Over the next two weeks, the Marauders and the girls studied and did their homework (both at Lily’s urging) and just had fun (that was Sirius’s urging). James, before calling any true practice sessions, had to hold tryouts for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Their Beaters, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, had just graduated, so those were the two open positions. They were filled (after a rough day, according to James) by second-year twins, Luke and Melissa Cosi. As usually happens, they weren’t as good as the former Beaters, but they definitely had potential. James knew this for he had a very large bruise on his shoulder from Melissa who”apparently”didn’t like the way he shouted. Lily knew all about it as she was the one to transfigure a piece of parchment into a cold compress. James made sure she was the only one who knew anything about him getting hit by a second year. Though, as Lily had done her share of smacking five years ago, it wasn’t necessarily a new sensation.
Nevertheless, apparently the practices went quite well, because James strutted into the common room whistling after them. He mentioned to Lily that he was very happy with his team; Joshua Spinnet and Antoine Wood were the other two Chasers, the Keeper was Cory Firion and the Seeker was Autumn Lai.
None of the players had minded the brief absence of Quidditch. In fact, they seemed to enjoy the days when they didn’t have late night practice. They had, however, kept in shape with frequent mock-games. Everyone on the team knew what James had been going through, and did not begrudge their hard-working”and undoubtedly loud”Captain.
Josey woke up on the morning after Halloween (which had been the joy of several young men, especially Sirius) to the sunlight weaving its way through her draperies. After stretching her hands above her head and loosening her muscles for the day ahead, she laid there for a few moments, enjoying the sun on her face. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw that Nikeia and Alice’s beds were empty, as was Stacey’s”though hers had been empty for a while.
The blonde looked over at her watch and found that it was nearly nine. She pulled herself out of bed and maneuvered around the hodgepodge scattered on the floor. Dressing quickly in a pair of Muggle clothes, she woke up to her full extent. Josey ran down the stairs into the common room to find it nearly empty; she figured everyone was down at breakfast or around the building. She looked to her left and saw small white flakes floating down past the window. She sighed happily.
Then, she saw two people who normally wouldn’t have been in the Gryffindor common room. Lily and James were leaning against the sides of the portrait hole with somber expressions across their faces.
“Hey, you guys!” greeted Josey and she skipped over to meet them. They turned their sad faces to her, and she stopped abruptly. “What’s wrong? Where’s everyone else?”
“In the hospital wing,” offered Lily simply.
“Why? What happened?” A feeling of dread came over Josephine, and she gave an involuntary shudder.
“Someone was hurt last night,” gave James in the same tone as Lily.
“Who? Sirius? Or Remus?”
James and Lily shook their heads.
“Who! Tell me please!” cried Josey.
“Nikeia,” whispered Lily.
Josey’s feeling of dread somehow gained the weight of large stone and rested atop her stomach as she stood there, taking in what Lily has said.
“What? Why? How?”
“I was patrolling the corridors”James had to be somewhere else”and about half way between the library and the common room,” began Lily, “I found Nikeia. She was in a bad state, beat up and bleeding. After telling James about it this morning we can’t tell you who did it, but I’ll give you three guesses.”
“Lily says she rushed over,” started James, pulling Josey’s stunned form to him and wrapping her in a hug, “and got Nikeia to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey did her best, and told Lily to go. So she did, and this morning, everyone else found out. They went to the Hospital Wing, though I don’t know if they got in. We waited here for you.” He pulled away just enough to see the shocked expression on Josephine’s face. She was not quite crying, but there were tears on her eyelashes. She gave a shuddering breath and leaned forward against James’s chest as Lily came up behind her and gave her a hug.
After minutes that trudged by, they walked out of the common room and made their way to the Hospital Wing. Sirius, Remus, Alice, and Frank weren’t standing outside. On the contrary, the doors stood ajar and James could see the backs of people standing around a bed. Madam Pomfrey greeted them and grudgingly led them inside.
When they reached the bed, Josey gasped at the sight of Nikeia. Streaks of a purple paste ran in abundance across her face, and her arm was in a cast. Josey assumed the purple paste was a healing salve. Instead of wearing the normal hospital gown, Nikeia was wrapped in large gauze sheets around her chest and waist, with a shawl wrapped over her shoulders. A few blankets covered her. Her eyes were closed, and one of them was puffy and black. Sirius was holding her hand, and tears were glistening in the corner of his eyes. Alice had a hold of her other hand, and Frank stood behind Alice, a hand on her shoulder. Remus stood next to Sirius, looking down at his feet. Remus, Alice and Frank glanced briefly at the newcomers. James left the two girls at Nikeia’s bedside and walked over to Madam Pomfrey’s side.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Well, apart from the terrible cuts, she is completely unconscious. I’ve tried to wake her, but nothing I’ve done has worked too well. She also shows the effects of being tortured under the Cruciatus Curse and another curse which, I’m afraid to say, I am completely ignorant to. I am sorry I cannot be more of a help,” admitted the nurse, a look of trepidation on her face, but James shook his head.
“She will wake up eventually, right? You’ll be able to do something. With all of the stuff I and Sirius have got into you must know something,” said James, with an attempt at a smile. It didn’t work.
“I do not know, James. It is a pretty deep sleep, and I have little doubt that it is some sort of Dark magic.”
James tensed, but nodded and walked back to Lily’s side.
“One bad thing leaves, another comes. Why must life be like this?” he said, resting his forehead against hers and she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I can only expect they’re signs of the times. Voldemort’s rising will change the world. It’ll change our lives, I can tell. I just hope...” Lily’s voice trailed off. She sighed and James squeezed her closer.
“Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested.
“James, it’s freezing!” she exclaimed, looking into his hazel eyes.
“I’ll keep you warm,” he said, Potterishly. Lily gave a small smile, and nodded. They walked arm-in-arm back to the common room, where they retrieved their cloaks and other winter-wear.
The air was indeed frigid, and the breeze, no matter how faint, bit acutely and swirled the snow falling gently around them. Lily stayed as close to James as she could, and when they reached the edge of the lake, she turned to face him, and buried her face into his cloak collar.
“Oh Lily, don’t be cold! Where you are cold?” Lily raised her head and pointed to her nose. James bent slightly to kiss her nose in a lingering peck. Lily gave a slight giggle, and when James pulled away, he noticed that her cheeks were pink. He lingered a bit longer and kissed her rosy cheeks. His kisses trailed across to one ear, and then to the other, Lily wriggling from the feeling. It was not a gesture she was used to. James just smiled and continued to kiss her ears. He pulled away to look into her green eyes, and she smiled. As she gazed into his eyes, her teeth started to chatter, and James chuckled.
“Oh, Lily! Don’t chatter!” As he leaned to kiss her chin, he smiled. Lily obligingly titled her head upward so James would be able to kiss her cold, frozen chin without too much trouble. When he pulled away, her teeth continued to chatter softly, and James frowned. Then, figuring out the answer to her predicament, he pressed his lips to hers. She gently returned the gesture and moved her hands underneath James’s cloak and around his back, where she pressed her body against his in an effort to remain as warm as she was now.
Alas, their embrace was cut short. A loud cough caused them to break apart and turn to face the water. Walking towards them, wearing a thick black cloak with the hood covering its face was a figure. When it was within ten paces, the thing stopped, and raised its head. An evil smile was plastered against its deathly pale features, but they were still human features; features that had grown sunken with a draining of the soul and the evil which secreted from this creature. Cold eyes stared out from amid the face. Those eyes... they were slightly red, not from being bloodshot or anything of the sort. They were red because of the evil which resided inside the body.
“James, you don’t think it could be...?”
“Yes, Lily, I think it could...”
“How is that possible?” she whispered, furiously.
“I have no idea…”
“Well, well, well,” said the man, in a voice that was raspy and sent chills up their spines. “If it isn’t the Potter boy and the Evans Mudblood. I have heard much about you from... my helpers.”
And to the dismay of Lily and James, three figures walked out from the shadows behind the man in black. “These are some of my Death Eaters, perhaps you have heard of them? Nevertheless, we are here for a single reason, which I know will be carried out shortly.”
“Good, ‘cause when you’re done, you can leave forever!” said James, with fierceness that surprised even him. The man made a tsking noise with his tongue and shook his head, a smirk on his face.
“That’s no way to treat a guest to your fine school. I was here once. As a student you see. Oh, what wonderful times. I was Head Boy. I was part of the ‘Slug Club’ too. Ah, yes, it got me so many hints about how to become the greatest.”
“You’re not the greatest!” said James, indignant and cold. “The greatest is Dumbledore, and while he is around, we are safe.”
The man gave a chuckle the sent even more chills up the two students’ spine. “Well, I hate to tell you this, but that old bat isn’t here.”
James looked slightly around him and gave a cheeky smile. “Oh well. I guess Lily and I will have to fight you ourselves. Nothing we’re not used to.”
Lily, who was still standing in James’s embrace, threw a look up at him, her eyes wide. But he gave a reassuring smile, and she caught his emotions. As she turned back to the man in black, her cheeky smile left her face and she ducked to the ground as a jet of green light flew over her and James’s head.
“Oh, you poor thing,” sighed Lily, brushing off her robes as she stood up. “You can’t even be patient enough to duel for a bit before attempting to kill us. How... tragic.” James smiled at her side and nodded.
The sallow-skinned man scowled and shot another jet of light at them which they quite lazily deflected with their wands. They gave each other significant looks, and chuckled.
Lord Voldemort was here.