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.