From the playlist:

Way Down We Go - KALEO (continued)

Welcome to the Jungle - Tommee Profitt (continues into next chapter)

Ch. 24 - The Cellar

James and Emmeline felt the temperature drop significantly as they descended into the bowels of the manor. The dark, damp atmosphere of the house's substructure did not match the rest of its elegant cleanliness.

"Lumos." James had to light his wand so that they could see the remainder of the steps. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, they found themselves in a vast, stone catacomb with a choice of three hallways.

"Brilliant," Emmeline griped. "Take your pick, I suppose."

"...We'll try one, and if it leads to a dead end, we can come back." He raised his wand up and began moving it in a circular motion. Without an incantation, his stag Patronus materialized and gave them a dignified nod before disappearing into the rock of the wall. "He'll come get us if we get lost."

Emmeline stared at where the stag had been, amazed. "How did you learn to use it like that?"

"Lily's been figuring out all sorts of things about this charm and teaching them to me."

"Maybe I should take private lessons from Lily instead of group lessons with Alastor."

They hurried through the corridors, but the cellar was quite the labyrinth. Blasts could be heard up above as the battle raged outside.

"I think these tunnels span the entirety of the grounds, we've been going far too long for them to be confined to the dimensions of the house," Emmeline wagered.

"Unless we've been walking in circles...don't suppose there's any good firewhisky we could nab, do you?"

She slowed her pace and stared at him incredulously. "Really, Potter?"

"It's a cellar. What do you think is down here? Pumpkin juice?"

Emmeline rolled her eyes and caught back up to him. "...Do you think it's odd that we haven't received word from the others?"

"It may seem like we've been walking for longer than we actually have. It's so dark and cramped in here…"

"...Wait," Emmeline urged, concentrating intently on their path ahead. "...Put your wand out."

"...Nox."

When James extinguished the light, Emmeline could make out a faint glow coming from the tunnel in front of them. "Do you see that?"

They followed the glow through a series of dingy passageways until they could hear footsteps coming from a larger, neighboring duct where the light was brightest. With his back up against the wall, James cautiously peered into the adjacent channel.

At first, he couldn't see anyone. The footsteps were approaching from another passageway. Then, one person stepped into the duct. Her auburn hair was unmistakable, even several yards away.

"Lily!?" James breathed in horror.

Emmeline was standing behind him, so she could not see. "What is she doing here!?" she whispered.

Before he called to her, James saw another unmistakable person round the corner with a torch in one hand and his wand pointed at Lily in the other.

"Snape," James growled, before he bolted into the tunnel to rescue his bride.

"James, wait!" Emmeline hissed, but it was too late; he was already on the warpath. She peered around the corner, intending to go after him, until she saw four more hooded figures enter from another pipeline up ahead. She whipped her head back around the corner, mouthing an expletive.

"SNAPE!"

Lily spun around. "JAMES!" She attempted to run to him, but Severus grabbed her elbow and held her back.

James lifted his wand. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER-!"

"Expelliarmus!" A Death Eater with a thick slavic accent shouted from behind, catching James's wand and stowing in her robes. Even unarmed, James continued charging towards Severus, but skidded to an abrupt halt when Snape held his wand up to Lily.

"Tread carefully, Potter."

"AGH!" James felt cords twist around his wrists and fasten them together behind his back as one of the other Death Eaters cast a partial binding spell on him. He roared as they shoved him to his knees: "You'd better pray I never get out of these restraints, because if I do, I'm going to FLAY YOU ALIVE!"

"Severus, look at me," Lily demanded from under his wand. His focus flickered, but he ignored her plea. "Look at me!" She shouted this time, and his eyes betrayed him. "You don't have to do this. It's not too late, you can still change your mind-"

"Quiet," he snapped, regaining his nerve.

"I swear to Merlin Snape, if you touch her again-"

"You'll what?" Severus interrupted, shifting away from Lily and pointing his wand at James's heart. "You'll what, Potter?"

The other Death Eaters chuckled malevolently.

"...I could kill you right now, couldn't I?"

"No-" Lily tried to lunge at Snape, but another Death Eater detained her.

"LET GO OF HER!"

"Wouldn't that be fitting? Finally, 'The' James Potter, having to face some consequences. Tell me - was it all worth it?"

But James, shaking with vicious rage, only leaned into his wand. "Every single curse, you son of a bitch."

"You were always so arrogant-"

"You want me to say I regret it? I don't-"

"James, stop it-"

"Then you'll take that to your grave."

"I wouldn't change a thing, and do you know what? She still wouldn't have picked you-!"

Snape jabbed his want into James's windpipe so hard that he started to cough.

"Severus-"

"Beg me not to."

"Go fuck yourself."

"James, just-"

"I want you to beg from your knees, Potter."

"Severus, If you hurt him-"

"I love you, Lily."

"-SEVERUS, NO!"

Back down the other tunnel, Emmeline held her hand over her mouth as she listened to the altercation. Her mind scrambled for a solution, but she knew that even if she ran out to be the hero, one of her friends would still have a wand pointed at their throat. Never mind the other four Death Eaters; with James and Lily disarmed, taking on Severus alone would be futile.

There was a long silence as Snape weighed the decision.

"...Pity that it'll have to wait until after I bring you to him."

Emmeline heard their footsteps shuffle into another passageway and saw that the light was growing dimmer. If she left to fetch the others now, they would never find James and Lily again in the intricate maze.

She had to go on alone.

Trailing behind from a good distance away, Emmeline followed the glow as silently as she could. It wasn't long before the group up ahead reached their destination, and a vast chamber illuminated by torchlight came into view. From her hiding spot, Emmeline saw Snape and the other Death Eaters drop James and Lily to their knees where Edgar, Peter, the Prewetts, and the Longbottoms were already being held. Nearly thirty other Death Eaters lined the walls.

"Bravo Severus," a raspy voice praised him from the helm.

Emmeline swore her heart stopped. The voice slithered into her ear like a serpent and sent a tremor down her spine. She could not see the speaker, but she was willing to bet money on who it was.

She'd never met Voldemort before.