I Wouldn't Change A Thing by The_Real_Hermione
Chapter Notes: Here's the second chapter - there's at least one more, possibly two, but most likely one. Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed :). I've also changed the title of the first chapter and I think it works better now.
James had only planned to go into Hogsmeade briefly that day; he had a pile of homework to do and, as Aunt Hermione kept reminding him, he really should start his revision. But surely a well-earned morning out with Violet and a necessary dash into Uncle George’s shop would be justified, right? He got up early to impress Violet (James had never found the need to get up early until he met her, but she protested that the morning was the best time of the day, so what choice did he have?). Seeing him up early, and therefore sparing her the uncomfortable experience of waking him, certainly put her in a good mood, and after a brief breakfast they went for a walk.
The morning passed pleasantly, and by the time they had wandered through most of the village it was nearing lunchtime, and James knew he really should be heading back to the castle. He dreaded the passing of each minute as it brought his pile of work ever closer.
Then he heard a scream.
He went into action immediately. He sent Violet to get help and ran in the direction the scream had come from. He reached the Shrieking Shack, which looked strangely eerie, and just by looking at the muddy ground he could see that there had been some form of struggle here. There was a whole mess of footprints in a small area, when the rest of the ground was barely touched. (After all, though James personally knew better, the Shack was still believed to be haunted, and therefore not a common meeting place for students).
He remembered that the scream had been cut off abruptly, so the person in need was probably unable to shout for help. Therefore announcing his presence would most likely result in him being caught unawares, just as the victim had. If only he’d had his Invisibility Cloak here...
Well, there was nothing for it, so he cast the strongest Disillusionment spell he could muster and crept around the clearing. He peered around bushes and trees, often casting a spell Aunt Hermione had mentioned called “Homonum Revelio”. Nothing happened, which could have been because he was performing it incorrectly, it didn’t work in large spaces or there were in fact no people there. Each time he discovered no-one, he became more and more anxious and began to wonder if he’d imagined the scream in the first place...
Violet came running towards him, Hagrid puffing behind her.
“I can’t anyone here,” he said, tearing at his hair in frustration. “Violet, what if I imagined this whole thing and nothing actually happened...?”
“James, you know you didn’t imagine it, and I heard the scream too, anyway. Is there no sign at all that someone was here?”
“Oh yeah, there’s a lot of footprints over there in a big mess. But they don’t lead anywhere... just disappear... wait “ that’s it “ they’ve obviously Apparated!”
He was only excited about this discovery momentarily “ as Hagrid pointed out, the victim could be anywhere now.
“Isn’t there some way to track Apparition?” he asked, flailing for a lead.
“No. Only if yeh grab the person when they Apparate.”
The three of them stood in silence for a few moments, before eventually deciding that they should notify the school. James and Violet raced towards the castle to tell Headmaster Flitwick their story, while Hagrid went around the village to round up the students and take them back to the castle.
The fact that they now had something to do awoke adrenaline in their bodies, and James and Violet made it to the gargoyle outside the Headmaster’s office in record speed.
“Derwent,” James puffed the password Hagrid had given them, as Violet clutched her side. The gargoyle let them past and they leapt up the stairs two at a time, despite already feeling out of breath.
Professor Flitwick was usually a very cheerful Headmaster; James had never seen him look as worried as he did when they told him their news. It made him look old and frail. Flustered, he asked them as many questions as he could think of that might help, but to most of them the pair of Gryffindors had no response. When his list of questions ran out, he thanked James and Violet for their information and sent them back to Gryffindor Tower, assuring them anxiously that all possible would be done.
As they made their way to the tower, James and Violet got their story clearly in their heads; their late entry would make the other students clamour for information. But when they entered the common room, it was them who got a shock.
“Have you heard “?” Albus began, white-faced.
“Yes, I heard the scream, I tried to save whoever it was, but “”
“It’s Lily.”
““ I couldn’t get there “ wait, what did you say?”
“Lily. She’s gone. She’s the one who’s been kidnapped.”
James felt like his heart stopped. His lungs collapsed. His body refused to function. His brain switched off.
And then suddenly he felt fire burning through his veins and he came back to life. Without another glance around the room, he Summoned his Invisibility Cloak, grabbed Albus by the hand and threw the Cloak over both of them. Then the two brothers dashed through the portrait hole.
Merlin, it was his sister, his sister, something needed to be done, now. He sent Al to the Owlery to notify his parents and Teddy, whilst he planned to tackle the professors. A dash past the staffroom confirmed that none of the teachers were there, so James sprinted to the Headmaster’s office.
Fortunately, Professor Nott, his least favourite teacher, was late and James could follow him into the Headmaster’s office “ after all, he could hardly open the door and slip inside unnoticed, even though he was invisible.
“Thank Merlin you’re here, Theodore, we need to get started,” Professor Flitwick said in a voice even more high-pitched than normal. He explained everything that James and Violet had recounted less than an hour previously.
“Of course, from this recount, we are unable to deduce whether it was a student or other wizard that was abducted. However, according Hagrid, there was no sign of Lily Potter when he rounded up the students.”
“Merlin,” Professor Longbottom whispered, as the other teachers looked at each other in shock.
“Of course, the Ministry has been notified and the students are all in their common rooms.”
“And her parents?”
“Harry will find out at the Ministry, but do we really need to worry Ginny yet?”
Silence filled the room.
“It’s so much like the war...” Professor Creevey whispered.
“This is my sister we’re talking about... is anything going to be done?” James yelled, throwing the Invisibility Cloak off in fury.
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing and talk! Something has to be done! There must be some way we can find her... some spell or something, surely...”
All the teachers looked shocked and their facial expressions ranged between complete confusion and the desire to remind him that he was being disrespectful to teachers and had snuck into a secret meeting on top of that. All except for Professor Longbottom, who seemed to have entered a momentary state of reverie.
“James, I know it’s your sister, but you should be in your dormitory.”
“There’s nothing we can do, we will do everything we can.”
“But surely, surely there’s something we can do! I have to do something! I can’t just wait for her to be hurt...”
At that moment, a silvery stag darted through the door and paused in front of James.
“I’m on my way, Mum and Teddy will be there soon.”
His father’s message was followed by silence. Not even one of the teachers broke it to reprimand James’ presence.
Less than a minute later, another silvery form appeared through the door.
“Come and find her, if you dare. She is right under your noses. We fought there once, Potter. It is the place that ruined my life.”
The shape dissolved.
“Lestrange. Rabastan Lestrange,” said Professor Longbottom promptly. “I remember him.” He spoke bitterly; James had never heard him talk like that. “He fought in the Department of Mysteries. He was assumed dead after the Battle of Hogwarts “ we never found him.”
“Well, it’s obvious isn’t it? We need to go to the Department of Mysteries and find her.”
“No James, at least wait until your father’s here...”
“Anyway, we don’t even know she’s there... he said right under our noses, she could be here.”
“The Ministry is alerted; if she is really there, which I doubt, they will find her.”
“James, I think it would be best if you return to your dormitory now. Once your father arrives, you and Albus will be summoned. Professor Longbottom, if you would escort Mr Potter back to Gryffindor Tower?”
“Of course, Headmaster.”
“In the mean time, the other professors will search the castle.”
James felt betrayed. But seemingly there was no use in staying there any longer against orders, so he excited the room dejectedly with Professor Longbottom.
They walked in silence, each immersed in their own thoughts.
“You know James, you reminded me of Harry just then. He too would have risked anything to save his friends.”
“Thanks, Professor,” James replied, blushing bright red. It was a rare pleasure to be compared to his father; he did have a lot to live up to.
“I hope she’s not in the Department of Mysteries. I haven’t been there since I was in fifth year, but Merlin was that a difficult place to find someone in. Hard to get to as well... useful that someone thought of Thestrals...”
James looked at his teacher oddly. Now seemed a strange time to reminisce about something that had happened years ago.
“Well, we’re nearly at the common room, I’m sure you can walk the last bit by yourself.”
Once again James was baffled.
“Err, okay, sir.” Professor Longbottom just smiled at him and “ winked?
James was still muddled when he climbed through the portrait hole. He was still determined to go to the Ministry and rescue Lily, but Professor Longbottom’s behaviour had thoroughly confused him. Albus was waiting for him in the packed common room. James wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell Albus what he intended to do “ his rule-abiding brother would either persuade him not to go or impulsively come with him. Albus was only a fifth-year and his magical ability was far beneath James’, yet on the other hand this was a family affair, and James would much rather have his little brother with him than any of his friends.
“Al, I want to save her,” he whispered.
“Yes, so do I, do you know anything?”
“The Department of Mysteries.”
“Are you sure? How do you know?”
“She’s been caught by Rabastan Lestrange “ he sent a Patronus “ Professor Longbottom recognised his voice. It said something about her being right under our noses and somewhere where he fought Dad.”
“Are you sure? I mean, she could be somewhere else...”
“Look, Al, I’m sure she’s there, you’re either with me or you’re not.”
“Okay, okay, relax James. So what’s the plan?”
“What plan?” interjected a new voice. It was Rose, one of Al’s friends and their cousin.
“Don’t worry about it, Rose, it’s not to do with you “”
“If it’s about Lily, which I’m certain it is, I’m coming.”
“But Rose “” said Albus.
“Is it ‘cos I’m a girl? I would have thought you’d have learnt more from your Mum!”
“No, we just don’t want to risk it...”
“I’m coming.” James and Albus looked at each other hopelessly and Rose grinned.
“So what’s the plan?”
“I don’t know. Professor Longbottom was being really weird on the way back from Flitwick’s office... he kept talking about the time him and Dad and Mum and your parents went to the Department of Mysteries... said something about Thestrals too.”
“Well it’s obvious, isn’t it? We travel to London by Thestral “”
“What’s this about Thestrals?” interrupted Violet.
“Not you too, Violet,” James said, his head in his hands.
“You’re planning to rescue her aren’t you?”
Al and Rose nodded.
“Well I have to say whoever came up with Thestrals “ great idea “ but none of you lot can see them, so you’ll need me.”
“Please, Violet, it’s a family thing, I don’t want you to be hurt...”
“If she can come “” she pointed at Rose ““ I certainly can. I’m a seventh year, and as I said, I can see Thestrals.”
James nodded resignedly.
“Shall we go down to the Thestrals and talk more there... otherwise all of Gryffindor House will come with us,” he added exasperatedly as the others nodded.
“I suggest Al and Rose get under the Cloak now, then throw this Dungbomb over there and the two of us will Disillusion ourselves and slip out.” He passed them the Dungbomb, which the two took as they slipped under the Cloak.
The plan almost worked, but as the four ran lightly away from the Portrait hole, they heard footsteps behind them. They all stopped, pressed against a wall, hoping their follower would run on.
“James, I know you’re here, it’s only Louis and I’m coming with you.” Their cousin Louis appeared in the corridor and immediately James reversed his Disillusionment Charm.
“If you must,” he sighed.
Louis joined the other four and they headed towards the entrance to the castle. Fortunately they didn’t come across the caretaker and when they reached the front doors, they were unlocked (James wondered if Professor Longbottom might have had something to do with this), allowing the students to reach the Thestrals uninhibited.
Mounting an animal that they couldn’t see was no mean feat; it took a great deal of coaxing from Violet for most of them to even attempt it. Eventually, however, they all sat atop their Thestrals ready to leave. Each student told their Thestral their destination and, with a mountain sense of anticipation, flew up into the cloud-covered sky.
Chapter Endnotes: I hope you enjoyed!