Chapter 23: The Battle
Still crouching under the Invisibility Cloak, Petunia felt the person on her other side (not Sirius) shaking. She looked around. It was Peter. And he looked even more horrified than Sirius.
He seemed to be muttering.
"Didn't do anything. Not my fault. Didn't do anything."
The others were too preoccupied with the scene in front of them to notice his odd behavior. Petunia felt a small surge of pity for Peter. His fear was disgusting, yes, but if he was this compassionate perhaps he could be redeemed yet. She would remember to confront him with this, talk to him even, when they got back to school. Provided, of course, they made it through this.
Voldemort was speaking again.
"Stand guard out here. Don't let anyone get past you! Or you'll pay," he hissed vehemently, smiling maliciously at Regulus laying crumpled on the ground.
Then he disappeared into a nearby cave. The six teens waited under the Cloak for about ten minutes. Ten long minutes. And yet, to Petunia, time had never gone by so fast.
"This is it," Petunia muttered, "when he leaves, we attack them. Fast. We're about the best students to ever have attended Hogwarts. And there are only thirty of them. We can do this!"
"On my count, then," said James, sounding only slightly nervous, "one... two... THREE!"
They ripped the Cloak off, and started firing curses all at once.
Surprisingly, they got past the young Death Eaters without much trouble. None of them were hurt, and even more surprisingly, the guard made no attempt to follow them. Perhaps they knew Voldemort would take care of the intruders. Perhaps they feared bursting in on their master.
They were inside the cave now, walking as quietly as they could.
"Let's put the cloak back on," whispered Lily.
The others complied. Stealthily they continued, until they reached a wall. A solid, stone wall.
"How do we get past this?" Sirius asked quietly.
"You don't," came a cruel, laughing voice out of the darkness.
"You see, only I can get past it. No one else."
The Invisibility Cloak flew off them, as a yell of "Accio Cloak!" was heard.
"Stu..." started Petunia, but Voldemort cut her off.
With a lazy flick of his wand, he caused Petunia's own wand to fly out of her hand. She refused to back away.
Now James pointed his wand at Voldemort. Using his mind, he attempted a curse. Too late.
Everyone's wands flew out of their hands.
"Potter, isn't it? Ah yes... Potter. And Evans. Yes, I knew your mother. A pity I had to kill her, really. We had such good times. A pretty woman. How she dared marry a Muggle, I don't understand. A pity. But it had to be done. A spy. She thought she had fooled Lord Voldemort. But know this, Lord Voldemort can see through all means of trickery. I will always know."
"Yeah, she was a spy. And she had fooled you! You only got her because you tortured my dad into helping you! You forced a helpless man to work for you. You would never have known," Petunia spat.
Voldemort chuckled.
"Is that what that great Muggle-loving fool has told you? That I tortured him? He came to me and begged me. He hated his wife. He was my willing servant."
"Oh yeah? Then why did you kill him?"
"He was no longer of use," Voldemort said dismissively, "and he was a Muggle."
"I don't believe you!" Petunia yelled.
Dad had not betrayed her mum. No. Voldemort was trying to weaken her. She knew it. But was she really sure?
"Ah, well, unlike that Dumbledore," he spat the name, "I cannot be fooled. There is a traitor amongst you right now. The reason I knew of your arrival is here, in this cave with us. And Dumbledore has never suspected."
His eyes fell on each person in turn, watching the effect he had created. Everyone was looking at the others with dismay and fright.
"You're lying!" James yelled, "I don't believe you. None of us would betray..."
Voldemort was laughing, and it was a cruel, echoing laugh. His already strange face contorted.
"I see into your minds. You do not trust. Anyone. It could be anyone, couldn't it? Black? Isn't his family all dark? Evans? Isn't she desperate to do something, anything? Or... the werewolf? Since when can a werewolf be trusted?"
His eyes lingered longest on Remus, and everyone looked too, in spite of themselves.
"Why would you tell us that if it were true? So we could expose whoever it is?" Petunia demanded.
"So that, when I kill you, you will know why you died: because you were betrayed. But I am fair. I will give one of you a chance to fight me. Who will it be?"
Immediately, Petunia stepped forward.
"I will."
Smirking slightly, Voldemort threw Petunia her wand.
She bent her head slightly, as Voldemort made a show of bowing. Petunia had read about real Wizard Duels, and was not going to die in a clumsy effort to save herself. She would die like her mother. A hero.
Petunia stood up straight again. Voldemort stepped to the side. She followed suit.
"Cruc..." she thought, but Voldemort hissed "Protego" before she could finish the incantation. Legillemncy. She should have known.
Well, two could play at this game. Though she was not skilled, Petunia had studied Occlumency in detail during their preparations.
Keep your mind blank, she remembered. Think of nothing. Nothing.
"Crucio!" she actually managed to finish the incantation this time, though she could feel him trying to reach her mind. She knew she was weakening very quickly as he deflected her curse.
Behind her she heard a quiet pop. But she didn't turn. Instead she focused on Voldemort. To her surprise, he too looked tired.
Think of nothing. Keep your mind blank. Concentrate on nothing.
"Avada..."
"Protego!" shouted Petunia.
She would wait for him to attack. Keep your mind blank. They circled around and around, and sometimes Petunia was the hunter and sometimes she was the prey. Petunia was sure much time had passed. She was vaguely aware of her friends standing behind her terrified. Concentrate on nothing.
"Crucio!"
Petunia howled in agony. Thousands of knives were boring into her skin. She was going to die. Death didn't even seem so bad anymore.
She had let her guard down for a second. A second too long.
Her parents were fighting. Her father struck her mother. She was hiding. Lily was asleep. Petunia was terrified. It was back when her father had had been drunk every evening, after he lost his job. Her mum pulled out a wand. She cursed her dad and he yelled "Witch!" and ran at her.
"No! Mum!" Petunia screamed.
She couldn't even remember that scene. She had blocked it out. Hidden away in the back of her head it had been kept though. And now it was found. Her father really had hated her mother. Maybe. No. Yes. No. No... The thoughts in Petunia's head were jumbled, the burning pain searing through her, as if every nerve ending was on fire.
But the others! This thought burst into her mind, suddenly, in a shock of clarity. Petunia had to fight back. Mustering all her willpower, she thought again of nothing. The traces of Voldemort's mind died away. Petunia was alone with her thoughts once more.
Not for long though, she was sure.
"Stupefy!" came a yell from the other side of the room.
It was James. He and the others had summoned their wands and were fighting too. While Voldemort was distracted, Petunia noticed that Remus was missing. Had Voldemort been telling the truth? Was he a traitor? ... No... He couldn't be...
As she thought this, Remus appeared at the others' sides. With him were many others. Adults. Some teachers from the school. Help.
Now it was all against Voldemort. And yet, he seemed to be winning. Many of their rescuers were injured already, and more were falling under Voldemort's highly complicated, highly powerful curses.
The Death Eaters who had been standing guard now had joined him. Members on both sides fell. Petunia was firing hex after hex at the Death Eaters, keeping her eye on Voldemort.
Then she was hit. A Death Eater was attempting the Cruciatus curse. He was not doing it properly, Petunia didn't feel the pain she had felt when Voldemort had tortured her, but it was terrible nonetheless.
Voldemort had disappeared. The battle seemed to be ending. Death Eaters were fleeing. Why? The pain of the curse was still strong, and Petunia gasped for breath.
James was kneeling by Lily. She looked hurt. Help! She needed help! The Death Eaters were fleeing. Why wasn't her tormentor running too? She looked up at the boy cursing her.
But she knew him... it wasn't a Death Eater... when had he put the Cloak on? He hadn't been wearing it earlier. Was it really him?
"No!" yelled Petunia, "help!"