Part Three
A large cavernous room opened before them; on either side was a dark corridor leading back into the maze. As if it were guarding the way forward, a large red dragon filled the room, pacing impatiently. It didn't appear to be a full-grown dragon; James wasn't even certain it was a real dragon at all and not some magic of the room. Yet after the werewolf and the Lethifold, he knew that it could be just as dangerous, just as capable of hurting them--or worse. And because he had never paid much attention in Care of Magical Creatures, he really had no idea what to do.
"This is where we might try turning around again," he murmured. Lily gaped at him, glanced down the maze at the way they had come, and shook her head.
"Can't," she said. "I think it's blocked now."
"Brilliant," said James, still staring at the massive beast. "Any ideas, then?"
"Do you have a sword?" she asked with a slightly hysterical edge to her voice. "That's how Muggles defeat them, with swords."
"I'll check my robes," he replied dryly. "Damn--I left it in the dormitory."
Lily let out a nervous laugh, which unfortunately drew the beast's attention before she could cover her mouth. Even at half-size it was too large for the room and turned slowly and awkwardly. It roared and blew a blast of fire at them. James threw up a Shield Charm he hoped would stop it as Lily pulled him away from the opening and back behind the wall.
They stood side-by-side, breathing heavily as flames shot through the opening. James glanced down and saw that his wand arm had been slightly scorched. "At least we know how to get its attention," he remarked with a wince, and she gave him another wide-eyed look.
"Don't make me laugh," she said. "Now what do we do?"
"I already asked that," he replied.
"And I suggested a sword," she said.
"I don't carry it every day," he snapped back. "Only on special occasions."
"This is a special occasion!" she exclaimed, and now he couldn't help but burst out laughing in spite of the danger they were in. She quickly joined him, and they slid down the wall laughing uncontrollably until they had caught their breath.
"If I had my cloak, maybe we could sneak past it," James said, thinking out loud.
"What cloak?" Lily asked. Another low grumble set his teeth on edge, and he could hear the dragon snuffling about the opening. Thankfully, it was too big to follow them, but they had to do something, or it might just cook them where they sat.
"Invisibility cloak," he said, reluctantly revealing his last secret. By the dim light of the maze he could see her eyes widen. "Yes, now you know everything. But it's in my trunk, so it's not going to help us."
"If we want to sneak past it, then we could just use a Disillusionment Charm," Lily suggested. "Then we could blend in with the wall as we walk by. We'd just have to be extra quiet so it doesn't hear us."
"I can take care of that," he replied. "But what if it smells us walking by? It sounds like it's sniffing for us. Know any anti-smelling spells?"
She giggled uncontrollably again. "Not really, but maybe we could distract it with something?"
"Such as?" he asked, thinking it might actually work.
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. The dragon roared; it was so close it was deafening. It also sounded frustrated, which meant they needed to move fast before it tore apart the maze looking for them.
"Got anything?" he asked, a note of desperation creeping into his voice.
Her eyes flew open. "Yes." She conjured a small glass vial, then murmured a spell before stopping it up as quickly as she could. "I have no idea if this will work, but I tried to put a Fragrance Charm in here."
He nodded in immediate understanding. "Perfect. We throw that the opposite way we want to go, the dragon goes off to investigate, and we run for it."
"Exactly." She grinned. "We make a good team."
"Yes, we do." He grinned back. "All right, let's stay together. I know a spell to muffle the sound, but we should stay together so that we can still communicate. Can you Disillusion yourself?"
"Yes," she replied. "Ready?"
With another nod, James cast a Disillusionment Charm, and the strange feeling of ice water trickling over his head flowed down his body until he couldn't see himself anymore: he blended in with the darkness of the maze. When he glanced up, he couldn't see Lily either, and a split second of blind panic set in.
"Lily?" he whispered. "Are you still there?"
A hand groped about and found his. "I’m right here. What about your spell?"
James took her hand and murmured, "Muffliato." He could almost sense Lily nodding in understanding.
"That was one of Severus's spells, you know," she whispered, even though they were protected by the spell and the dragon could not hear them. "I should have thought of it."
"Why would you want to think of him?" James murmured back. He pulled a face he was glad she couldn't see at the thought of her former friendship with the Slytherin.
"I really don't anymore," she said, and he could feel her shrug, since he was still holding her hand. "Which is probably why I didn't."
"That's what I'm here for," James said. "With or without my sword."
"I'm glad you're here," she whispered, and he felt her step closer and kiss him on the cheek. It sent shivers down his back, and he instinctively turned his head toward her.
"Really?" he asked, but his words were jumbled as his face bumped into hers, and his lips touched her lips for the briefest of moments before he jumped back, dropping her hand and apologizing profusely. He wished he could see the look on her face to know whether she was as mortified as he imagined.
He heard a soft laugh not far from him; maybe she wasn't as upset as he suspected. "Really," she replied. "Now let's go."
"Right," he said, taking a deep breath and trying to put the memory of her warm lips from his mind. They had a dragon to defeat…well, sneak past, anyway. "Stay close. We can't see each other, but we're under the same silence bubble so we can hear each other."
He imagined her nodding. Taking her hand once more, they turned the corner and faced the dragon. It had moved back to the center of the room, growling to itself. It couldn't see or hear them, but it could obviously still smell them, for it turned immediately and roared. They began to edge slowly along the wall to the left.
"Now?" Lily asked, still keeping her voice low, but steady.
"Wait a few more steps, then throw it down the right hand passage so it goes that way," he murmured. They pressed their backs up against the wall and continued to move past the great body of the dragon, not six feet in front of them. James actually could feel the warmth of its skin when suddenly it whipped its head around and blew a stream of fire directly at them.
He wished he had done something more gallant, more Gryffindor, like throw himself in front of her to stop the blast with his bare hands, but all he could do was swear vehemently and pull Lily down hard enough for her to actually say, "Ow," as the flames blasted the wall above them. She let go of his hand and rubbed her shoulder.
"Sorry, but now would be a good time for your little homemade Dungbomb," he said urgently. He knew she had thrown the vial when it shattered with an explosive sound; apparently Lily had cast an Amplification Charm on it as well. The dragon turned toward it and immediately began lumbering away from them. James groped about for Lily's hand again, locking his fingers tight with hers as they stood. They ran quickly across the room and down the left hand passage. The dragon did not hear them, nor did it seem interested in their scent; it growled as it pawed around the floor opposite them. James did not want to stay and see how it responded to a foot full of broken glass.
A sudden roar sent him running even faster, Lily tumbling along behind him. They ran and ran, weaving their way through the maze as far away from the dragon as they could. They didn't stop even when they started breathing heavily; James just wanted to be done, to get out of the maze, and he sensed that Lily felt the same because she kept up with him and didn't say a word.
The maze grew dark and the sound of the dragon fell behind them. Gradually they slowed down and dropped the Disillusionment Charms, but kept a quick pace and didn't talk. It was as if through unspoken agreement they were determined to plow through to the end, still holding hands. And without warning they made it, turning the corner and bursting through a gap in the maze…
…only to find themselves in the very spot where they had started, facing the same oak doors they had entered what felt like hours ago.
* * *
Lily stared at the doors, relief flooding through her. She dropped James's hand and rushed forward, more than ready to be done with whatever lessons the maze was trying to teach them. She had faced a werewolf, been smothered by a Lethifold, and barely made it past a dragon: she wanted to leave. James, however, stayed behind, staring at the doors with a frown.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "We made it out. Let's go."
"Something's not right," he said, shaking his head. "It doesn't feel over. We didn't face a boggart."
Lily rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Then we'll just have to find one and practice, won't we? Come on."
She pushed the doors open and stepped through, but he still didn't follow. When she turned back, James had a look of panic on his face.
"I can't move!" he exclaimed, and she could see him struggling to move his legs, only they appeared locked in place. "It won't let me out. Lily--"
She didn't get to hear the rest of his sentence, because the doors slammed shut between them, leaving her alone on one side, and James stuck on the other. She pounded on the doors, but they were locked fast. She tried every spell she could think of to open them, but nothing worked. What if the doors disappeared? What if the maze went back to wherever it had been before they had found it, only with James trapped inside this time?
She needed help: she needed to get Professor McGonagall, or even the headmaster. Turning to run for assistance, she gasped to see that she was not, in fact, in the castle corridor, but back in the maze room, facing the same opening her and James had already entered. And standing there blocking the entrance to the maze was…
Her boggart.
"Hello, Lily," it said, sounding just like her. Lily gasped and stepped backward, bumping into the doors where the message had appeared, inviting them to enter the maze. There were no glowing letters now, and the doors still would not open. She would have to confront her boggart after all. Alone.
"I'm not scared of you anymore," she told it, but the dirty, broken vision of her deepest fear simply shook its head.
"Of course you are," it said. "You can't conquer your fears in one night. You only think you're not afraid anymore."
"I just faced a dragon, a werewolf, and a Lethifold," Lily said, trying to put as much courageous bluster into her voice as she could. "I'm not afraid of you."
"Everyone fears something," said the boggart. In the back of her mind, Lily wondered if boggarts could really talk; it was probably some special magic of the room that was enabling the conversation. Well, she had gone over this with James: she knew what to do and would not let the creature's words undo her newfound confidence.
"Fine," she said, nodding at the boggart. "I'm still scared. But I know something now, something that will help me banish you and accept my fear."
The boggart-Lily frowned. "You cannot change what you are," it said.
"I'm not alone," Lily replied. She was thinking of something James had said in the prefects' lounge, of what they had just been through in the maze together. "No matter what happens, I will never be you. I will never lose hope." She believed it, and it filled her with confidence to know it was true.
"We're Muggle-born," the boggart said, tears dripping down its face. "We're in more danger than anyone. If he wins, we will be alone. No one will help us. We will lose everything."
Lily took a deep breath. The thought of such a future still scared her, yes, but she could defeat it now. "You're wrong," she said, once again thinking of what James had told her. I'll be there for you, no matter what happens. I'll fight for you. I promise.
She believed him. He would be there for her, and they would fight together. The image of them laughing hysterically before they faced the dragon came to mind. They had done it, though: they had survived, and they would again. She grinned, raised her wand, and cried, "Riddikulus!"
The image before her transformed. Gone was lonely, despairing vision of the future she had feared to the point of being paralyzed by it time and time again. Instead, the boggart-Lily stood before her in a leafy green dress, white puffs dancing on the tips of tiny green slippers, hair knotted in a bun atop its head. There was a look of surprise on its face as it gazed over its shoulder at a pair of dainty gossamer wings. Then it turned to Lily, shook its head as if denying the truth…
…and exploded into a thousand tiny fairies that dissolved into nothingness.
Nodding to herself, Lily turned around and confidently opened the doors behind her. She was somehow not surprised to see James standing in the castle corridor with his wand raised. She ducked as a particularly powerful Blasting Curse sailed above her head, then stood slowly, arms raised in mock surrender.
"It's just me," she said. "Put your wand away."
"Bollocks, Lily--I wasn't expecting you to just stride right out." He had already pocketed his wand and was nervously shaking his head. "Are you all right? What the hell happened?"
Lily shrugged, a tired smile on her face. "You almost killed me, for one."
"I was trying to get in!" he exclaimed. "At first I was stuck in the maze room, then the next thing I know the doors slam shut between us, and I'm back out here, locked out."
Lily felt the adrenaline flow from her in a sudden, dizzying rush. She practically staggered over to a nearby window seat and collapsed, letting her head fall back against the window. James followed her, his face drawn with worry.
"What is it? Are you hurt? What happened in there?" He knelt in front of her, and as Lily gazed into his concerned eyes, she couldn't help but reach out and touch his cheek with a small giggle.
"I'm fine, really. I'm just…" She shrugged, unable to articulate anything. He nodded in understanding.
"I know." He sat down next to her, and Lily was glad for his solid presence, his warmth and support. He leaned back against the window as well and gazed sideways at her.
"Was it a boggart?" he asked. She looked him in the eye and nodded. "So you did it then." When she nodded again, he slipped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the temple. "I knew you could do it," he whispered.
"Thanks to you," she murmured, too tired to resist letting her head rest on his shoulder. It was comfortable, and again his words from earlier that night came back: I'll be there for you, no matter what happens. She rather liked that idea. She liked sitting there with him.
In fact, she could have fallen asleep wrapped in his arms, but he finally sighed and stood up, and for the first time Lily noticed the burn marks on his sleeve, the scratch on his leg, the smudges on his face; she wondered if she looked the same. He held out his hand to help her up, and she gave him another tired smile as she accepted. For a moment they simply stood there, holding hands before he brushed a loose hair away from her face and gazed into her eyes. She thought he might kiss her, but instead he said the last thing she expected, ruining the moment. "I wonder what time it is."
"It is quite early for even the Head Boy and Head Girl to be up and about," said a voice from behind them. They turned to find Professor Dumbledore standing there, as if he had appeared from nowhere. His eyes were twinkling behind his round spectacles; he seemed amused at coming across the Head Boy and Head Girl in the middle of the corridor, scratched and dirty, as opposed to furious at finding them out of bed before the sun even rose.
"Sir," James stuttered, stepping away from her immediately. "We can explain, really. It's not what you think, sir, we were--"
Lily almost flinched from the awkwardness. Professor Dumbledore merely tilted his head. "And what do you suppose I might be thinking, Mr. Potter?"
James flushed clear up to the roots of his messy hair; Lily glanced down, fumbling with her dirty robes. Then she thought about why they were so dirty: she had almost been killed by a Lethifold. She stepped forward, determined not to be in trouble, because as far she was concerned, they hadn't really done anything wrong.
"Sir, we just experienced something incredibly strange, right here in the castle. Something I think you should know about."
"I imagine you did, Ms. Evans," Dumbledore replied with a slightly amused tone.
"You already know," said James, a note of accusation hanging in his voice. "You were waiting for us."
"Indeed, Mr. Potter." If it were at all possible, Dumbledore's blue eyes were twinkling even more. "I was informed of your situation almost as soon as it began. Why don't you join me in my office, and I will explain before breakfast begins."
"Before breakfast…" James repeated, his shoulders slumping as he passed a weary hand over his eyes. "Merlin's beard, we've been up all night in that damn thing." He seemed to realize what he had said and straightened up. "Sorry, sir. Of course we'll come to your office."
They followed Professor Dumbledore to the third floor. When James reached over and squeezed her hand in reassurance, Lily smiled at him…and didn't let go. They had gone into the maze to learn, and she had learned something unexpected. Now perhaps she would learn why.
* * *
They entered the headmaster's office together and stood awkwardly in front of the fireplace. Dumbledore motioned them to sit on a nearby sofa. "Would you like some tea?"
"Yes," said Lily, sounding exhausted.
"No, thank you," replied James. "Sir, if you knew--"
"All in good time, James," said Dumbledore, pouring two cups of tea from a nearby tray. He handed one to Lily; it smelled so good that James wished he had accepted one after all. Dumbledore must have noticed the look on his face, for he handed the second cup to James, then poured himself another before taking a seat across from them.
"Now that we are settled, why don't you tell me what happened tonight?" he asked. James blinked a few times, not sure how to start. Fortunately, Lily began.
"We were walking back to Gryffindor when we saw a set of doors on the sixth floor that had never been there before," said Lily. "When we opened them, there was a maze inside."
"Which naturally you decided to enter in the middle of the night after curfew," said Dumbledore.
"It was my idea, sir," James said quickly, setting down his tea. "I didn't think the room would be there in the morning, and then…" He trailed off as he thought about the mysterious words that had appeared.
"There was a message on the door, sir," said Lily. "It seemed like we were supposed to go in, so we did."
Dumbledore studied them thoughtfully over his cup. "You are both correct. The room only appears to those in need. It does not appear often and does not appear for long. So you were right to take advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself."
James wanted to give Lily an 'I told you so' look, but he also wanted to know more. "Professor, what was it exactly? And how did you know where we were?"
"I knew you were in the maze because I was informed as soon as you entered," said Dumbledore.
"How?" James asked, beginning to grow annoyed with Dumbledore's vague answers. The headmaster seemed to sense his impatience and smiled.
"By the witch who created it." He motioned toward a portrait above the door. "Rowena Ravenclaw."
The woman in the portrait looked up from a book. She was fair skinned with long black hair and piercing black eyes. She had sharp but beautiful features and wore a deep blue gown detailed in the same complicated loops and swirls as the doors to the maze.
"So these are our two young stravaiger," she said in a lilting Scottish accent. "And how did you fare in the maze?"
Whereas James had held back his irritation with Professor Dumbledore earlier, now he did not. This was the woman who had almost got them killed, and he wanted her to know exactly what he thought, even if she were only a portrait.
"We almost died in there," he said, his voice surprisingly calm as he stood and faced the portrait. "Is that what we were supposed to learn? How to die?"
"James," murmured Lily. "Sit down."
"No, it is quite all right," said Rowena Ravenclaw. She raised a dark eyebrow at them. "Is that really what happened? Perhaps you should return if that is all you have brought back with you."
"I brought back this, this, and this," James snapped, pointing at his leg, his arm, and various scratches on his face.
"But what did you learn?" she pressed. James just stared at her, too annoyed to do anything but shake his head. Professor Dumbledore spoke.
"Rowena, I think they have had a rather long night. I shall explain things to them."
"Thank you, Albus," she replied, gazing fondly at the headmaster. "I am sure you will be able to help them understand far better than I."
Rowena returned to her book, absorbed in whatever she was reading. James turned on Dumbledore.
"She told you we were in the maze?" he demanded. "Did she tell you we were in mortal danger as well?"
Dumbledore sighed. "Please sit down again, James. I will explain everything, as I can see that you are clearly upset about what has happened."
"I'm not upset," James grumbled, and he wasn't. He was tired, irritated, hungry, and confused, but he was not upset--not really.
"Thank you, sir," said Lily, finishing her tea as James reluctantly sat down. "If you could explain what happened, I'm sure we'd both feel much better."
"Of course." Dumbledore stood and walked before the fire. He stared into it before turning toward them and beginning.
"As you know, Rowena Ravenclaw was one of the founders of our school. It was she who designed this castle, including the moving staircases, so it should come as no surprise that she included a secret room or two."
"Like the Come and Go Room?" James asked, and Dumbledore inclined his head.
"Perhaps."
"Only that wasn't the Come and Go Room," said Lily, and Dumbledore nodded this time.
"No, it was not. Rowena created the maze as an exercise for the students of Ravenclaw house, to challenge them both intellectually and physically. Before she died, she placed a spell on the room so that it would appear to any student at Hogwarts who needed a challenge to overcome any obstacles preventing them from fully realizing their potential."
"So it just appears to some people and not to others?" she asked.
"It appears to those who are struggling with something very specific and very important about their magic," Dumbledore replied. "It is a rare and special gift."
"But why don't more people know about it?" asked Lily. "Are you going to ask us to keep it secret?"
"Or Obliviate us," murmured James, which earned him an elbow in the side from Lily. Dumbledore laughed softly.
"Of course I am not going to Obliviate you." He paused, giving them a thoughtful look. "You went into the maze to learn something. You were always perfectly safe. The fact that you made it out of the maze on your own, and quickly at that, indicates that you learned what you were supposed to learn, and that is an important lesson to remember."
Sitting down across from them once more, Dumbledore continued. "Some have turned down the opportunity you were given tonight. Others have tried and failed." James idly wondered if Dumbledore himself had experienced either; he doubted it, but there was a wistful look on the headmaster's face as he spoke.
"I will not ask you about your experience in the maze, as it is a very personal thing, nor will I ask you to keep it secret. I would ask, however, that you not reveal its presence to everyone you know, as it is more fun this way, don't you think?" His eyes were twinkling again, and James resisted the impulse to roll his eyes at the headmaster.
"Now, I am sure you will want to clean up and find something more substantial than tea for breakfast." Dumbledore stood once more, clearly dismissing them; they rose and followed him toward the door.
"Thank you for explaining everything, sir," said Lily as they left. James did not say anything, because he still had many questions.
"You are welcome, Ms. Evans. I hope that you both take much away from your experience this past night. Perhaps even more than was intended."
She thanked him once more, and they left the tower, making their way back to Gryffindor. The sun was coming up and the castle was starting to stir, and James was just as tired, confused, and irritated as ever. He didn't even notice where they were going until Lily stopped him in front of the prefects' lounge, said the password, and dragged him inside.
"What's wrong?" she asked, and she seemed both annoyed and concerned. He sighed, not wanting to upset her.
"Nothing, really," he said. "I'm just tired, that's all."
"It bothers you, being played like that," she stated, and he nodded in surprise at her insight.
"A bit. I mean, doesn't it bother you?" he asked, and to his surprise she shook her head.
"Not really," she replied. "Think about it, James: we just got to do something very few students get to do. And we got to do it together."
She took a step forward as she spoke, and James felt his heart skip a beat. He glanced down into green eyes gazing at him in a way that he had never thought to see.
"We could have died," he murmured, but she shook her head.
"No, you heard what Dumbledore said. We were always safe."
"But what was the point?" he asked, though deep down, he thought he knew. He just wanted her to say it.
"I defeated my boggart," she replied. "You cast a corporeal Patronus. And we worked together to defeat the dragon and the werewolf."
"So what do you think Dumbledore meant by learning more than was intended?" he asked. His voice was a husky whisper, because she was so, so close, and he all he could think about was accidentally grazing her lips in maze, and how much he wanted to feel that again.
"I learned you're an Animagus," she said softly, and she reached out to touch his face just as she had right before he had defeated the Lethifold. "And I realized that I'm not alone, because I'll always have you."
"Me?" James felt his voice break and cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"
"You promised you would always be there for me," she whispered, and her lips were brushing his as she spoke. "And not only do I believe you, but I will hold you to that promise."
"Me?" he repeated. He had spoken on impulse, and though he had meant every word, he had not thought she would truly want him. Yet she gave him a coy look through her eyelashes before leaning even closer.
"Yes, you…Prongs."
Their lips finally met, and he kissed her back, relishing in the simple joy of finally discovering something he had wanted for so long that he had almost forgotten what it was. It was Lily, and he knew that now. She had inspired his Patronus, and he in turn had helped her defeat her deepest fear.
Yet more importantly, they had found each other in the maze. He had made a promise to her, and their experience together only deepened his commitment. He would be there for Lily, no matter what happened. Neither of them would be alone.
Slowly she pulled back, laying her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her and sighed. "I really doubt this is what Dumbledore meant, you know."
He could feel her smile against him. "You never know. He is a strange, wise man."
"He's not a matchmaker," said James, and then laughed at the ridiculous idea. Lily giggled with him.
"No, but I think he knows. Why else would we go into the maze together, James, except to find one another?"
James had no answer; he was just glad they had been given the chance. Taking her hand, he lead her from the prefects' lounge, just as he had only hours earlier. This time, however, things were different: this time they were truly together.
And somehow he knew it would be forever, no matter the twists and turns their lives might take.
* * *