“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the Mudblood, Evans,” a low voice drawled out. “Oh, look, you’ve contaminated my robes. Now I’ll have to burn them.” Lily felt her heart jump into her throat in fear as she barely made out the form of Avery standing above her.
“Now, what should we do to an ickle Mudblood who’s out of her place? Teach her a lesson, we should.” Bellatrix purred in her low, silky voice.
Lily pulled herself up to her feet and regained her voice. “Out of my place? This is a public corridor! I have as much right as anybody to be here, even you.” She said in indignation.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Bellatrix’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’re out of place by simply being here. By no right should a Mudblood such as yourself bring your filth into this school, daring to talk to your betters the disrespectful way that you do.”
Avery smirked. “What was that you said earlier, Bellatrix? About teaching the Mudblood a little lesson?”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Lily clenched her fists together, as if keeping a grip on her anger. She tried to recall lessons and tips from Defense Against the Dark Arts. ‘Keep your cool. Don’t let them know you’re scared. Use everything you have. Call for help, if all else fails.’ “You’d be caught if you tried to do anything. Filch is...” Then she paled as she remembered that Filch was watching over detentions.
She became increasingly aware of the danger she was in, as she was outnumbered, tired, and presently unarmed. Lily pulled out her wand, but wasn’t quick enough.
“Expelliarmus!” Avery sneered.
Lily flew back and hit the wall with a painful thud. She slid down to the floor.
Panicking, she opened her mouth to scream.
“Silencio!” Bellatrix said, almost lazily. Apparently Lily wasn’t the only one who paid attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Lily tried to call for help, hoping against all hope that the spell had not worked, or the incantation was said wrong.
But no such luck. No sound escaped her trembling lips.
Using her last resort, Lily turned and ran. “Locomotor Mortis!” Avery hissed.
Lily’s legs went stiff and she toppled over onto the floor, head-first.
“Petrificus Totalus.” Bellatrix topped Avery, and Lily felt her entire body go stiff. But the Slytherins weren’t done with her just yet.
Avery smirked once more. “It looks like our favorite Gryffindor has fallen at last.”
Bellatrix began to walk towards Lily. “It would seem as if she has nowhere to go. No one to turn to. She’s all alone.” She smiled. “I did warn you, don’t you remember? I told that I’d find you, whenever you were unarmed, and unaware. I said that one day, that time would come. And guess what?” All Lily could do was glare at her tormentor. “Today is that day.” Bellatrix’s sickeningly sweet grin grew wider. “You’re all alone, and this time, no cousin of mine is going to come to your rescue.”
Almost forgotten, Avery spoke up. “Or Potter. He thought that he could be there to save you. He thought he could protect you from me. He was wrong.”
A strange feeling came over Lily. James had cared about her that much? Against her own will, that thought made her feel... almost happy. Warm inside.
The good feeling came to an abrupt end. Avery smirked and said, “Enough talking. I’ve waited a long time to do this, and now’s my chance. Wingardium Leviosa!” Lily rose quickly into the air, limbs straightened at her sides. She went higher and higher, until Avery called out “Finite Incantum.” Lily went crashing into the floor, and a searing pain rushed into her shoulder.
Avery wasn’t done yet. She rose once more, and suddenly fell back to the floor with a muffled thud. Then back up. And down. Another bruise.
Bellatrix raised her own wand and pointed it at the battered body of Lily lying at her feet. “Crucio!”
Lily would have widened her eyes if she could at the shock of hearing the Unforgivable, before she felt her very bones being turned into liquid fire coursing through her veins. She tried to scream in agony, but couldn’t open her mouth. She tried to jerk away from the curse, but she was frozen in place. The only thing that she could do was hope for an end to the pain.
“Stop it, Bellatrix,” Avery hissed. Lily froze inside herself, even grateful to Avery for making the unbearable pain cease. Her relief was short- lived. “Do it right. I want to see her squirm.” He muttered the counter curses to the Body Binds, then the pain started again. After a while...
“Severus, I’m getting bored. What’s the point of playing with a broken toy?” Lily lay on the ground, panting. “Let’s just kill her and be done with it.”
Lily agreed with her. Anything to make the pain stop. Lily tried to focus on her attackers, but found the effort too lard, as she was seeing double. Her head was pounding, and she could feel her grip on a normal thought process slipping through her stiff fingers.
“No!” Avery hissed forcefully. “That would be too messy. Dumbledore would be on us at an instant, and the whole backbone of our project is secrecy! No, just leave her here, as a sign, a message...”
Lily absently wondered what sort of project they could be talking about. Maybe a school project? She would have to get started.
“Fine.” Bellatrix said, sticking out her lower lip. “At least the rest of the filth will know what’s in store for them. But first... Petrificus Totalus.”
Once again, Lily felt her body go completely rigid. Hearing the footsteps fade into silence, she slipped into a welcome blackness.