James. James felt the exact same way, and for that reason, it felt like James and I were even more in love than we had been before.

"You are so loved," I murmured to Harry, rocking back and forth slowly. His little hand grasped at my necklace.

"Do you want this?" I asked softly. He grabbed at the charm again.

"Well, it's a little big on you now. Maybe when you turn one, though, then I'll let you have it, okay?"

"Lils?"

I turned around to see James in the doorway.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" I asked.

"No," James said, coming over to me. He kissed Harry's nose softly before he kissed me.

He wrapped his arms around us both and said, "God, these are the moments where I feel all right again."

"You're more than all right," I reminded James. "As long as we're together like this, we'll be better than okay."


Raylynx's POV

I moaned in pain.

Somebody was lighting my stomach on fire.

It was so painfully hot.

I whimpered.

"Is she awake?" another voice asked.

"Nearly," the first voice responded.

Another jolt of pain. I cried out aloud.

"You're almost done, I swear," a voice said gruffly.

I turned my head and opened my eyes.

I couldn't believe it.

"Professor…" I said hoarsely. "Professor Maudrick."

He was watching me intensely.

"Yes, Raylynx. It's me. Now save your strength. You need to heal as fast as you can. We've got to move camp."

I tried to get up, to embrace him, to touch him and make sure he was really there, and that I hadn't died and gone to the afterlife after all.

But the pain in my stomach was too much and I couldn't lift myself up.

"Whoa, easy there. Stay down," Maudrick said, and he held my arm down.

I could feel his rough hand on my arm. Without thinking, I grabbed it and suddenly, I felt myself crying.

So he was alive. He was alive! But why was he a Snatcher?

"You're okay," Maudrick said quietly. "You're in safe hands, Raylynx."

He reached up and ruffled my hair to calm me down.

Then, his hand covered my eyes.

"Sleep while you can. You'll need it."


When I woke up, I could hear the sounds of many voices intermingling and the smell of smoke from a fire reached my nose.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was in some sort-of tent. I was covered in warm blankets and wearing someone else's thick flannel shirt. My stomach felt tight due to the bandages wrapped around it. I slowly sat up. It was sore, but the pain and the healing fire had both disappeared. I could get up easily as long as I took it slow.

My cloak and my clothing was folded just beside my bed. I checked to make sure everything was in there. It was: my wand, the Horcrux, my lumeare, the phoenix ring, and my jumble of parchment including notes on the yet unresolved Wolfsbane Potion.

I draped my cloak around myself and made my way to the entrance of the tent. I pushed open the flap and stepped out.

It was a mild winter day and the warm smell of a Cherrywood fire scented the air. Here and there, people were doing chores, bringing firewood or buckets of water or mending clothing. It was almost like watching another life in another time period. But then, I hesitated. Was that...? It can't be.

"Raylynx, you're up."

I stared in utter surprise at the two girls who had stopped to address me.

Athena Cross and Madison Jane- they had been the top students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff in my year, respectively.

"Are you feeling all right?" Madison asked me. "You were in bad shape when we found you."

"Yeah, I'm all right," I managed to say. "The two of you… How did you end up he-?"

"Raylynx Kingsley."

I turned to see- "Hayden?"

It was Hayden, from my old Quidditch team.

"Yeah. Harper and Benjamin are here, too," he informed me.

Then, yet another familiar voice- "Ray? Raylynx, is that you?"

Hayden turned and I could see a figure appearing from a tent behind him.

It was-

"Zayne!" I raced towards him.

I collided into him and he laughed as he caught me.

"Ray, it's you!"

"I can't believe this!" I exclaimed. "This can't be true. You're all… You're all here."

Even as I spoke, more familiar faces appeared from tents: Sam Chang, Carlisle Taylor, Jesse Jordan, Richard Macmillian, even Riley Smith.

"We're all here… and all still fighting," Hayden said.

"Come on, let's sit while we want for Maudrick to come back," Sam suggested, and we all sat down.

"He's scoping out another place we can travel to," Zayne explained at my inquisitive look.

Athena handed me a steaming bowl of soup and a spoon.

"I thought you were all Snatchers," I told them.

"Well, we are. Sort-of," Harper said.

I looked at him in confusion.

"We pose as Snatchers," Athena explained. "We use it as an excuse to come into contact with people on the run and we offer them food, shelter, or medical help, if they need it."

"We've also been trying to track real Snatcher groups and warn others via word of mouth or through a secret channel on the radio station," Jesse added.

"Mads- er- Professor Maudrick's been leading the group," Benjamin said.

"He looks like a Snatcher himself," Sam laughed good-naturedly.

"We just call him Mads now," Harper said, grinning. "It was really funny the first few weeks, though. Here he was, trying to pose as a tough Snatcher, and we're all flitting around him like birds, yelling, 'Professor! Professor!'".

"You all scared me, running after me like that," I admitted, but I was able to laugh about it now.

"You scared me, you were in such a bad state," Zayne returned, and his eyes were warm.

Professor Maudrick appeared and joined our group. "We'll be walking to the next destination. Death Eaters have been roaming the place and taking away lots of families on the run. Be ready to go in an hour."

"Raylynx?" He turned to me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine now, thanks to you."

He nodded and then said, "You're welcome to leave if you have business on your own. You're equally welcome to stay and join us if you wish."

"Why didn't you come back?" I asked Maudrick. "After what happened at the TriWizard Tournament… I thought you died." I tried to keep the accusation out of my voice, but I failed.

"I'm sorry," Maudrick said. "But I couldn't stay there any longer. I work differently from the others at Hogwarts. It's not in my nature to keep still."

His eyes suddenly focused sharply on me. "But the same applies to you, doesn't it? I knew we would cross paths again. We're too alike, you and me."

So he knows I left Dumbledore. I guess that much is obvious.

We packed up and started to walk through the forest, with Maudrick leading the way.

Zayne and I were walking together. We ended up behind Riley, when I noticed Athena come up and offer him a fresh bandage for his wrist. He shook his head and said he was fine.

"You're hurt?" I asked him.

Riley turned to me. "Just a scratch," he shrugged.

I saw Maudrick look back at us.

For some reason, I suddenly felt wary.

We traversed through much of the forest, going in deeper and deeper. Night fell and we finally stopped to break.

I watched the others put up security spells. I offered to do a night shift. I wanted to do what I could. Zayne volunteered to help me. Maudrick agreed.

We sat beside the fire.

"I assume you were with other Hogwarts students before you found us," Zayne said.

Feeling a lump in my throat, I nodded.

"How are they?" Zayne asked me.

"They're- um." My voice caught in my throat. I coughed.

"Never mind," Zayne said somberly. "I think I get the gist."

We sat quietly, side by side, until the sun came up.