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!