Author's Note:
All the characters belong to J.K. Rowlings, or inspired by her genius.

THANK YOU so much, Aurora, for your support and for being so sweet :)


***


An overly artistic eye would compare the scene to a gloomy still nature painting: a dark, weather-battered cabin standing on a thick carpet of dead leaves. Rumors said it had once belonged to an eccentric hunter who had passed away years ago, leaving his creepy shelter unattended and forgotten in the depths of the woods.


It was clear however that arts and paintings never touched Alastor Moody’s mind when he stared at the cabin through the icy autumn mist. Tightening his black cloak around his shoulders, he rolled his magical eye around the deserted area. At last, my instructions had been followed, he noticed, with a certain relief, that no smoke could be seen from the awkward chimney, and the dusty windows just looked like dead eyes on a ragged face.


“Gentlemen, welcome to our headquarters,” Alastor announced to the four young men, who were shivering with cold behind him.

“Lovely!” exclaimed one of them, so unconvincingly that the others chose not to chime in.


Moody’s eyes swept over them, as if he was memorizing their faces and appraising their characters. They all looked so young, and the eagerness he could feel in them just proved how inexperienced they might be on real combat situation. Of course, they were only apprentices at this stage of their training and still had plenty of time to test their freshly acquired Auror’s skills.


“You will learn, my young lads, that nice locations never meant successful missions,” Moody snapped, motioning to them to follow him.

“At least, someone in there has a good sense of humor…” another apprentice grinned, pointing at the doorstep.


Moody’s eyes immediately caught the object of their repressed giggles. Someone had indeed placed a Halloween pumpkin at the cabin’s front door: scars and stitches had been humorously painted all over its surface; and the highlight of the masterpiece was obviously a ludicrous eye globe that was dangling oddly out of its orbit.


“Very funny,” Moody muttered, pushing the door, and instantly shut off the laughter and cheers inside.

“Evanesco!” a voice called urgently, making every sign of what seemed like an ongoing Drooble’s Best Blowing Gums fight disappear on the spot.

“I said no sign of our presence outside the cabin,” the old Auror growled, and he waved off the guilty pumpkin with his wand before talking to the apprentices again. “Make yourselves at home, gentlemen!”


The apprentices found their seat in a heavy silence, nodding to the other persons sitting in the room. Luckily, Moody’s scarred face and grim mood were not at all representative of his team. Indeed, the group of “more experienced Aurors” they had expected to meet turned out to be not much older than themselves, and half of those Aurors were very good-looking women, who greeted them with a friendly smile.


Still mumbling his bad mood, Moody sealed the door shut. He limped silently to the front, near a stone fireplace where a fire was spreading warmth and light to the poorly furnished room.


“You are no longer at Hogwarts, boys, and there is no more Dumbledore to clean up your mess!” Moody glared angrily at the group. “I said CONSTANT VIGILANCE! That was an order, not just a simple security rule you can play with.”


A young witch with curly hair and a kind face raised her hand, but one of the men sitting behind her loudly shifted his chair back to its four legs.


“There is not living soul miles around, sir,” the handsome long-haired man replied, “and who cares about a pumpkin in this lost hole?”

“I do, Black!” Moody hissed. “If I can see it, any Muggle or Death Eater also can.”


Something in Moody’s voice must have convinced the young man named Black to drop the subject. After a while, Moody finally turned his gaze back to the pretty witch who had raised her hand earlier.


“Welcome back, Longbottoms!” he said in a lighter tone. “How was the honeymoon?”


Instant jokes about love-struck newlyweds poured out, along with pads on the young couple’s shoulders. Alice and Frank Longbottom’s cheeks turned crimson red, although they both laughed heartily with the others.


“Silence, please!” Moody had to raise his gnarled hand to impose his authority again. “You have certainly noticed four new faces among us today. They are the most promising apprentices from this year’s Aurors new training program: Burke, Anderson, Collins and Downey. They will participate in today’s mission and observe how our team operates.”


Moody turned to the four impressed young apprentices who were sitting in a tight pack in a same corner.


“For your information, boys, I don’t mind you calling me ‘Mad-Eye’, but let’s make one thing very clear. I hate repeating instructions; so, keep your ears wide open, only ask intelligent questions, follow my orders, and we will get along just fine. Now let’s get to business!”


Moody then stepped aside and pointed a black board behind him. His audience turned their undivided attention to the board, where a stick of white chalk, held by an invisible hand, was hastily drawing a map, moving and pointing at precise spots at Moody’s will.


"This is Skull Hill," Moody’s voice sounded now serious and sharp. "And this is the clearing at the edge of the Holden Forest, which is HERE! (The chalk marked the location with an ‘X’).


"We have received information that a group of Death Eaters will hold an outdoor meeting tonight, somewhere near this clearing. Your mission is to divide into four teams, and patrol the North, East, West and South side of the hill. You will locate the meeting and collect every piece of information they might discuss. Of course, it will be a valuable asset for us if you can identify a few faces hidden behind those ugly hoods.

“Tonight’s mission is NOT about picking a fight with Voldemort’s boys,” Moody insisted on each word. “I repeat, your mission is about collecting information without being uncovered. Did I make myself clear? Any question? No? Very good!

"This cabin will be our headquarters. Our operation code is 'The Clearing'. And … Black, may I ask what is this frown of disgust on your face?"

"Sorry, sir," the Auror named Sirius Black answered, not at all impressed by the mad eye Moody had narrowed at him. "I just thought that we could have chosen a better code than 'The Clearing' for our mission."

"Rubbish, Black! Great codes never meant successful missions! We will stick with good old 'Clearing'."


For a moment, they both glared at each other. Then a young man sitting at Sirius’s left nudged him, shaking silently his untidy head in warning. Judging by the way Sirius shrugged and leant back to his chair, those two men clearly carried a lot of influence with each other.


"Again, constant vigilance is essential," Moody continued. "The area is crammed with moats and holes. Treacherous traps of nature, those ones are! Remember to stay alert and never leave sight of your teammate in case one of you is in difficulty.”


Moody then took a piece of parchment from his pocket and unfolded it. The white chalk immediately moved away from the map, ready to scratch names on the available space of the board.


"As I have mentioned earlier, each patrolling team will be accompanied by an apprentice. Here are the teams for operation 'The Clearing'.

“Longbottoms, Frank and Alice, you will take Burke and the North side.

“Pettigrew … Pettigrew’s not here? No problem! Lupin, you will take his place, and the East side along with Vance and Collins.

“Pudmore, you will cover the West side with Downey and me.

“Potter, Evans, and Anderson, you will patrol the South side.

“Black, you will stay here, at headquarters, and take charge of liaison for all teams.”


James Potter immediately put his hand on Sirius’ shoulder, just in time to prevent his best friend from jumping at Moody’s face. Alice Longbottom looked immensely upset and guilty, but once more her raised hand was ignored by their commander. Although no word had been spoken, every member of the team had understood the message loud and clear: Sirius just got the rap for the pumpkin prank.


"Don’t say anything stupid, mate," James whispered to Sirius.


Sirius, however, decided to act thoughtfully. Taking a deep breath, he spoke to Moody with a rather steady voice, considering the anger that everyone knew he was trying to hold back.


“With all due respect, sir, I am more qualified than the midge … I mean … the apprentices here. Therefore, I suggest you assign the liaison task to one of them and let me accompany a patrolling team instead."


Everyone in the room was holding their breath. Even Moody was staring at Sirius, an unreadable expression on his face. Merlin’s beard, I know that look, Moody reckoned, feeling taken back in time. That look had once belonged to a young, unscarred Alastor Moody. He still had both of his natural eyes then, and they were burning, just like Sirius’s, every time Alastor faced his own commander to demand more action. This boy sure has guts, Moody knew a brave heart when he saw one. The Auror in him kept roaring that bold, courageous people were too rare to be held behind. However, no matter how gifted young Sirius might be, he must learn to accept his place in a team. The road leading to victory was long and dangerous; teamwork was the only way to stay alive and carry on the fight.


"I have two answers for you, Black!" Moody finally replied, choosing his words carefully. "First, I do know your qualifications. Second, I can’t have an apprentice assure liaison for this mission. I need a reliable, resourceful person at headquarters. Are you telling me that you are not up to the task?"


Sirius still held Moody’s gaze, but his mind was racing restlessly. His intuition, that had never deceived him so far, was urging him to keep to his commander’s decision. In the meantime, no self-respecting Marauder would turn down a challenge. If this was another test, then he will gladly show Moody what metal he was made of.


"You can count on me," Sirius declared.

“Wonderful! Let’s do it, then!" Moody said gleefully. "Don’t you worry, Black, you will see loads of action soon enough."

“I will certainly keep that in mind," Sirius’s eyes twinkled. "And sir, as you consider it such a strategic task, I’ve even found a code for my ‘housekeeper’ mission: Operation ‘Watchdog’.”


The stick of white chalk fell to the floor, shaking with uncontrollable giggles. Moody himself nodded then turned to the black board to hide his grin. His magical eye kept rolling, taking in every movement behind his back. He even pretended not to see Alice Longbottom turn to Sirius.


“I am so sorry, Sirius,” Alice was obviously upset at her forgetfulness. “How stupid of me, I just forgot to get rid of ‘Mad-Eye Pumpkin’ before the real one showed up…”

***


A/N: Thank you for reading :) I know, there is not much of James and Lily in this chapter, but the next chapter will focus on them, I promise. Please let me know what you think, OK?? :) :)

Author's Note: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, or they are inspired by her genius.

THANK YOU SO MUCH again, Aurora, for your help with this chapter and for being so sweet as usual.



***


One by one, the young Aurors rose to their feet. In a silent agreement, they all took time to shake Sirius’s hand and to wish him "good luck", as if he was about to break through the enemy’s line himself.


“Here,” Alice Longbottom handed him her last Drooble’s Best Blowing Gums, “use them sparingly until we’re back, OK?”

“Don’t worry, Sirius,” added her husband, Frank. “With your luck, the Death Eaters might come right here for their meeting.”

“And he’ll get all the fun, as usual!” Remus Lupin said, patting his friend on the shoulder. “See you later, mate.”

“I’ll be fine,” Sirius repeated over and over to his friends. “Watch your back out there!”


The four apprentices, however, stayed away from the man who had called them “midgets” at their first meeting. They glared at him, feeling slightly satisfied he had been excluded from the patrolling teams.


Then, Moody waved at the apprentice named Downey, and introduced him to Sturgis Pudmore. They immediately departed for their mission, rapidly followed by Remus and the Longbottoms with their teams.


While James went to talk to Sirius, Lily turned to the last apprentice who was standing in his corner, staring unblinkingly at the dancing flame of the fireplace. She must agree with Moody, Aurors recruits did look younger year after year. This one in particular, with his kind face and military short hair, reminded her of a sixth-year student at Hogwarts.


“You must be Anderson,” she said with her hand held out. “Nice to meet you, I’m Lily Evans.”


Anderson took her hand without a word, frowning as if he was trying to remember where he had met her. The effort he made accentuated the tiny wrinkles on his forehead and on the corner of his bright blue eyes.


“We have to patrol the South side of the clearing together,” Lily reminded him, smiling encouragingly. Anderson’s palm was very sweaty. He must be nervous, she thought, remembering how anxious she had felt at her first mission.

“The South side … Oh, of course …” Anderson uttered, “uh, nice to meet you too, Evans, right?”

“Hi, I’m James Potter, your other teammate,” James said pleasantly as he joined them at the fireplace. “And this is my friend Sirius Black, the best watchdog you’ve ever met.”

“How do you do,” Anderson answered, regaining his composure as he shook the other men’s hands.


Lily managed to keep a straight face as she watched James and Sirius exchange a knowing look and discreetly wiped their hands on the side of their robes. Anderson glanced at the black board on the wall, where the map and their names were still neatly written.


“Ready to go?” James asked on their way out. “Are you nervous, Anderson?”

“I’m all right, just can’t wait to get some action!” said the apprentice.


Outside the cabin, darkness had already fallen over the woods. The three Aurors stepped into a dense fog that immediately nettled them in its cold embrace. Lily glanced at the starless sky; she could barely see the moon through the heavy clouds. It was one of those gloomy Halloween nights that she has always dreaded. She kept her pace close to James, who was leading their group through a winding path they had never followed before. She shivered under her cloak, trying to shut off the haunting feeling inside her chest.


“Freezing night for a raid, isn’t it?” Anderson asked her in a low voice.

“Freezing, yes. But tonight’s mission is not a raid,” Lily corrected gently. “Moody had insisted on that, don’t you remember?”

“Of course,” he said, shaking his head in excuse, “sorry, I just forgot! Would you mind telling me why we have to head north again?”


Lily glanced intriguingly at Anderson, but decided to attribute the apprentice’s strange behavior to his nervousness. Patiently, she began to brief him on their mission. Anderson understood easily everything she said. However, he often interrupted her with the same questions, as if some bits of information just passed, unregistered, through his mind.


After a curiously long silence, James joined in their hushed conversation. He started asking Anderson precise questions about their plan, to which the apprentice gave curiously the same wrong answers again.


“Tell me Anderson, how old are you?” James queried suddenly, looking straight at Anderson.

“Nineteen!” he answered quickly. “Why?”

“You see, I have some doubts about your real age. I want to know how old you are if you don’t take the Aging Potion!”

“Are you out of your mind? It is illegal, don’t you know?” Anderson snapped back, even though Lily clearly caught him flinch at James’s mention of the Aging Potion.

“Illegal indeed, especially when someone is using it repeatedly to stay on the Auror’s Training Program while he’s underage.” James stated without raising his voice.

“You are mental, Potter! Who would do such a stupid thing?”

“Mental, you said? Then please, explain to me why you are sweating so much- even though you are not at all nervous about your first mission-, why you’ve got wrinkles at such a young age, and why your memory kept playing tricks without warnings. You’d better tell us the truth before we go any further with this mission.”


At her turn, Lily startled at James’s pertinent description of Anderson’s symptoms. Giving it some thoughts, she immediately recalled Professor Slughorn’s words about an excessive use of the Aging Potion:


“This potion enhances a temporary, but immediate aging process of the body. If taken repeatedly over a long period, it forces the body and the brain to make continuous adjustments. The effects of this unnatural time traveling, if I dare put it that way, are increased sweating, wrinkles, blood clotting disorders, and sometimes, sudden partial or complete loss of memory.

“Keep that in mind, Lily, because my little finger tells me that there might be a question about the subject at this year’s N.E.W.T. exam.”


Lily had, of course, remembered that precious hint and had spent long hours coaching James on a subject he had never been fond of. Their hard work had finally earned him a glorious “Exceeds Expectations” in Potions, which turned out to be a requirement to become an Auror. Perhaps that was the reason why James still remembered these notions so accurately.


Lily turned to James, nodding her agreement with his actions. In front of them, Anderson had obviously shifted to the attack mode: he had crossed his arms, and his eyes were burning with defiance.


“I owe you two no explanation at all!” he fired at them. “Who do you think you are to question me that way?”

“We are your teammates, and we are about to walk into the enemy’s lines,” Lily answered before James could. “In your case, we reasonably think that your memory loss will endanger your safety and compromise our mission.”

“Therefore, we have the duty to report our doubts to our Team Leader and recommend your exclusion from tonight’s operation.” James added. “Game is over, Anderson. If you have something to say for yourself, do it now!”


But the apprentice remained lips tied, glaring at James and Lily with an open hatred. He paced the ground like a cornered animal, mumbling words they could barely understand. Then, just as James and Lily brought their hand to their wands, Anderson stopped on his track and hit the nearest tree with his angry fist.


“They killed my parents!” he cried.

“Who did?”

“The Death Eaters,” Anderson’s voice was distorted by unrestrained anger. “It was two years ago. I was twelve then, and was supposed to spend the Christmas school break at home. I showed up just in time to see Voldemort’s boys leave our house, laughing and boasting about the way they had tortured my Mum and Dad before killing them.”

“I am truly sorry,” Lily said, but he did not hear her.

“They called my parents ‘blood traitors’ and other horrid names I had never dared think about,” Anderson continued, probably talking about his nightmarish memory for the first time. “I spent the following weeks hating myself for doing nothing that night, asking myself why my parents had been murdered. They were both gifted Healers, and had spent their entire lives helping other people. Their crime, I understood later, had been taking care of Muggles and pure-bloods with an equal dedication, and treating them with the same respect. I can never forget what a Death Eater had said that evening after they killed them, ‘I chopped their filthy hands off … served them right for touching the Mudbloods’.”


Lily repressed a gasp of horror, and James silently took her hand in his. He looked at her, a mix of love and determination glowing in his hazel eyes. I know, James, this is why we fight, she returned his gaze, squeezing his hand tighter. Innocent lives are lost and bright futures are shattered, but for them we will keep marching on with our heads held high.


“Have you got any help, from your family or your teachers?” asked James with concern.

“No one could help me!” Anderson shook his head, leaning against the leafless tree. “I had fled after my parents’ funerals. There was no use to return to Durmstrang; the teachers’ pity was definitely not what I needed to avenge my parents. So I decided to act alone, nicked a large flask of Aging Potion from an illegal drugstore, and got myself enrolled in the Aurors’ Training Program.”


Lily and James had no difficulty to figure out what came next. Anderson was smart enough to fool the recruiter with fake NEWT results; then, he had taken on every activity of the program with a recklessness only a twelve-year-old boy could muster. He had thus earned a good reputation among his colleagues; and his instructors, impressed by his sheer determination, could not ignore such a promising prospect in their recommendations to Alastor Moody.


“Please, Potter, don’t make me go back,” Anderson pleaded. “I’ve gone this far to make the Death Eaters pay for their crime. By the way, my memory loss is just temporary. You know, I just … fall out of focus … from time to time, that’s all. There’s nothing to worry about, really!” he added, with a glance to Lily, hoping she would confirm his own prognostic.


The Marauder in James truly understood Anderson’s quest for justice; he could not blame the young boy for wanting to avenge his parents’ murders. However, the former Hogwarts Head Boy urged him to act with prudence. Could he let Anderson “fall out of focus” at the wrong moment, in front of an enemy who would surely show no mercy?


“Anderson, I’m sorry, but you will have to go back to headquarters now,” James decided. “I don’t like the idea of a fourteen year old wizard risking his life under my responsibility!”

“AND I DON’T LIKE YOUR HAIR!” Anderson shouted back feverishly. “Does it mean that I can ORDER you to shave your head? You can’t make me go back, Potter. You have no right to make them throw me out of the Training program. I have gone too far to loose everything now.”

“I can’t let you go on with this mission!”

“Oh yes, you can, and you will! I’ll hex you, I swear, if you make me go back!”


In a blink, Anderson sprang to his feet, pointing his wand at James who kept staring back at him, an expression of “been there, done that” on his face. Then Anderson shrieked, as his wand slipped from his sweaty grip and flew swiftly into James’s outstretched hand. The young apprentice was shaking with anger, his pride seriously scorched by the easy defeat. James made a step in his direction, but Lily had already come to Anderson’s side.


“Anderson, please, listen to me,” she said quietly, a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Hexing James is not the solution; fighting the Death Eaters unprepared and ruining your health in the process, is not the way to avenge your parents either. They were gifted Healers, you said. They would certainly not let you risk your life that way.

“This is a long fight, you know it. And we all need the very best of our capabilities to defeat Voldemort. How do you want to face your parents’ murderers, Anderson? As a trained wizard, at the top of his magic skills… or as a brave, but weak underage Auror with a faltering mind?”


The young apprentice obviously refused to answer, so Lily continued in a calm voice.


“You still have a lot to discover about your magic skills. I know it is hard, but you have to be patient. A very powerful wizard had told me once that ‘one good wizard is worth seven Death Eaters’. And I know that if you take the right decisions and give your skills the time to develop, you will make those Death Eaters bite the dust sooner than even you can imagine.”


Something in Lily’s words stirred in Anderson’s confused mind, and made his blue eyes shine with a new light. He was still struggling in an inner battle, but a clear decision seemed to emerge as he touched her hand on his shoulder.


“A powerful wizard, eh?” he repeated in a low voice. “Is he always right about …what he says?”

“Yes, never missed a thing!” Lily assured brightly. “A powerful and exceptionally wise man, he is!”


A faint smile appeared on Anderson’s pale face. After some intense reflection, he simply nodded at Lily and, with a slight hesitation, he held out his hand to James. No one spoke, but the three of them just knew, deep in their heart, that they had achieved something exceptional. Greatness was about the small differences one could make every day, and at this right moment, they just felt they had taken a huge step in the right direction.


“Amazing … Did Dumbledore really say that about the ‘good wizard’?” James whispered to Lily, as Anderson was too busy to pocket his wand.

“No, I made that up,” she smiled, looking very pleased with herself, “but thanks for the compliment!”


Above their heads, the icy wind kept rustling through the bare branches. The clouds had moved aside, unveiling a faint moonlight through the mist. James suddenly stared above Lily’s head; all of his senses tense in alert.


“What’s wrong?” asked Lily in a low voice, following his gaze.

“I thought I saw … PROTEGO!” James yelled, shoving Lily behind him.


A jet of orange light had been shot from behind the tree, rapidly followed by other Stunning Spells. James and Lily stood back to back, their wands waving restlessly and their voice went hoarse with shouting the Shield Charm.


Somehow, they had walked straight into a trap, even though they had not yet reached the clearing as planned. Lily ducked a dash of greenish light that had missed James by an inch. She immediately lied flat on the ground, her mind racing to plan an emergency retreat. Judging by the unfriendly spells that were raining over them from all directions, they were obviously surrounded and outnumbered.


“LOOK OUT!” Lily shouted, as she saw a dark silhouette worming its way towards Anderson.


She threw a Disarming Charm in the direction of the attacker, but missed her target. Anderson never saw the jinx that had been shot from behind. The blast hit him squarely on the back. It sent him flying a few feet forward and crashing, head first, against a tree. Lily gasped as he slumped on the ground.


“STUPEFY! IMPEDIMENTA!” James cried, and finally, two black-hooded bodies fell out of their hiding spot.

“JAMES, THIS WAY!” Lily shrieked, edging through the dashing jet lights. Then she started to run toward the unexpected breach that had opened where the Death Eaters had fallen.

“DON’T LET THEM GET AWAY!” a high-pitched voice bellowed to its companions.


Lily kept running, oblivious to the crackling cry of the dead leaves under her feet. Vaguely, the sound of other steps echoed in her buzzing ears; their attackers must be on their way to chase after her. James, she thought with a sudden panic, she had not heard or seen him follow her out of the enemy fire.


Then, before thinking about the consequences, Lily looked over her shoulder, which was a gesture that she should never have risked under the circumstances. Yet, she realized it much too late.


The ground gave way beneath her, and the dark sky started spinning above her. She fell into a giant gap; her body sliding down the rocky slope.


“LILY!” she heard someone yell, before total darkness took over her.


***


A/N: THANKS for reading :) And PLEASE, take a few seconds to review and let me know what you think, OK??

Author’s Note:
I love all the characters dearly ^_ ^ even though they belong to J.K. Rowling.
Aurora, THANK YOU again for your help and inspiration * wink * in this chapter!
A special thumb-up to Electronicquillster, thanks for your precious “pointers”. I hope you’ll like this chapter as much as I enjoyed “trimming” it ;-) ;-)



***



“James,” Lily woke up in a start.

“I’m here, Lily,” a familiar voice answered softly and a hand cradled her face.


Thank Merlin, he is alright, Lily sighed with relief, raising a hand to cover his. Her tired eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness around. She must have passed out after her fall, for she had no recollection of landing up in the bottom of the gap.


“Where are we?” Lily asked, then winced as she tried to stir her body.

“In one of those famous ‘nature traps’ Mad-Eye had warned us about,” James said. He gently pillowed her head on his lap. “Take it easy, love! Your left shoulder is badly hurt. I’ve tried to secure it with the Ferula Charm, but you’ll definitely need to see a Healer…”


Lily touched her painful shoulder and felt the bandage James had conjured.


“It should feel better soon,” James assured, before adding in a hushed voice. “We can stay down here for a moment. The Death Eaters must think we’re dead. They set the Dark Mark above the gap a while ago and have been silent since.”


Lily turned her head slightly to stare at the sky. All she could see was a blurry, greenish constellation above the gap. Suddenly, the unhappy thought of their young teammate made her shiver.


“What happened to Anderson?” James asked.

“Stunned from behind, and crashed, head first, on a tree.” Lily told him. “I do hope he had found his way out of the battle, while the Death Eaters were running after us…”

“So do I,” James chimed in. “He is a brave kid. I just wish I had not sent him back to Headquarters alone. After all, he only did what he thought was right.”


Lily smiled to herself. James kept stroking her hair, ignoring that his words just triggered one of her fondest memory. She closed her eyes, and let her mind wander back in time. Warmth slowly spread over her aching body as she remembered how her life had changed at her seventh year at Hogwarts.



*~*~*



It all started aboard the Hogwarts Express. Lily’s joy of becoming Head Girl was cut short, when a pale Remus Lupin took her aside to announce that he had declined his Head Boy nomination. Hogwarts students deserved someone capable and reliable; he explained, not a cursed boy who could be a danger to himself and to other people. Lily had become Remus’s friend since they were appointed Prefects at fifth year, even though she knew he was a werewolf. However, at that moment, she would much prefer dealing with his unstable conditions, than teaming up with the ‘conceited bully’ Remus had heartedly supported to fill his place.


“I know James well …” Remus said, smiling at Lily’s wry face. “Believe me, he is very … different … from what you think. Give him a chance, Lily.”


So Lily was set to patrol the Hogwarts corridors with James Potter. Fortunately, James’s head seemed to have deflated a bit after the summer. He had finally ceased to ask her out every time they talked to each other, so she no longer had to say no. Incidentally, now that they could have pleasant conversations without shouting at each other, Lily realized they shared a lot in common. For example, they both put Defense Against The Dark Arts on top of their favorite classes; they also agreed that the best way to celebrate Halloween was a piece of treacle tart by the fireside. Without admitting it, Lily now looked forward to their daily patrol around the school. She was actually impressed by the way he handled the rule breakers. In fact, and she had to give it to him, no one seemed to outsmart James Potter in the field of mischief making!


Then on one autumn evening, their growing friendship took a sudden turn.


Vividly, Lily remembered entering the Gryffindor common room, right in the middle of a blazing row between James and Sirius. The cause of their fight became clearer as she listened, in spite of herself, to the harsh words they were firing at each other. She distinctively heard them mention “Remus”, “Snape”, then “the Whomping Willow”, and “the Shrieking Shack”.


“Come on, Snape was dying to get a bit of excitement in his boring life!” Sirius said loudly. “And a brush with a real werewolf would teach him to stay away from other people’s business!”

“Still, you have NO RIGHT to risk his life,” James retorted furiously. “Everything is not a game, Sirius. We’ll have to pull him out before it’s too late!”

“We? Why risk OUR neck for HIM? But if YOU want to play the stupid hero, be my guest! Besides, I doubt Snivellus needs your help. He is so greasy he would simply slip through Moony’s claws. So why bother?”


Then James stormed out. He spotted Lily standing near the Portrait door, and immediately remembered his Head Boy’s duty. He came towards her and took her hands in his, a gesture he had never done before.


“You have to cover me, Lily,” he said gravely. “There is … something I must do before it’s too late.”

“Is Remus … in trouble?” she queried.

“Not, if I can help it!” James promised, “I’ll explain later, OK?”


Something in his hazel eyes convinced her to trust him. Lily nodded, and James hurried out of the room.


So, for the first time that year, Lily performed her Head Girl duty alone. She walked around absentmindedly, giving detention to any student foolish enough to question her orders. After three unnecessary patrols in the corridors, Lily decided to go wait for James near the Main Entrance. It turned out to be the longest, the most unbearable hour of her life. She started pacing relentlessly, biting her fingernails until they hurt. Peeves the Poltergeist came cackling over her head, and succeeded in distracting her for a while. But Lily finally cursed him away, when he started playing with the door, making her jump every time it swung open.


Then, just like every time when she felt anxious, Lily started to make promises. “When James is back”, she pledged silently, “I will apologize for calling him an ‘insensitive fat head’; I will be nicer to him; and I will tell him I ‘don’t hate him at all’!”


At long last, a silhouette emerged from the night. Lily rushed outside. It was only Snape who was going up the stairs, looking as if he had just struggled with a pack of wolves. With the bewilderment of a child uncovering some unexpected present, he watched her running towards him.


“What happened?” Lily asked him. “Where is James?”


Snape glared at her. The glimmer that had lit up in his eyes the moment before instantly died at her question. He knocked her aside with his shoulder, and slammed the main door shut behind him without a word.


A few agonizing minutes later, Lily finally saw James coming towards the castle. He certainly looked worse than Snape, she thought, noticing the red marks on his cheeks and the mud on his robes. His black hair had never looked messier, but Lily could swear she had never been so happy to see someone in her life.


Wise men said, “Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”. In Lily’s case, her heart actually started beating at the sight of an exhausted, yet straight-backed James. She ran to meet him at the marble steps. Then, throwing her arms around his neck, she took his breath away in their first, mind-blowing kiss. Although they had not talked much that night, James realized he had wasted all those years showing off around her. For Lily had never wanted the famous troublemaker, or the Quidditch champion. She had fallen in love with the young man who had done what he thought was right.


They walked back to the Gryffindor aisle together, hand in hand, oblivious to the widened eyes and whisperings of the other students along their way. The common room was almost deserted as they passed through the Portrait hole. Lily was not surprised to find Sirius pacing anxiously in front of the fireplace. He stopped in mid stride to stare grimly at James, who stared defiantly back. Sirius’s sharp eyes noticed his best friend’s awful look; but when his gaze fell on James and Lily’s joined hands, his frowning face immediately cracked in a wide smile.


“Well, it turned out to be a fairly ‘interesting’ evening for you, I’d say!” he exclaimed mischievously. “All things considered, I think you both owe me one for sending Snivellus out there tonight.”


*~*~*


The memory of James and Sirius bursting out laughing, all grudge forgotten, never failed to make Lily smile. Most importantly, Lily knew after that night that no matter what happened, she could always count on James to stand by her, always ready to do what was right.


Silently, she watched James staring intently at the slope of the gap. He was thinking aloud a plan to escape, and she listened to him with attention.


“So, what do you say, Lily?” James asked.

“I’d say it might work,” she agreed. “As you said, we can’t Apparate if we don’t know where we are.”

“Right, I will come up first and make sure it is safe. And while we’re up there, we should take a look around and try to find Anderson.”

“We definitely should!” Lily knew James would never leave a teammate behind.

“How is your shoulder?” he asked again with concern. “Can you pull yourself up a rope?”

“I’m OK, let’s do it!” she said confidently.


James helped her up to her feet, careful not to hurt her injured shoulder. Then, he pointed his wand at the brink of the gap to conjure a long, solid rope that sprang down to their reach. He made it look so easy, Lily thought fondly, as though falling into holes and managing their way out had always been routine business to the Marauders. She smiled to herself, as the image of a stag, a dog and a werewolf struggling and treading on each other inside a deep gap came across her mind. Then Lily could not repress a giggle, wondering what might occur to the rat in such circumstances.


“What’s so funny?” James asked, looking relieved to see her laugh again.

“Nothing,” Lily answered cheerfully. “What you just did was quite brilliant, I must say. Just remind me to always stick close to you in case of trouble!”

“Hey, I’m a Marauder, purveyor of aids to magical mischief-makers!” he said with the cocky smile she had come to love. “How can I be of service to you, Miss Evans?”

“Well … what about marry me?” Lily asked in the most casual voice she could muster.


An astounded silence greeted her question. Lily’s heart skipped a beat when James’s hand briefly jumped to his messy hair. A puzzled look softened his features, as if he was debating whether to reply, “Are you serious?” or “It’s supposed to be my line”. Of course, in Lily’s most romantic dreams, it wasn’t either the right place, or the ideal moment to propose. However, every fiber of her body was cheering approvingly, telling her she was doing the right thing. So that was what being in love meant! It felt much more like a country walk in springtime than a wild ride in the Forbidden Forest, she would say. But Lily knew one thing for sure, whether it was nice or wild; she wanted to take this walk with no one else than James.


“I am not a Marauder, James,” she added, looking bravely into his eyes. “But if I have to live any adventure from now on, I wish it will be with you.”

“I’ll be honored, Lily!” James said, and Lily heard nothing but love in his words. “You are the most wonderful adventure I can wish for! And I’ll do what it takes to prove it to you!”

“Then the first step will be a walk down the aisle. Do you think you’ll be up to the task?”

“Don’t worry, I will be!” he answered, his eyes shining with a confidence only James Potter could show.


James pulled her close and kissed her tenderly. Oh yes, that was definitely the kiss she was dreaming of in her most romantic fantasies! Lily let out a sigh. For a brief moment, the entire world seemed to vanish around them. There was no more Dark Mark or Aurors, but only two people promising a lifetime of love to each other.


An icy rain started to fall, and once again called them back to reality. Still smiling, James’s hand softly wiped away the raindrops from Lily’s face.


“Let’s get out of this hole!” he said, taking out his wand. “Ready?”

“After you!” Lily nodded resolutely.


James seized firmly the rope he had conjured earlier, and started pulling himself up the rocky slope. The gap seemed roughly twenty feet deep, he realized. Yet, the Death Eaters had not spotted Lily and him in the bottom of the gap earlier, thanks to the cloudy night.


Soon, he could heave himself to the leaves-covered ground. The woods stood stoic and numb under the cold rain, and James found nothing suspicious around the area. Still lying flat on the ground, he pulled strongly at the rope twice.


Lily understood the way was clear. At her turn, she began climbing up the gap. Her left shoulder seared with pain, but luckily it still held on to her effort. Clenching her teeth, she tried to focus on the piece of sky she could see above her head. Each step she took drew her closer to the ground and to the Dark Mark, which snaky tongue kept dangling mockingly.


“Come on, Lily,” James urged her. “You’re almost there!”


The rain was falling more heavily now, blinding her, making her climbing even more difficult. Finally, Lily could feel James grasp her hand and pull her upward until she could reach the ground.


The heady scent of humid soil immediately filled her nostrils. In a flash, she remembered “Operation Clearing”. The odds were clearly against them completing tonight’s mission as planned. They had to inform Headquarters, she decided, getting back on her feet. But, before she could reach her wand, Lily saw a jet of light dash through the rain.


“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!” someone yelled from behind a tree.


She uttered a gasp, as she took the full blast of the spell. The effect was immediate. Lily’s entire body went rigid, as if every muscle had turned to ice in a split second. She collapsed, but had no sensation of hitting the ground.


James whirled around. He hardly managed to avoid a Stunning Spell when another voice roared again.


“INCARCEROUS!”


Ropes sprang out from thin air to wrap around his body. In a matter of seconds, James found himself tightly bound and thrown to the ground beside an immobile Lily.


Slowly, a few shadows came out of the dark to narrow on them. Judging by the gleeful sounds they were making under their hoods, they were congratulating themselves for such a nice catch.


“I knew they would come up sooner or later,” one of them gloated, “it was worth the wait, wasn’t it?”

“We got them alive!” hissed a female voice. “The Dark Lord will be thrilled.”

“He’ll certainly reward us for such a good prey,” a third one chimed in. “But before bringing him to our Lord, we can teach them a few lessons first, can’t we, Irene?”


In spite his worrying situation, James mentally registered the name he just heard. Death Eaters usually gave themselves code names so they could communicate with each other during their operations, while preserving their true identity.


“Well, well!” the one who called himself ‘Irene’ came nearer to look at them. “Famous James Potter and his Mudblood enjoying a Halloween night stroll.”


Whether it was “Irene” or “Eileen”, James could swear it was a man who undoubtedly knew Lily and him well. He counted quickly: Four… eight …twelve Death Eaters were circling Lily and him, their wands pointing eagerly at their captives.


“CRUCIO!” a woman shouted, and the Cruciatus Curse hit James like a bolt of lightning.


A nerve-breaking pain took over him, making his body arch uncontrollably. His blood must have turned into liquid fire, coursing wildly through his veins into his bones. He clenched his teeth. The pain was acute and unmerciful. But in no way, he would give them the pleasure to hear him scream.


Then suddenly, the torture ceased. James felt himself lift upside-down in the air, hanging like a puppet in the pouring rain.


“So, Potter, how do you enjoy the view upside-down?” ‘Irene’ sneered again.

“Let him watch us kill the Mudblood first!” the woman cut in, her voice trembling with excitement.

“NO! Leave her to me. But, feel free to play with Mr. Potter here. I suggest you take his pants off to spice up the show.”


‘Irene’ turned reluctantly away from James and pointed his wand at Lily. “Mobilicorpus!” he said, moving her out of the circle of his cheering friends.


An icy shiver ran though James’s spine. Now, he recognized that low, silky voice filled with smugness. James watched Lily drift out of his sight, his mind racing to find a way to help her out. He struggled again, only to feel the ropes cut deeper into his flesh. An old hatred surged in his blood; he would fight to his last breath to keep the traitor from touching a hair of Lily’s head.


“DON’T YOU DARE HURT HER, LITTLE SLIMEBALL!” he yelled. “IF YOU REALLY WANT TO PLAY, TRY ME!”



***



Thanks for reading this “fluffy” chapter :). Please, take a minute to review and let me know what you think, OK???? You're the best!

Author’s Note:
Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for being such a genius! Your characters are simply inspiring.
Thanks again, Aurora, for your precious help in spite of your Marauder’s busy schedule. ;) ;)


***


The voices of the Death Eaters cheering over their prey faded away, as Lily drifted irresistibly along a tortuous path across the trees. Still, unable to move a single muscle, she felt like a defenseless patient being wheeled to the operation room. Don’t panic, she told herself, concentrate on what you can do; THINK! And knowing that the spell had not taken over her mind, instantly gave her a surge of confidence.


After several turns, the Death Eater finally set Lily down on the ground. He took a wary look around, as though to make sure they were alone and out of his companions’ earshot. Then he knelt down and bent over her, his hooded head blocking the raindrops from her face.


“Evans, can you hear me?” his voice rang inside her head like the shivering echo of a bell.


Although, Lily had never been a skilled Legilimens or an accomplished Occlumens, she at least knew the basics. She understood the importance of closing her mind the best she could, so that the Death Eater could only read what she allowed him to. Intuitively, she decided to keep her answers short and focus her energy on shielding her other thoughts.


“YES, Severus!” she mentally wrote down each word in her head.

“You have recognized me,” Snape’s voice sounded delighted. “Smart girl!”

“I’m petrified, not deaf.”

“Still remember my voice, I see… excellent! With some proper training, you can be a fair Legilimens.”

“Why bring me here?”

“Potter definitely has a bad influence on you, Evans,” Snape continued. “You were not that rude at Hogwarts.”

“No time to waste.”

“Worried about your boyfriend? Don’t be, he’s being very well entertained at the moment.”

“Get to the point, Snape!” Lily’s temper was rising.

“Don’t use that tone with me, Evans!” he warned sternly. “I risked a lot to bring you here and to offer you a choice that might save your life…”

“What choice?” Lily cut in.


Snape sighed behind his mask. For a moment, he turned away and seemed to choose carefully his words. Lily took the opportunity to release the tension that was building inside her temples. She had to find a way to end this tiring exchange, for the whole process was nothing but a slow torture of her mind. Snape, on the other hand, proved to be a skilful Legilimens, reading minds as easily as a potion formula. Mistrustful as he always has been, it must be the safest way for him to communicate without being overheard by his fellow Death Eaters.


“I offer you the choice to walk out and never look back,” Snape’s voice invaded her mind again. “This war is lost in advance for you and those you call friends. The power of the Dark Lord has grown beyond everyone’s comprehension and over any ridiculous attempt from the Ministry of Magic to stop him. If being with Potter has not affected your intelligence since we left school, you will take this chance to save yourself while you still can.”


Lily felt an electric shock shot through her spine. Snape’s contemptuous words instantly ignited her fighting spirit. If he thought he was doing her a favor by telling her to jump ship, he had clearly underestimated her. Moreover, Lily was not the type to blindly accept any surprise gift, especially when it came from a Death Eater.


“Why give me that choice?” Lily asked him.

“I don’t … need to kill you.” Snape answered.

“What’s in it for you?” she insisted.

“Nothing! Just for old time’s sake.”


“For old time sake,” Lily repeated the words in her head again, and Snape nodded affirmatively. If it was true, then why didn’t he try to save James? She wondered, before deciding it was the moment to serve Snape a gentle reminder of his debt towards James. So, she singled out a memory of their seventh year at Hogwarts, and deliberately let Snape read the image of James coming back from the Shrieking Shack after that fateful night. The effect was immediate. Snape jerked his head back, as if he had been punched on the face.


“Don’t flash that rubbish on me!” his voice was cold with anger. “Potter had not tried to save me that night. He had saved himself, as well as his friends, from being expelled if their little joke had turned sour. I know that he hasn’t changed. He’s still so conceited, so arrogant that he believes he can take on a lost battle. If he’s foolish enough to think he can defy the Dark Lord, then who am I to change his mind?”


If there were some things time could never mend, then James and Snape’s mutual hatred was definitely one of them. Lily cleared her mind. A change of strategy was in order, for Snape will never help her rescue James.


“Release me,” she demanded silently.

“What is your answer to my offer?”

“Will tell you myself,” she answered.


Snape hesitated a moment then finally pointed his wand at her. As soon as he muttered the counter-curse, the invisible cage that was imprisoning Lily’s body instantly vanished. Her blood seemed to flow freely in her veins again, bringing life back to each one of her muscle. The pain on her shoulder came back at once. Although the rain had stopped, Lily shivered; her soaking wet cloak was indeed a poor barrier to the cold night.


“Thank you,” Lily simply said, relieved to hear the sound of her own voice.


Snape kept a close watch over her while she managed to get back to her feet. She brought a hand under her left arm, pretending to check on her injured shoulder, but went pale as she encountered an empty pocket. Damn it, he had taken my wand. Her heart sunk as realization hit her. Obviously nothing turned out right tonight, no matter what she tried to plan.


“Looking for this, Evans?” Snape queried silkily, his fingers toying with her wand. “I must admit it would have been highly …disappointing … to see you give up so easily. Still, you don’t realize the fatal mistake you are making!”


Lily’s heart skipped a beat when she thought about James. She only hoped he would hold on until she could get pass Snape. She briefly closed her tired eyes, took in a deep breath then turned to face her former schoolmate.


“No matter what happens, I will not forget what you have done for me tonight,” she said.

“For the last time, run away before it’s too late. You have no other choice!”

“Oh yes, I do have another choice,” Lily replied firmly. “I chose to fight with James.”


Snape fell silent, but Lily could feel his burning gaze under his mask. When he spoke again, he sounded like a weary old man lecturing a rebel child.


“Is it worth risking your life for Potter?” he asked. “What is it so ‘special’ about him that justifies such a blind devotion from you?”

“You said it yourself,” Lily did not hesitate a second. “James will never bend to Voldemort; he will never give up the fight, as long as he still can make a difference. You might call it foolishness, Severus, but I call it courage to stand up for what he believes in.”

“Then both of you have chosen death!” he concluded gloomily.


Not if I can get you out of my way… The thought came to Lily in a flash. “ACCIO WAND!” she cried.


But Snape had somehow anticipated her action. “PROTEGO,” he replied instantly to Lily’s Summoning Charm.


“EXPELLIARMUS!” a third voice yelled in the night.


The wand that Snape was holding swiftly flew out of his grip. Not only did the spell disarmed Snape, it violently knocked him off his feet and sent him flying several steps backwards. He slumped onto the muddy ground; his skull mask fell off, revealing the stern face of a tired man. Lily hastily collected her wand and pointed it at the spot from where the spell had been cast.


“Easy, Evans, I’m on your side!” the same familiar voice called out.

“Show yourself!” Lily demanded, while casting as a precaution a Shield Charm around herself.


Snape’s attacker came out of a bush nearby, both of his arms raised in the air so that Lily could see he truly meant no harm. He warily approached her; the dim moonlight reflected on his military short hair that looked sticky with something dark. Blood … Lily realized as she peered at the throbbing cut on his forehead.


“Anderson!” she exclaimed, her heart jolted with relief. “Nice to see you!”


She lowered her wand as Anderson’s features finally became unmistakable under the dim moonlight. He returned her smile, before edging towards Snape and pricking his unconscious form with the tip of his wand.


“Gotcha, bloody Death Eater!” Anderson hissed gleefully, wiping the red dripping wound on his head with his sleeve. “How do we finish him?”


Without a second thought, Lily picked up Snape’s wand and handed it to Anderson. Then, she conjured tight cords to bind Snape’s wrists and legs.


“Silencio” she muttered, pointing her wand at his immobile face. “There! He will not run, nor speak for a while.” Then she looked intently into the apprentice’s eyes. “You stay here and guard him, Anderson. Just promise me not to do anything stupid. Death Eater or not, any prisoner deserves a fair trial before paying his sentence. Do you understand me?”

“A trial, you said?” the young apprentice protested, bewildered. “No court had done my dead parents justice. What if this piece of filth gets off the hook and comes back with his ugly friends to harm more people?”

“I know, Anderson. But, that is precisely why we are different from those Death Eaters. We believe in fairness and justice. Acting like those we fight against means giving them a bit of victory. We’re much better than that, aren’t we?”


Without another word, Anderson once again dried off his forehead with his robes. Lily glanced at her young teammate with sympathy. She must admit that he definitely had a point. The icy thought of Snape escaping justice and taking his revenge on innocent people darted across her mind. She shuddered, hoping she would never have to regret tonight’s decision.


“Hey, where are you going?” Anderson asked over his shoulder, as he saw her look around and headed towards a tortuous path to her right.

“James needs help!” she answered urgently.


Lily stared into the shadows, trying to remember the way Snape had led her through earlier. She zigzagged in the dark, praying silently she’d not arrive too late. Only a few seconds later, she could hear Anderson’s footsteps catching on her.


“I’m not staying behind!” he told her bluntly, a true grown-up’s resolution glowing in his eyes. “Potter is my teammate too. Even Moody would agree that we must try anything we can to rescue a teammate in danger.”

“I appreciate it,” Lily said, “but I can’t let you to put yourself in danger. You’re only fourteen…”

“If anyone ever asks, just blame it on the Aging Potion! Tell them I forgot to follow your orders.”


Lily smiled thankfully. The two of them increased their pace, dodging the low branches and trying not to stumble over the entwining tree roots. Then just as Lily thought they were lost, they heard voices shouting from a distance. They stopped on their track, panting, and pricking up their ears to locate the source of the noise.


Not far from them, behind a curtain of giant trees, a battle was raging. Bolts of light were shot back and forth, rending the darkness of the surroundings. The Death Eaters were moving around, shooting every spell they seemed to know, shouting loudly to each other. A few feet away from them, two men were standing back to back, their wands waving wildly to deflect the curses thrown at them. Even though they were outnumbered eleven to two, they luckily managed to stand their ground.


“Sirius,” Lily gasped with relief as she recognized one of those two men, “and James!” she cried, when the spells flashed on Sirius’s companion’s glasses, lighting up his untidy hair. “Come on, Anderson, let’s give them a hand!” she added, pulling at her young teammate’s sleeve.


Anderson has obviously been waiting for this precise order all evening. He sprang out from behind the trees and fiercely jumped in the ongoing battle. Their arrival forced the Death Eaters to defend themselves on two fronts at a time. Several hooded fighters screamed in fury. They scattered in a sudden panic, casting Stunning Spells in every direction they could reach.


“LILY,” James yelled triumphantly when he saw her dashing towards the battle.

“ANDERSON,” Sirius bellowed to the apprentice, even though his voice showed no trace of anger, “THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STAY AT HEADQUARTERS!”

“SORRY, JUST FORGOT!” Anderson shouted back, knocking a Death Eater off his feet with a particularly well-placed spell.


Two other Death Eaters were hit by James’s stunners and slumped onto the ground. Their companions groaned; they kept fighting, but had clearly shifted from attack to a more defensive mode. Lily ducked a spell cast by a tall Death Eater coming out from nowhere.


“STUPEFY” she retaliated, and her attacker collapsed in a loud thud.


Behind her back, Sirius was groaning like an enraged dog. He has always been a restless fighter; but he proved to turn particularly bold every time he fought beside James. At this very moment, Sirius was engaged in a one-on-one battle with a tough Death Eater. The two of them fought like they were performing a well-rehearsed show, where players could anticipate the other one’s move.


“Bet that one hurt, didn’t it?” Sirius bellowed when one of his spells cut across his opponent’s upper arm.

“Take that, Big Dog!” the Death Eater shouted back; blood dripped from his wound as his injured arm swung forward.


Sirius’s eyes widened with horror at the Death Eater’s voice. Deeply shocked, he forgot to dodge the spell that was aimed right at him. A jet of light hit his shoulder, and he fell on his knees. Menacingly, the Death Eater was coming towards Sirius, his wand pointed. Like a vulture scenting a dying prey, another Death Eater joined him to goggle gleefully at an Auror on his knees.


“Well done!” a woman’s voice cackled excitedly. “You finish him now! Make the Dark Lord proud!”


Somehow, the Death Eater appeared shaken with doubts. His wand was still pointing at Sirius, but his arm was clearly trembling.


“Ava … Avada … Keda …” Sirius heard him gasp behind his mask.

“KILL HIM, RAB! DO IT; HE’S JUST A FILTHY BLOOD TRAITOR!” the woman’s voice was booming now, urging her companion to finish his task.


But ‘Rab’ just stepped backwards. He lowered his wand; his head was shaking with an indefinable horror.


“I … can’t … kill him. He’s my … my …” he stammered in a strangled voice, ignoring the woman’s horrible screams.


Rab’s hesitation was an opportunity Sirius could not afford to miss. Without wasting another thought, Sirius shot out his wand.


“EXPELLIARMUS!” he shouted, and the Death Eater’s wand slipped from his trembling hand.


***


Thanks for reading, I hope you liked this chapter.
I know I’m terrible! Sorry for the cliffhanger, guys… Please, don’t hate me ;) I promise I’ll submit the next chapter ASAP, Ok? XO and Merry Christmas to you all!

Author's Note:
All characters belong to JKR - aka the real genius - or inspired by her.
And HUGE thanks to my dear beta, Aurora, for her hard work and precious help :) :) :)




***



“NO!” The female Death Eater yelled at the top of her lungs, “AVADA K…”

“STUPEFY!” Sirius roared, his wand swinging once more at their direction.


The woman’s scream instantly died in her throat. She stumbled backwards, her arm still stretched in her attempt of throwing the Death Curse. ‘Rab’ stared blindly at her, apparently too stunned to catch her fall.


Oblivious to the battle that was still raging around them, Sirius turned his gaze to the Death Eater who was holding his wounded arm in front of him. For a brief moment, their eyes locked, as though they understood each other perfectly. Sirius inhaled deeply, his heart was beating out of his chest. An invisible hand, the same that had hold ‘Rab’ back a minute ago, was now pressing down on Sirius’s arm. He lowered his wand, which suddenly seemed to weigh a ton.


“DO SOMETHING!” the Auror in Sirius was crying in his head, “or … at least … SAY something to HIM…”


Sirius’s mouth opened then closed in a heavy silence, hating the fact that words just failed him at such a crucial moment. It might be easier if he could perform Legilimency, he thought; but again, Sirius had never lowered himself to practice a dark art. In a flash, he remembered his younger brother, the only person who had once nicknamed him “Big Dog”. Then, Sirius had chosen to leave the house that he had never called home. He had turned his back to all those blood relatives he had never considered his family. Therefore, he reckoned he had no right to say anything now.


“SIRIUS!” someone shouted, “LOOK OUT!”


Sirius broke free of his trance as a stunning power pushed him a few feet backwards. A freezing wind started to swirl then revealed in its midst a tall, dark silhouette. Sirius managed back to his feet, staring like hypnotized, at the man who just apparated among them. He was certain he saw this man for the first time. Yet, Sirius knew and so did his friends, that their ultimate enemy had just materialized in front of them. They were now facing the Dark Lord himself.


With the fog slipping fearfully over his thick black robes, Voldemort stood immobile in the dim moonlight. He was one of those rare persons who got this innate gift for attracting everyone’s attention with his sole presence. Very slowly, he tossed his hood back, uncovering a face that looked so pale and emotionless it was merely human. His eyes were glinting like white-hot steel while he ran his gaze over the Aurors around him, as though he wished to burn them alive.


Like a well-trained aristocrat, Voldemort raised his hand then suddenly closed his fingers in a fist. The Aurors gasped, bewildered, as their wands broke with a snap in their hands. The Death Eaters instantly coiled with fear at the sound of the broken wands. They all rushed towards their master, kneeling hastily to kiss the hem of his robes. But, Voldemort, obviously unmoved by their devotion, had already turned his attention to Sirius, who was still standing in front of him.


“Blood traitor,” Voldemort accused icily, as he raised his wand. “CRUCIO!” He cried.


Sirius’s body was immediately doubled up with waves of unbearable pain. He crumpled to the ground, as his horrified friends were watching helplessly.


“So, here are the heroic Aurors the Ministry of Magic had sent against me,” Voldemort snarled. “Pitiful! You should have known that you are no match to Lord Voldemort. And now, Auror, you will die!”


The death sentence triggered a wild eruption in James’s mind. Suddenly, James could not take his eyes from the arm that was now rising to cast the Death Curse. He could definitely not let Voldemort execute his best friend without trying to prevent it. James only remembered catching Lily’s blazing gaze before he dashed forwards in an uncertain attempt to direct the Death Curse away from Sirius. Head first, he charged at Voldemort, knocking him off his feet. Both of them stumbled to the ground, while a tree nearby smashed into pieces under the full blast of the deflected curse.


Voldemort’s wrath was immediate. He hissed angrily and, with a wave of his hand, sent James flying in the air before crashing in a loud thud beside Sirius. Holding both of them at the tip of his wand, he came towards them, his face contorted by anger.


“What you have just done is very … unwise, silly boy!” Voldemort glared at James who did not step back. “Who are you? Give me your name before I punish you for this affront!”

“My Lord, his name is James Potter,” a Death Eater reported humbly to his master. “We have caught him earlier with the Mudblood who is standing over there.”

“I asked him a question!” Voldemort retorted severely. “Next time, Macnair, just shut your mouth unless I desire to ask your opinion!”

“Yes, master! Forgive me … my Lord, it won’t happen again,” the Death Eater babbled fearfully.


Voldemort’s gaze nonetheless followed the direction Macnair had pointed and fell on Lily. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at her, but finally turned back to the two Aurors standing in front of him.


“You two don’t look like you’re family,” a mirthless laugh pierced in his voice as he noticed how James’s raven hair contrasted with Sirius’s, “so I guess you are just … friends. And you, Potter, were ready to DIE for a friend?”


Actually, they looked very much alike, Voldemort silently reckoned. The same fire was burning in their stubborn eyes. They both had those clenched jaws that refused to scream with pain or answer questions.


Voldemort even knew for a fact that those two would rather die than betray each other. How silly! the Dark Lord shook his head and decided to get over what he refused to understand. So he carried on, as if he was lecturing in front of an attentive class. His voice echoed in the woods, feverish and cold at the same time.


“Death is the ultimate defeat of the soul,” he said despisingly. “I am above such shame and weakness! I alone have the power and courage to do what it takes to conquer Death. I alone will hold the greatness of Immortality. I am Lord Voldemort. Soon, even Death will fear to speak my name.

“And you,” Voldemort pointed an accusing finger to James and Sirius, “you only pretend to defend the wizarding world against dark arts; you act in the name of such foolish notions as ‘love’ and ‘friendship’. Those are just feeble excuses to dwell in your cowardice and hide your lack of vision. Your names will be long forgotten, whereas generations of wizards will keep worshipping mine. You two are a disgrace to our blood. You don’t deserve to live.”


The Death Eaters gasped in awe, hopeful to share the “greatness” their master had promised them. They gazed hungrily at James and Sirius, but had forgotten all about Lily and Anderson who were staring at the scene from a short distance.


Lily shivered at Voldemort’s poisonous words, her fingers tightened around the pieces of her broken wand. As she racked her mind for an escape plan, she barely realized that Anderson had come to stand beside her.


“I remember now,” the apprentice whispered, “Black told me he had alerted Moody before coming here to help you.”

“So, if Mad-Eye knows, then…” Lily said breathlessly, as hope coursed through her.

“Then, your other friends will be here soon,” Anderson concluded encouragingly.

“We have to give them more time…”

“Leave it to me! I have things I want to tell the Dark One anyway!” Anderson instantly waved off Lily’s silent warning. “He’s dangerous, I know. But, if we stand here doing nothing, you and I will be next on his execution list. Besides,” the apprentice winked at Lily before raising his voice, “I AM NOT AFRAID OF HIM!”


Anderson’s statement reached the Dark Lord and his followers, just as he had intended. The Death Eaters groaned, although they were still kneeling obediently on the muddy ground.


“Master, let me punish this insolent little jerk for you,” one of them offered.


Voldemort raised his hand to stop his servant. Of course, he could easily crush this boy on the spot, but it was also “appropriate” somehow to act like a noble Lord, as he pleased to call himself.


“I can take care of him myself!” he said. “Have you just said, boy, that you don’t fear Lord Voldemort?” he asked Anderson, a murderous gleam in his red eyes.

“You heard me right!” Anderson said loudly, stepping forwards so that the Dark Lord could see him well under the cloudy sky. “You said you could take care of me yourself? HA! That would be the first time, wouldn’t it?”

“The first time? What do you mean?”

“Don’t you know what your Death Eaters do in your name?”

“You are dying to break the news to me, I see. Then, go ahead!”

“Just one example: you have sent your cronies over my parents’ house,” Anderson informed him. “It took at least six of your Death Eaters to murder a couple of unarmed Healers. Yes, very brave of them, isn’t it? Did they learn it from you? Or are they too scared to realize that their master is not man enough to do the dirty job himself?”


Voldemort blemished. For a moment, he was struck speechless by so much impudence.


That’s it; take your time! Anderson thought, counting eagerly every second he could steal before help arrived. From the corner of his eyes, he saw James and Sirius take a step forward, frowning to dissuade him from finishing what he had started. Their sudden move caught Voldemort’s attention. Without warnings, the Dark Lord cast a Freezing Charm that trapped James and Sirius on the spot.


“Don’t you try anything stupid, silly girl!” Voldemort’s cold threat froze Lily on her track as she surged forward, “or I will kill them now, all of them!

“As for you, boy, you are absolutely right!” he continued towards Anderson. “Indeed, I don’t have to do the ‘dirty job’. I let my enemies take care of that part for me!”

Like polished actor, he paused, gauging the effect his words produced. Then, he pointed his wand at Anderson. “I won’t waste my magic skills on those two blood traitors. But, you will kill them for me. IMPERIO!”


Anderson’s features unwillingly relaxed under the effects of the curse. His eyes softened, and a weak smile distorted his lips.


“DANCE!” the Dark Lord ordered.


Anderson’s arms rose aloft, as his feet started having a quick twirl. His body followed, moving awkwardly to a soundless music that only he seemed to hear. The Death Eaters laughed; some of them applauded mockingly at the performance.


“Excellent! Now, say ‘I am Lord Voldemort’s servant’!” the Dark Lord commanded.

“I … am … Lord …” Anderson uttered breathlessly, his eyes fluttered shut in a keen effort to concentrate.

“Say ‘I am Lord Voldemort’s servant’!” Voldemort urged again.

“… I … am … Lord Voldemort …. s … s …”

“SAY IT! Let us all hear your praise of my power!”

“… Am … Lord … Vold… s … servant.”

“That will do!” Voldemort said at last. He stretched his left hand to summon a wand from his kneeling followers. “Now, come take this wand, and kill those worthless Aurors.”


Beads of perspiration started showing on Anderson’s forehead, mixing with the blood that kept dripping from his wound. His breathing grew heavy, as though he was running the last miles of a marathon. The Death Eaters were still cheering, but they no longer ignored their victim’s struggling against the Unforgivable.


“I SAID TAKE THE WAND AND KILL THEM!” Voldemort growled impatiently.


Anderson’s feet dreamily closed the short distance between him and Voldemort. The apprentice raised a trembling arm. His fingers slowly closed around the handed wand.


“NO!” Anderson suddenly cried, hurling the wand away with a look of total horror on his face. “NEVER!”


The triumphant smirk instantly died on Voldemort’s lips, so did the cheering of the Death Eaters. They all stared incredulously at the boy who had just managed to resist the Imperius Curse. There was no doubt he had suffered from the curse! Voldemort found a small comfort at the sight of his young victim. The boy looked indeed like a mess, holding his head with shaking hands as tears of exhaustion dripped on his cheeks. But, the fact that irritated him most was that he had never sensed any fear in this boy’s heart, nor in his companions’, while they were facing him.


From a distance came the unbearable sound of two hands clapping with derision. Voldemort glared at his Death Eaters. They, too, had heard the applause and were scanning at the area to locate the sound.


“Alastor Moody!” Voldemort hissed when his bloodshot eyes fell on the man who was edging fearlessly towards them. “The famous Auror! Finally, the Ministry sends someone worthy to deal with me!” Voldemort mocked.

“We meet at last, Voldemort!” Moody coolly replied, ignoring the Death Eaters’ wince at their master’s name. “Quite a show you have put up here,” his magical eye was wandering around the battlefield. “Though I must admit … I thought you have more style than that!”

“Style?” Voldemort blurted out. “What does style have to do with power?”

“Everything, dear Lord, everything!” Moody was clearly enjoying himself. “Style can make a chief a master. Style can force your enemy’s resentfulness into respect. Style is what will turn fame into legend. And style is definitely NOT using an Unforgivable to make a fourteen year old apprentice murder his wandless teammates.”


Judging by Voldemort’s silence, Moody knew he had put all the right buttons. Although lecturing about “style” in magic was very far from his operations standards, Moody had followed his instinct by avoiding an open battle. Four members of his team were presently in mortal danger, and he could feel the Death Eaters’ eagerness to prove themselves to their master. Moody’s natural eye glanced at them. It would be suicidal if he so much as rushed a hand to his pocket. In Moody’s opinion, the best strategy he could choose was to deal with Voldemort himself and, to be more precise, to play on his secret thirst for recognition.


In the meantime, Voldemort’s mind was sizzling with conflicting thoughts. It would be so easy to prove his power to Moody by killing his men now. However, the legendary Auror’s speech had undoubtedly touched the right chord. For Merlin sake, he was Lord Voldemort, the rightful and worthy heir of Salazar Slytherin! From an unwanted orphan, he had come a long way to achieve greatness. He will become the “legend” Moody had mentioned, and his reign needed to be nothing less than flawless. Therefore, if “style” and other niceties were what he needed to take over the respect he deserved, than he would gladly oblige. His eyes started glinting dangerously again as he turned to Moody.


“Your Aurors, including this boy, had fought and lost against my men,” Voldemort said. He had somehow made his decision about their fate, but did not want to give in too easily.

“They lost because YOU have broken their wands,” Moody replied, before levitating the broken wands in front of the Dark Lord’s nose. “None of your Death Eaters is skillful enough to cast this Severing Charm.”

“An accurate assessment that honors your brilliant reputation, Mr. Moody,” the Dark Lord smiled. “May I return the compliment by saying that none of your Aurors has your expertise in the field of magic?”

“Oh, they have, believe me!” Moody nodded knowingly. “However, they have also learned from Dumbledore that friendship and loyalty are much more powerful than dark arts. Blimey, that reminds me to have a word with old Albus as soon as he arrives about things he taught my Aurors.”

“Dumbledore is coming?” Voldemort’s voice fell down a notch.

“Must be on his way,” Moody added almost casually. “You know him … always keeps an attentive eye over every student of his!”

“Annoying habit, indeed!” snarled Voldemort, frowning.


It is much too soon to face Dumbledore, the Dark Lord’s little voice warned him. My Horcruxes are not ready; I am still short of two to reach the number of six as planned. Perhaps, once I’ve made one more then it would be dear old Albus’s turn. Yes, it would be absolutely “stylish” to kill one of the Hogwarts most reputable Headmasters for my final Horcrux!


Voldemort shivered with thrill at his new plan. Suddenly, the young Aurors he had captured no longer interested him. This confrontation was getting annoying, he thought. All he wanted now was to withdraw his marbles and go back to much more meaningful purposes.


“It would be pleasant to hear your little conversation. Unfortunately, I have more important business to attend,” Voldemort announced smugly. “However, please send my word to Professor Dumbledore. Tell him that he is dead wrong about the power of love, and he has definitely lost his touch in teaching. Your Aurors had better count on someone like you, Mr. Moody, to teach them how to defend themselves.” Then he gestured idly towards the young Aurors. “Those four children, you can take them back and complete their education. I would gladly defeat them again the future.”

“Me? A teacher? That is not likely! But, thanks for the advice; I’ll keep that in mind,” snorted Moody.


***



Thanks for reading :) Sorry for the wait ... I hope you liked it!
Hey, (almost) no cliffhanger in this chapter ;) Disappointing, isn't it??? ^_^

Author's Note:
All wonderful character belong to JKR, the real genius.
A huge, loud "Thank You" to my precious Aurora who had kept her Correcting Quill very steady in spite of a 'serie of (most) unfortunate events' ;) ;)
Another special "Thumbs-Up" to MithrilQuill for a precious input and the wise suggestion to this chapter.

And to you, my dearest readers, I am TRULY SORRY for the long wait. Here is finally the conclusion to this story.




***



Voldemort decided to withdraw, Lily repressed a sigh of triumph; Mad-Eye had deftly used the name of the only wizard he ever feared.


Moody’s face was stone cold as he silently defied Voldemort. They both stared at each other, as though they were still reluctant to concede any sign of victory to their opponent.


Behind their master’s back, the Death Eaters were hissing their disappointment. Obviously, they had expected him to crush the blood traitors while they were weak and disarmed. However, their murmurs faded when the Dark Lord slowly pointed his wand at them. Voldemort’s lips flattened in an unpleasant smirk as his followers gasped with pain, grasping the burning Dark Mark on their forearms.


A dense cloud of dust started to rise, engulfing Voldemort and his followers in its swirl. They all vanished into the night, leaving only a few masks and broken wands behind them.


“Finite!” Moody immediately released James and Sirius from the curse with a flick of his wand.


We’re safe, Lily told herself for the first time of the evening. Relief washed through her at the sight of James and Sirius rushing towards her.

“Are you all right?” James asked urgently, closing his arms tightly around her. “Has Snape hurt you?”

Lily shook her head. “No, he actually tried to save me,” she explained in a breath. “He said I should run away, for fighting Voldemort is a lost cause.”

“But you’ve decided to come back…”

“What I do in this war is my choice, not his!” Lily said resolutely. “Severus did not like my answer though and tried to stun me. But, Anderson had got him first.”

“So that’s why the ‘midget’ left Headquarters against my orders,” Sirius snarled, though his voice sounded full of approval. “I told him to stay at the cabin and wait for the Healers. But, he’s too stubborn to listen to a grown-up, isn’t he?”


All three of them started searching for Anderson, but their young teammate was no longer on the ground. He had indeed managed to get back to his feet. He went to collect Snape, Lily understood instantly while they watched him stagger towards the dark path through the trees.


“You three!” Moody’s voice startled them. The old Auror looked tired, although his magical eye kept gleaming unblinkingly at them. “I want a full report on tonight’s mission. I also hate parchmentwork, so you’ll tell me every detail here and now. You first, Potter!”


James started to relate their walk through the woods, the discovery of Anderson’s sad story, and the ambush set by the Death Eaters. Then Sirius filled in the blanks on the apprentice’s return from their first encounter with Voldemort’s followers.


“The poor boy somehow slipped out of the battle and managed back to Headquarters,” Sirius told Moody. “He told me everything, and asked … no… demanded me to go look for Lily and James. By the time I sent you the signal, Sir, Anderson ran off to take things in his own hands.”

“He found his way back to the cabin?” asked James, bewildered. “Luckily the Aging Potion he’s been taking…”

“Oho, well spotted, Potter!” Sirius cut across him with a perfect imitation of their former Potion teacher. “‘Memory loss, increased sweating, blood clotting disorder,’ I know them all! The boy was very confused, to say the least. And that nasty cut on his head that kept bleeding no matter what I tried to do! Mind you, Slughorn would have been thrilled to learn that for once in my life, I considered Potions a relevant lesson.”


Incidentally, speaking about Potions lead them straight to the person Sirius loathed the most, Severus Snape. Lily gave them more details on her conversation with Snape. Moody simply nodded at her mention of Anderson’s timely action that had saved her, and his brave decision to help her with the rescue attempt.


“Well, well,” muttered Moody. “Mislead the Aurors Department, transgressed the Restriction on Underage Sorcery, disobeyed a direct order during a mission. Young Anderson did get himself in a lot of trouble!”

“Please, Sir, you must consider that, underage or not, Anderson admirably stood up to Voldemort.” James pointed out, holding his commander’s gaze.

“He lost his parents in the most horrid way. Yet, no one had been charged with the murders!” Lily added.

“Sir, the Ministry did not raise a finger to help his family. How can you blame a smart boy for seeking justice by himself?” Sirius chimed in.


At his turn, Moody shook his head. He, like an increasing number of wizards, was getting tired of the Ministry’s hesitation towards Voldemort.


“You’ve got a point, Black! The Ministry has never known where to stand when Voldemort is concerned!” He growled; a steely gleam was burning in his eyes. “To defeat Voldemort, we need to strike first and ask questions later or befriend people that are way too ‘politically incorrect’ to those Ministry clerks.” His voice fell down a notch to a more secret tone. “That’s why we’re thinking about setting up a group of women and men willing to bring down Voldemort. An ‘Order’ whose actions would not obey the Ministry’s stupid rules…”

“Whatever ‘order’ it is, I want to join!” Sirius volunteered heatedly. “Unlike our Ministry, I am not afraid of Voldemort! ‘You-Know-Who’ or not, he will pay for his crimes.”

“Sir, you said ‘WE are thinking.’ Who would be the other leader of the group?” Lily asked.

“A good question that I can’t answer now, Evans,” Moody’s lips twitched on a smirk and his magical eye rolled with satisfaction. “But you’ll all know when time is right, I’ll see to that!”

“HE’S GONE!” a trembling voice cried behind them.


They all turned, except Moody who did not need to, and realized that Anderson was back, his bloodstained face paler than a ghost.


“…Vanished … fled with the others …” the young boy panted, crumbling with exhaustion.


However, the shock of loosing Snape did not last long. Soon, the other Aurors, who had been called in by Moody’s orders, joined their small group. Lily, James, Sirius, and even Anderson were asked to repeat their story over and over again. Although the entire team was relieved to find James and Lily alive, everyone agreed that tonight’s mission had been a set up all along. Still, they kept glancing at Moody, for one disturbing question remained.


“Sir, about this so-called Death Eaters meeting, who has tipped the Aurors Department off?” Remus finally voiced their thoughts. “It’s not a coincidence they set their ambush in this clearing, is it? They must know about the cabin; our Headquarters is no longer safe.”


Moody looked deep in his thoughts but, as usual, refused to comment or reveal any further information. He only spoke again when a tall man and a woman with long curly hair Apparated among them. He kindly greeted them and, in less than seven words, informed his group of Aurors that the newcomers were actually Healers, who would take care of the wounded.


At Moody’s precise instructions, the two Healers promptly took Lily and Anderson aside to look at their injuries. Without hesitation, they skillfully conjured a new bandage over Lily’s shoulder. She was also prescribed a full week of rest and a potion to sooth her painful bruises.


Anderson’s case, however, captured their full attention. The two Healers closely looked at him, asking questions in a hushed voice. Then, after consulting each other, they decided to send him to St-Mungo’s Hospital for a long journey.


“The effects of the Aging Potion will take some time to wear off, and you need time to heal,” the female Healer told Anderson. “My husband and I knew your parents. We were friends while attending Healer School together.” She added in a more joyful tone.

“Yes, David and Jade Anderson were the brightest students of our year,” the other Healer continued, coming by his wife’s side. “What happened to them was tragic! But, we’ll all try to make those Death Eaters pay for what they did, won’t we?”


Anderson simply nodded without a word.


“Don’t worry, son! We will take care of you personally, and you’ll be back on your feet in no time,” the man kindly assured.


Still silent, Anderson nodded again. Lily could see his eyes glaze with tears as he looked away. Was it her imagination or had he matured over the past hours? She came to sit on the ground by his side, as the Healers momentarily left to speak to Moody.


“Did you hear? They said my parents were brilliant!” Anderson croaked with emotion, pressing a soft sponge over his forehead.

“Yes, I did,” Lily smiled, “I’m sure they would have been very proud of what you did tonight.”

“You mean it?” he asked eagerly. “Is that what a good wizard does? Is it worth seven Death Eaters?”

Lily burst out laughing. “You remember! Well, in your case, it’s worth ten of them.”


Then, she turned around to give him a warm, friendly hug.


“Thank you, Anderson!” she whispered. “Thank you for coming back for James and me.”

“… Uh … thank you…” he patted her awkwardly on the shoulder then apologized profusely when she winced with pain.

“You’ll take care, OK?”

“I will.” His blue eyes were shining bright again. “You know, Evans, I think I’ll go back to school and pick up where I left off. I’ll learn the right way to fight Voldemort. I’m sure my Mom and Dad wouldn’t expect less from me.”


Lily nodded, and the Head Girl in her heartedly yelled her approval. Anderson looked so pleased with his new resolution that they were both oblivious to the rain soaked ground under them. Drawing their cloaks higher to hide from the cold wind, they kept talking enthusiastically about his future plan until the two Healers came back, with Moody on their heels.


“Good job tonight, son!” the old Auror said.

“Thank you, Sir,” Anderson shook his commander’s hand. “And Sir, about … about the Aging Potion… and the Auror Training Program, I can explain…”

“I’ll take care of that!” Moody said gruffly, with a casual wave of his other hand. “I’ll also make sure they save you a spot when you’re seventeen. Now, your job is to get better. Do what they tell you!” Moody’s magical eye pointed towards the two Healers. “They’re the best, and you’ll be as new in a few weeks!”

“Almost as new!” corrected the woman Healer with an encouraging smile. “You will certainly keep a souvenir of the deep cut on your forehead. However, thanks to Mr. Alastor here, scars have become medals of courage in this time of war.”

“Very ‘trendy’ indeed!” Moody snorted at the compliment. “It always starts with one, then … you can’t count them anymore!” he muttered, walking away pensively, stroking the blunt tip of his nose where a chunk was missing.


Lily stepped aside to let the two Healers prepare their young patient for transport. Watching them conjure a stretcher out of thin air to carry Anderson, she felt comforted by the thought that he would be looked after by his parents’ old schoolmates.


“Goodbye, Evans!” Anderson waved at her.

“Goodbye …” Lily replied then a question flashed through her mind. “Hey, you have never told us your name. Your friends don’t always call you Anderson, do they?”


Anderson smiled broadly, visibly touched by this mark of friendship.


“My name’s Harry,” he said, “nasty, common name, I’d say…”

“No, it’s actually very nice! Goodbye then, Harry! I’m sure we’ll meet again.”


James and Sirius were back at Anderson’s side. They shook hands and promised to keep in touch. The farewell went on, as the other apprentices passed by to say goodbye to their friend. Anderson kept thanking everyone for their encouragement, until the two Healers asked him to hold firmly to their forearms. In a blink, they Disapparated to St-Mungo’s.


Lily stared at the empty spot where they had disappeared. “Operation Clearing” had not been a total failure after all. It was true they had lost one battle, but hadn’t they gained a good wizard along the way? The final victory will depend on every tiny difference one could make. Lily strongly believed that Voldemort would never win as long as there was friendship, hope and love in the hearts of those who stood up to him.


Lily jumped as Sirius barked with laughter at her right. And his mirth just increased at the questioning gaze James and Lily pointed at him.


“You know what, mate,” Sirius could hardly catch his breath. “Judging by the motherly look Lily had for that boy, I’m afraid your fiancée has already decided to name your first child ‘Anderson Prongs Potter’.”


Lily blushed slightly, realizing that James had already informed his best friend about their engagement. She gave Sirius a playful spat on the arm. He always had a knack in saying the strangest ideas one could think about.


“Name my child ‘Anderson Prongs’,” Lily rolled her eyes, “causing people to stare at him and talk behind his back for his entire life? No, thanks!”


Sirius, still roaring with laughter, called Remus and strode off to repeat the joke to his friend. James and Lily watched him go, shaking their heads with amusement. Now that they were out of danger, Lily could fully enjoy this heartwarming thrill of being engaged. Her good spirit was definitely back; she threw her arms around James.


“Still want to marry me, do you?” asked James softly, his face just inches from hers.


Tenderly, Lily rose on her tiptoes to kiss him. She wanted to marry him, now more than ever. Life was too short, and they still had so much adventure and laughter to share with each other.


“I love you,” she whispered, promising herself to repeat those words to him every day from now on.

“And I love you, my Lily,” James lovingly replied, holding her as though she was his most precious gift.


They stood there for a long moment, until Moody motioned his troops back to Headquarters.


“Let’s go!” James let go off Lily reluctantly. “Let’s join the others before Sirius comes up with another weird name for our children.”


Giggling, Lily squeezed his hand when they followed their friends. Much to her relief, Sirius had finished with his baby names joke. Someone of the group just reminded him that tonight was Halloween.


“What about a late ‘trick or treat’ party at my place?” he asked around, getting enthusiastic cries of approval among their friends.


~*~


Not far away on a hill surmounting the clearing, a short, chubby man was staring hungrily at the group of Aurors. He just came down the giant tree where he had been hiding for the last hours, peering at the scene through the branches.


He had followed the battle with mixed interest. At moments, he had felt like a dazed Quidditch spectator, who could not decide which team to cheer on. He even remembered he had punched the air with his fist when Sirius showed up in time to rescue James from his torturers. Nevertheless, he had later gone numb with fear, watching Lord Voldemort unleash his terrible power.


A cold shiver, which had nothing to do with the wind, ran through his spine.


“You’re a coward!” a voice whispered reproachfully in his head.

“Yeah, a coward who will make it alive!” snapped another voice.


Nodding to the second voice, the man uttered a squeak of approval. Tonight, the Dark Lord had staged a test for his newly recruited Death Eaters. If Prongs and Padfoot themselves could hardly deal with them, how could he, an ordinary wizard with no particular talent, resist the Dark Lord?


“You’re a coward AND a traitor!” the first voice insisted. “Your friends will never forgive you for this.”

“SHUT UP!” the second voice thundered. “They’re my friends, aren’t they? They would understand I had no other choice!”


His heart still pounding wildly, the man took a last glimpse at his friends. He will have to be extra careful from now on. He will have to watch his back, for the tiniest mistake could cost him his life. The man nodded again to his wise resolutions, then transformed into his Animagus.


Above his head, the dense clouds were clearing now. The moon finally darted a few milky beams through the mist, leading the way to a grey, shabby rat in its flight through the woods, towards his new allegiance.


***