Ch6
The next few weeks went quickly for James, what with Quiddich practices and the actual game (Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw 180-70), his classes, Mooney’s last two transformations of the term (one on November 10 and the next on December 7), a prank on Snivellus he hadn’t received detention for (Peeves had been blamed for overturning that vat of pickled frog brains onto the unsuspecting Slytherin), and James’ newfound, genuine friendship with Lily.
That last event, coupled with all the rest, made James feel like a very complete and happy man. Tonight however, Thursday (11 days until Christmas!), two days before the end of term, James did not feel like a happy man. Sirius had detention from McGonnagal, Remus was tutoring Peter in Charms, and Lily was nowhere to be found. James sighed, stuffing his hand in his pockets and sulking.
He decided to go take a walk. Tightening his cloak around his shoulders, he set forth from the castle.
The air was rigidly cold, burning down James’ throat every time he took a breath, and stinging his exposed cheeks. Clumps of wet snow and icicles layered the trees, window ledges, and Hagrid’s hut. Thick drifts of crisp snow covered the ground, glittering serenely in the pale light from the setting sun. This snow is awful fun to make fortifications for a snowball war in, but murder to try and walk through, James thought as he battled his way down to the lake, the snow crunching beneath his footfalls.
He slowly walked around the lake, taking his time, alone with his thoughts. He had made almost a complete circuit around the lake, and was nearing the beech tree, when a voice coming from his pocket caught his attention.
“Hey, Prongs!” the voice hissed.
James reached into his pockets, fumbled around for a moment, and then pulled out his two-way mirror. Sirius’ shining face was peering back at him.
“Sirius! I’m surprised McGonnagal isn’t supervising you,” James said, his breath issuing as steam from his mouth.
The face of Sirius made a disgusted face. “Nah, she’s got me in the trophy room, polishing awards that no one is going to ever look at “ “
“Hey, I’ve got a few awards in there!”
Sirius looked around and picked up something that James couldn’t see. “Ah, here’s one. ‘Awarded to James Potter for causing mayhem in this old dump...’ Congrats mate but I don’t think I’ll polish it ‘cause it’s got your name on...” James could see him toss it nonchalantly over his shoulder, and winced as he heard it clatter to the ground.
“That was my Quiddich award!” called James through the mirror, only acting hurt.
“Nope, it was the Head Boy one, but do you ever look at it mate?” asked Sirius, turning his attention back to the mirror.
“Well, no...”
“Point proven,” said Sirius, and they both laughed. “The thing is, and I can’t believe this: I’M NOT ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC! ‘Use backbreaking elbow grease’ she said!”
“Tough luck Padf “ARG!” James broke off as a tightly packed snowball from his right slammed into his face, splattering all over his glasses. It was icy cold and some snow slid under his cloak. James spun around to look for his attacker, but only saw a lone snowman, standing under the beech tree.
Sirius was dying with laughter. “Nice look James,” he said, commenting on the mess that was now James’ face. “Really smashing.”
“Some little snot just hit me with a snowball! Me, Head Boy!”
“Saw it, mate,” said Sirius, still chuckling.
“I’ve got to go, I’m gonna give whoever it was a detention.”
James lowered the mirror from his face and heard one last shout (“Give ‘em a round of applause from me, why dontcha?”) from Sirius before the connection was broken. Slipping the mirror back into his pocket, James started towards the snowman to have a look around.
“You’re such an easy target James,” said a familiar voice, full of laughter, and from behind the snowman she had built, and Lily stepped out into view. “I’ve been waiting for you to get to that exact spot.”
James was dumbfounded. “It was you?” he shouted, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He ducked down, making a tight snowball fairly quickly. Practice makes perfect. “So you think you want to match snowball-slingin’ skills with me, eh?”
He cocked back his arm, then let the snowball loose. Lily squealed and spun around, so the snow splattered harmlessly on her back. Taking advantage of this, James dived at her and pulled her to the ground, arms and legs flailing wildly as they landed.
Laughing, James rolled over onto his side and leaned against the beech tree. Lily did the same, to the left of him.
“Merlin that’s cold!” exclaimed James, digging under his shirt free himself of one last bit of ice that had lodged there. Finally getting it out, James settled his left arm around her shoulders and drew her towards him in a warm hug. “I have to admit, you got me good.”
“So, little snot am I?” she asked playfully once he released her.
“Ah no, not quite yet. I suppose I should give you a detention, but as you’re a Head, same as me, I’ll let it go this once. But don’t get used to it,” he warned, jokingly. “Ah yes, I believe I owe you a round of applause from a certain Mr. Sirius Black.”
James clapped a few times, but then stopped as he caught the appraising look in Lily’s eyes.
“What?” he asked her, with true innocence. That look made him feel as though he had done something wrong.
“Where’d you get that mirror? I’ve never seen one of those before.”
James screwed up his eyes, thinking. “Ah... something I’ve had since I was a boy. I think my granddad gave it to me.”
“Oh.”
Looking over to his right, James caught sight of a journal, buried halfway by snow.
“What’s this?” he asked, pulling it out of the snow and opening it to the first page.
Mum: sweater I saw at Hogsmeade
Dad: Those No-Heat, Wet-Start Filibuster Fireworks might amuse him...
Petunia: Pepper Imps, sugar quills
Vernon: A life? Besides drills? No, how bout some... Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans
Sirius: that knife from Zonkos that can undo any lock
Peter: a box of chocolate frogs so he can add to his card collection
Remus: Quiddich Through the Ages
James: ...?
Lily looked over at it.
“Ah, just my thoughts on what I should get everyone for Christmas,” she said, and pulled it out of his grasp.
“Who’s Vernon?” asked James, wrinkling his nose. Seemed like Lily didn’t like him very much.
“My sister Petunia’s fiancé,” she replied dully. “How I hate than man.”
James decided to change the subject... slightly. “So, don’t know what you want to get me for Christmas?” he asked slyly. “I can think of one thing...”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Assuming you get something of course.”
“Well that’s the thing isn’t it?”
Lily was saved from having to respond, because at the same time she opened her mouth, there was a giant Crack! from the lake. James turned his attention from Lily to the lake in a heartbeat, wondering what the noise was. All he could see was that there was a giant crack in the ice covering the lake.
“What was that?” asked Lily nervously.
James squinted at the lake. “Probably the Giant Squid breaking the ice.”
“It’s never done that before.”
“I know.”
Suddenly, he was wracked with the worst headaches he had ever experienced. James put his hand over his hears, moaning, trying to drown out the voice, trying to do anything. White-hot pain flashed before his eyes as that terrible voice spoke. “My my my, what a surprise. Both my little Gryffindors rowed up to die.”
Comprehension dawned on James’ face. He turned to Lily. “Run Lily! It’s him! Get Dumbledore! Ah, Merlin, my head!”
“She won’t be going anywhere. Now that I’ve finally come to take you up on our challenge, I wouldn’t want to be disappointed,” said the voice.
“Challenge?” asked James aloud.
“James, what’s going on?” nettled Lily, trying to pull his hands off of his head.
“I said go, Lily!”
The pain in James’ head peaked then was suddenly cut off, leaving James feeling numb and gasping for breath. He looked up, and froze. A man, years older than James and dressed in a long, dark, cloak was staring back at him. He had a pale, thin face, and narrow eyes. Footprints behind the man led from the lake, yet the man - No, not man. Voldemort. He is too evil to be a man. - was perfectly dry.
Lily gasped, then pointed her wand towards the castle. Light erupted from her wand and flitted away before Voldemort disarmed her.
“I don’t remember telling you to do that,” said Voldemort in almost a gentle way. She looked hopelessly at her wand, stuck halfway in the snow just beside Voldemort.
“...for your insolence I think you should be punished.”
Lily froze in shock as Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at her.
Well, this is it. I knew it was going to happen, sooner or later.
Lily tensed, waiting for the curse. Suddenly, James jumped up and out at Voldemort, yelling, “Don’t you touch her!”
Voldemort cursed James instead. “Petrificus Totalus!” he cried, and James was frozen, a look of fury on his face. He may not have been able to move, but Lily knew he could still see and hear. “Touch her? I do not believe I said I was going to touch her. I thought my meaning was quite plain. I am going to hurt her. And you’re going to watch.”
Lily stood, but couldn’t run. He would have cursed her before she had gotten far in this snow, and besides, she couldn’t leave James.
“But first, I think I’ll allow her to hurt you. Imperio!” he said, placing Lily under the Unforgivable spell before she could dodge. Suddenly her worries were wiped away, and she felt a marvelous floating feeling.
Retrieve your wand. it said. Go on, go get it, and then perform the Cruciatus Curse on the boy...
Wait, why would I want to do that? I don’t want to hurt James. I can’t.
Go on, it’s just a simple spell. You’re good at charms, aren’t you?
Well, yes, but “
And you’re a powerful witch aren’t you?
I suppose that could be said, however -
Then perform the spell.
No, I don’t want to. Seems a bit mean.
Do it!
No, thanks, I really don’t want to.
DO IT, NOW!
“I DON’T WANT TO!” cried Lily, throwing off the curse. She found that she was bent over, reaching for her wand, and straightened. She stared into Voldemort’s eyes with a pure hatred, using the last bit of her courage to do so. The shock on his face was barely concealed, but she could see it in his eyes. No one had refused him before.
“And you can’t make me,” Lily snarled, and smiled for this bit of knowledge.
“Why, you brazen little bitch!” cried Voldemort, and Lily was satisfied to see him angry. His eyes blazed. “Silencio! Crucio! That should wipe that smirk off your face!”
And indeed it did. Lily fell to the ground, curling and uncurling from the fetal position, twitching. She tried to scream, to let some of this pain out of her body that way, but no sound came out of her mouth. Lily couldn’t think, could barely breath from the pain. It went in electric currents through her nerves, was like fire upon her skin, was so hot it could have melted the block-hard ice. It went on and on... sharp knives of excruciating pain were stabbing her, over and over...
Even as she lost consciousness, she still felt the pain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've got Ch 7 written and I'm working on 8. I'll try to post as soon as possible but this week will be an extremely busy week.
Don't worry, the story is far from over.