Disclaimer: It’s all Jo’s, of course.

Author’s Note: Mmm…another chapter! This one is much different from the last. It goes BOOM. Yes. It does. I don’t think I have anything other to say other than that…

As Lily made her way downstairs, her anger was subdued by the delicious smell coming from the kitchen. It was the night before she left for Hogwarts, and her family was having the traditional goodbye meal. This year it was Lily’s all-time favorite: Yorkshire pudding and roast beef.

“Something wrong, Lily?” asked her mother from the kitchen as Lily walked into the room looking very disgruntled.

“Not really,” she said, shrugging. “I just found out that the most annoying boy in the world is Head Boy and I’m going to have to work with him all year. But it could be worse. At least it’s not some Slytherin who would probably be even more unbearable, if that’s even possible.” She sighed.

“Good for you to look on the bright side,” her mother said vaguely. Despite how much Lily talked about it, her parents never quite understood Hogwarts and the Wizarding world. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Great, I’m starving.” said Lily, forgetting her anger, and sitting down at the table.

Just a few moments later, Petunia came walking into the kitchen, very dressed up from head to spike-heeled toe. She headed for the door. “Where are you going, Petunia?” asked Lily’s mother.

“Vernon and I are going out to dinner.” answered Petunia, who kept walking towards the door.

“But it’s Lily’s goodbye dinner! Can’t you postpone it? You won’t see your sister until next year. Don’t you want to visit with her tonight before she leaves?” Try as the two might to tell their mother, she just didn’t understand the relationship between the girls.

Petunia made a mock-contemplating face and said, “Let me think about it…I’m going.” and then walked through the door.

Her father opened his mouth to say something, but Lily said, “Just let her go, dad, it’ll be more pleasant anyways.”

So, to the roaring of Vernon Dursley’s new car as the two left, Lily and her parents sat down to dinner.

“Everything is great, mum,” said Lily, smiling at her mother and taking a large bite of Yorkshire pudding.

“Lily, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Her mother chided, but she smiled all the same.

“So, Lily,” her father said, “are you excited about this school year?”

“Well --” Lily started, but she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it,” said her father. He stood up, walked through the hallway and over to the front door. Lily had just gone back to her dinner when she heard a low hiss that made her heart freeze.

“Avada Kedavra,” and she heard a thud as her father’s body hit the floor.

Though Lily sat practically petrified in her seat, her mother uttered a small scream and ran to the hall, crouching behind the wall. In a moment of foolishness, Lily followed. The sight she saw made her skin crawl. Two or three dark, masked figures -- Death Eaters, she knew -- were entering her home, a few laughing at the dead body of her father. She stopped breathing as she realized what had just happened. Her father. Dead.

But then she saw something that brought her immediately back to her senses. A tall wizard wearing a long black cloak stepped forward, but he wore no mask. His face was hidden in the shadows of the cloak, but his eyes gleamed through. “Well?” the wizard said in a soft hiss. “What are you waiting for? Kill any Muggles you find, but leave the little Mudblood girl to me. If you find her, send the dark mark up. She’ll be dead by the time anyone notices it….” His head turned slowly to where she was standing, and Lily was suddenly quite sure that he knew exactly who was behind that wall.

At this, Lily finally realized that she couldn’t keep hiding behind the wall, they were sure to kill her any moment. Wand, she thought immediately, reaching for her pocket. But she had left it up stairs in her room. “Mum!” she whispered urgently. “Mum, come on! It’s Voldemort, Voldemort! We have to get out of here!” But her mother was staring at her father, as motionless as he was. “Mum! Come on!” she said, tugging at her arm. She had to get her wand. Crouching here behind the wall waiting for them to come and kill them would do neither her or her mum any good. If she went quickly and silently enough maybe she could get back with her wand and help fight them off before…oh come on, Lily! the logical part of her brain told her. Death Eaters and VOLDEMORT? There’s no way…

But I’m going to have to try. the blind Gryffindor bravery interrupted.

Racing towards the stairs, Lily was unaware of everything else surrounding her, only that she had to get her wand. Breathing heavily, she creaked the door to her bedroom open softly, for fear that their might be some Death Eaters hiding in there. There was no one. She found her wand quickly, and, fighting the part of her that desperately wanted to hide under the bed, she exited her room. At the top of the stairs, she looked down through the hallway, and saw two of the Death Eaters talking together in an almost lazy fashion, while the third was looking around the house. Voldemort was no where in sight. Lily felt a disgusted indignation at their leisure, as if killing her father had been nothing but mere entertainment…

Her mother was still stooping behind the wall, with her hand over her mouth, swaying back and forth. With a jolt of horror, Lily realized the Death Eater was coming very close to her…Lily wanted to call out, but that would do no one any good.

The Death Eater had spotted her mother. He raised his wand, about to throw a killing curse, but Lily yelled, “STUPEFY!”

The Death Eater blocked the spell with ease and turned instead to look at her. Although his face was masked, she could almost see a sneering smile upon his gruesome face. Panicking, Lily sent stunning spells in every direction. The Death Eaters didn’t retaliate, they merely laughed. And then she heard it.

“Avada Kedavra!”

It was as if time stopped. Lily turned to look at her mother who was no longer crouching behind the wall. No, she was lying on the floor, spread-eagled on her back, lifeless.

“NO!” Lily shrieked, but she only vaguely remembered doing so. She spun on her heel and fled into her room. Sobbing, she fell backwards on the bed again.

They’re coming to kill you. A voice in her head said severely. They’ll find you and there will be no where for you to go. They’ll kill you…

“What does it matter?” she cried aloud. Just then she heard footsteps thundering up the stairs. They were right by her door…

“COLLOPORTUS!” she shrieked at the last moment, breathing heavily, and the door sealed shut with a funny squelching noise. She didn’t want to die…not like this.…

But what could she do? The only fireplace in her house was in the living room downstairs, and she wasn’t even sure she had any Floo powder left, anyways. She couldn’t apparate yet, she wasn’t of age and didn’t know how…

Colored light was flashing under the door as the Death Eaters sent curses at the it, breaking the spell…they would be through any moment…or Voldemort would come….

There was no way to contact anyone. She couldn’t Floo anyone…her owl was out sending a letter to her best friend Marlene Mckinnon who was on vacation in China…

All of sudden it occurred to her: Potter! His letter! Where was it? She searched frantically around the room, until she found it on her bedside table. She grabbed her wand. “How do I turn this on? How do I turn this on?” she asked frantically, prodding the parchment in various places, tapping each of the games in turn. “Damnit, how do I turn this bloody thing on?!”

“POTTER!” She screamed at the parchment. “DAMNIT POTTER! WHERE ARE YOU? HOW DO I WORK THIS? Oh, for the love of Merlin!” she cried, tears streaming down her face…

…she was going to die…trapped…

“Potter!” she yelled again, “POTTER!” there was no answer. Her breathing was harsh and ragged, and she could hardly see through the tears blurring her eyes. “James,” she sobbed. “Oh, Merlin, you were my only hope…James…” She then collapsed onto the bed sobbing…waiting for them to come in and kill her….

…it would be any moment now…

…soon…

“Lily?” She sat up and looked wildly around the room. She recognized that voice…

“Oh God…James? Potter! Is that you?”

“Yeah, Lily, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”

She began to talk very, very quickly…she was going to die soon…“Death Eaters…in my house…Voldemort…they killed my parents…I’m locked in my room…please…get the…ministry…or someone…please!”

“Bloody hell…” she heard Sirius whisper.

“Voldemort? Death Eaters?” exclaimed James sounding stricken, “Are you sure?”

“No, those people walking around my house in cloaks and masks shooting killing spells at my parents and I are just figments of my bloody imagination, of course I’m sure, Potter!” She shrieked, sending another Colloportus spell at the door.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’m coming.”

“What?” she gasped. “No! Wait! Get the ministry or something! James!”

But James was no longer listening. “Sirius, go Floo my parents, they’re at work. Remus, go Floo the Ministry. Peter, get my neighbors or any over-age wizard you can find…I’m the only one who can apparate…I’ve got to go…do something…”

“James, you can’t go alone!” said Sirius.

“I’ve got to!” bellowed James, “Now GO! Hurry up!” There was the sound of footsteps hurrying away. “Lily! Lily, quickly, where do you live? Describe an image of your house to me, quickly!”

“James…”

“Bloody hell, Lily, hurry up!” So, fumbling over her words, Lily told him a detailed description of her house and where it was, everything from the color of the roof to the balcony out side her window.

“Okay, Lily…just try to keep them out a little longer…We’re getting help…don’t worry!”

Lily nodded, forgetting that he couldn’t see her, but he already seemed to be gone. She was beginning to feel weak from fatigue and sending Collorportus spells every other second….

…she was going to die soon…

And the door crashed open. Several Death Eaters clambered in, making sounds of triumph. Lily slunk back into the corner of her room near the window overlooking her balcony, as the nearest Death Eater advanced on her.

“Well, well, well,” said the Death Eater with a drawling voice. “If it isn’t the little Mudblood…”

“Morsmorde!” one of the Death Eaters near the door bellowed.

“The Dark Lord has looked forward to this…” said the first Death Eater. “We’re not supposed to kill you, but he said nothing about …Crucio!” Lily fell flat against the floor, screaming. Pain beyond any other pain she had ever felt before invaded her body…her bones were on fire, burning, searing…

…she was going to die soon…

“STUPEFY!” Lily heard someone yell, though it seemed muted … she was in a fog, and everything around her seemed less intense, less important, except the pain in her body…

…she was going to die soon…

Glass shattered above her, showering her with glittering shards. With more effort than she could muster, Lily looked up, and saw an angel above her…an angel on a broomstick…“J-James…” she whispered.

James continued to send curses at the Death Eaters, who blocked most of them effortlessly. Nevertheless, they were distracted momentarily. They were weak curses, but they were something…

James hadn’t escaped without injury. His left arm was bleeding profusely, and he had nasty a gash on his cheek. There were boils all over his body, but he kept on fighting a furious battle…

“Silence,” hissed a deathly voice. Lily looked towards the door and saw the monstrous demon again…Voldemort….

“How lovely…we have a visiter. Potter, isn’t it? Yes…I know your parents…disgusting Mudblood-lovers…”

James was ignoring him (An impressive feat, as the mere presence of Voldemort seemed to draw all eyes towards him). “Lily,” he muttered, “When I say go, get on the broomstick as fast as you can…”

Lily wasn’t sure if she could, but she gathered her strength all the same.

“Impertinent boy,” spat Voldemort. “You dare defy me…cheek me…”

James was now looking Voldemort straight in the eye, cold fury visible in his hazel eyes. Very quietly, hardly moving his lips, he muttered “One…”

“No matter,” Voldemort continued, “You’ll both be dead soon…”

“Two…”

“Avada…”

“GO!” screamed James, grabbing Lily’s arm as she thrust herself onto his broom. They moved just in time, and the killing curse hit Lily’s Beatles poster above her head, causing Paul McCartney a rather nasty burn on his, well, entire head.

James was an expert flyer, and they dodged out the window, ducking the jets of green light. Below, she could see people Apparating…Aurors, she guessed. They’re late, she thought rather sourly, but it was okay…she was alive…she wasn’t going to die….

Author’s Note: Yes, see? It goes BOOM. Compared to the last one, at least. I know this seems really random, but it will make sense…trust me! Next chapter will come soon, I promise!

Edit 3/4/06: I changed a bit around in this chapter because it was stupid. It’s slightly less stupid now, I think.