“You... Ah..How..Whattt…//”
“Hello! Lily Potter.” The latter half of the name was a spat tone.
Lily regained her composure, taking a breath she said “What do you think, you are doing. Breaking an entry, trying to overpower a poor old woman. What do think would give you… Glory?
“I tried to talk her out, but she was not ready to listen.”
“And you… you…‘killed’ her” She said with enough contempt in her voice.
“She’s only petrified. I’ll put her right, once I am finished with you.”
“Oh! So, you come here, Petrify a helpless old woman to wait for ‘me’…What will you do? Finish me off. So, Listen I am not afraid of dying.”
“Lily, Please listen to me. I came here, not to h-u--r-t..aa.oo… how can I ever hurt you? I…” His voice was lost in Lily’s outraged tone.
“Oh! So, you come here to talk. Is it? You come here to talk by half killing her (indicating Bathilda).” He unpetrified her but cast the muffliato charm so that she could not listen what went on between them.
“Lily, please listen to me. I don’t have much time.”
“Listen Sev…huh..I still (she shook the thought out of her mind). …Severus Snape! How could you ever expect me to talk to you?” “Is it not you, because of whom my son is in mortal danger?”
“Yeas, but---.”
“See, you admit.”
“Lily, I never knew what the prophecy actually meant, it never gave a name. I never want you to get hurt.”
“How does it matter… why be I any different?”
“Lily, Listen ___”
“NO...!! YOU listen to me. Everyone told me …, but I never belived, I fought with James for you, because I couldn’t believe you…you could do this…you could do this to…to me.” “ We were friends. But, no, you value their (Death eaters) friendship more than you ever valued mine. You never cared. You called me…muuhd-bl… still I…I… I stopped talking to you, but never hated you. I heard rumors about you, but never believed them, because I thought…(her voice cracked) I thought… I knew you.” “You proved me a fool all along. Thanks for clearing up that last doubt.” She turned to leave.
“Lily, stop, wait. Look at me…Do you think…” He followed her, took her hand, she gave a jerk and freed her hands and left.
He saw her bright green eyes, all in tears. But, the green eyes never saw the tears in the black (eyes). He heard her leave, banging the door hard.
The scene back home had not changed much. James and the children were still playing Building Blocks. Lily forced herself inside and without looking up went straight to the kitchen, to avoid showing her face them. She dragged herself to the dining chair and sat down, and didn’t realize when she started crying so hard that her cries reached the people in the other room.
James rushed in, “Lily! …” “What happened? ’Something wrong? James was getting impatient, seeing Lily crying over and not saying anything, his mind was giving all kinds of negative illusions.
He took Lily by her arm, made her stand and turned her towards him and took her in his arms. He let her cry on his beating heart till she could cry no more. Brought her a glass of water and tried to calm her down.
“Sn---a-p—e…to--ld –vol---de—m—oo—r---’m s---oo—rr---.!” and fresh tears flooded her eyes. James could not make out any sense of what she said. Lily took a gulp of water and tried to normalize her nerve. After something like ten minutes she took a long breadth and said, “I met ……Snape!”
“What…!!! Where,….A..HOW…”
She told him everything that had happened at Bathilda’s.
“But, Lily, Thank god you are fine.” “But, I’ll just ….” He started leaving.
“Where are you going?”
“I wont leave that sagging hound”
“But, James he would have gone by now.” “James please leave it.”
She said after a moment. “James…I am sorry. I am really sorry for not believing you about Snape, for arguing with you. Will you ever forgive me?”
“But Lily, I Love you.” She hugged him and they kissed.
‘CRASH..!!!!’ there was a huge clattered noise of someone hitting on the window.
They rushed towards the window and opened it. “Oh! James look, it’s Padfoot’s owl”
James took the owl in and before anyone Miley snatched off the letter from its beak and opened it up.
“ D—E—A—R—Dee—err--…J—a—M—e—s..a-n-d L—I—L—Y—”. Miley tried her best to read but James obliged.
“Well, darling with that speed it will take a lifetime, don’t worry you can read when you get your own letters.” He took the letter and read it.
“Padfoot says all’s fine out there with him, thanks you for your letter and givesveryone all his love.” “By the way he’s coming over next weekend, that would be the 3rd of July.”
“Hey, that would be great!!!!” exclaimed Miley before Lily could react.
Lily busied herself with the kids after sending the letter to Sirius.
Tasha (cat), too was getting edgy, all confined in the house. Lily tried hard to keep it engaged with the children. She was trying to play with them while glancing repeatedly at the door. James had not returned yet.
At last, there was a tap and a click, and James walked in, before Lily could react Miley all delighted rushed towards him and hugged his legs, because she could just reach his legs, he had to unwrap her tiny hands and bend down to hug her back.
“I am back, see! I love you.” He said and glanced at Lily, who was still sitting there by Harry, who now realizing his father’s presence gave a cackling laugh.
“This is bliss!” exclaimed James, “such a warm welcome, reckon I should go out more often.” He laughed. Lily was surprised to see James in such a good mood. May be, he just needed an outing.
“Thank God, you are back!” (Both mentally and physically)
“Sorry for being late. Met Moony on my way back, was here for some Order work, so could not come by.”
“Oh! That’s great, he’s fine. I was just worried, you see no word from him.”
“So, what’s there for lunch, I am hungry.” James regained mood was a great welcome and next few weeks went on well.
It was a May Sunday afternoon; James was just idling on the sofa with the children, helping them to put on Building blocks – a muggle game, when Lily entered the room.
“I am going over to Bathilda’s. Will be back in a moment.”
“All well?” asked James not looking up.
“Yes. I just asked her to get our groceries, going over to get those. All’s well.”
“Hmm.”
Lily came out and crossed the street road, walked past several houses. She reached the gate and turned it in, crossed the front path to the door and gave a single tap. She waited for Bathilda to answer, but when there was no answer she tapped again, harder this time.
“Bathilda…!!!?// ‘ you in?..Bathilda..?” She checked the doorknob, it turned… the door was open. She went inside. Damn! She had left her wand at home. Bathilda…? Are you in there?” she called out looking up towards the upstairs room, when there was no answer, She walked on towards the sitting room. The room was all disturbed, as if there had been a struggle, she took a few steps ahead and gasped, to see Bathilda’s body on the floor.
“I knew, you would come.” A familiar, soft balanced voice reached her ears from the darker part of the room.
“Who is it?” “Show yourself.” She turned towards the source of the voice, trying to maintain her composure.
“I had been waiting for you.” And as the figure came forward into the light, Lily’s eyes grew wider.James was getting ready to go out, to try and find out any news he could get about, what was happening in the outside world, where people were still being killed, all thanks to the invisibility cloak, a family heirloom he had most treasured. All those memories came flooding back to him – all nighttime wanderings up the Hogwarts castle with the Marauders. How it had concealed them from every eye, be it Filch, Peeves or anyone else. How they used to plant tricks on Filch and Snape, and never got caught. Snape! It’s him, because of whom his family was suffering, hidden away.
“ I wish, I could catch hold of Snivellus, one more time!” he muttered under his breath, as he saw Lily approaching.
“You done? I have made some sandwiches and pumpkin juice, have something before you leave (she started to leave) and (turned back again to add) they are expecting you at the table.” She left.
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a moment, start serving.” He called over her back.
It was a comfortable kitchen, and Lily had kept it clean with bright colors on the wall. With a table for six dominating the center, the place looked inviting.
All Lily, Miley and Harry were sitting around the table. Harry on his heightened baby chair trying to get the beaten porridge into his mouth, with the spoon, which was quite a task for him and the porridge was all smeared around, rather than going to the desired destination. The sight made James’ lips curve to form a smile, he half smiled half laughed watching his son, but that smile drained as soon as it had come. Lily noticed it, but said nothing. Miley, realizing his presence gave a delighted scream and hugged him on the legs. He bent down and kissed her.
“Good mo’ing”, she said, her mouth half full with the sandwich she was eating.
“Good morning! Darling. You up?”
She noticed him all dressed up, and asked, “Are you leaving too?” the tone and the question surprised James. “What! What did you say?” he looked at Lily helplessly.
“I heard mom and aunt Bathilda talking.” She said timidly, fresh tears frming at the corners of her eyes.
“What are you talking about?” asked Lily coming over, getting to her knees.
“I heard you talking about, people leaving their homes.. and..a.n..d. n-e-v-e-r co—m-ing b—a-ck.” She almost swallowed the second half and started sobbing.
James and Lily both hugged her and calmed her down.
“Hey! My baby. Papa will be b-a—ck” his voice cracked but he managed to add, “I am just going out to the market”
“Promise me!”
“I promise that I am going to be back, as soon as I can.” “I love you1 and I am never going to leave you” he assured her.
He left after having just few bites and gulped down the juice under Lily’s stern gaze. Miley’s confrontation had shaken him. How hard he had tried not to get his children affected by the ongoing tumult. He pushed the feeling out of his mind, put the cloak around him and started out.
“Mia! What was that now? You should not listen to what the elders are talking about.” Lily snapped once James had left. The tone surprised Miley, she had naver seen her so angry neither had she ever used such a tone against her. She kept staring at her. Lily regained her composure and started calmly this time. Kissed her and asked he to kiss her back. She stood up to clear the table; she had almost forgotten to write the letter.
“Mia, darling, will you please help Harry down his chair and play with him, while mom finishes her chore.”
“Won’t you play with us?” “You promised you would tell us stories about Hoggavers.”
“Its Hog-warts! My dear” said lily, amused. “Alright I’ll do that. But, first I have to clean the kitchen and write to Sirius.” “Will you help me to clean the table?” Lily doubted, she had listened the latter half, because at Sirius’s name Mia had given a scream of delight and started asking her to call him over.
“Oh! Sirius..give all my an’ Harry’s love too and ask him to come over. Pleaasee..! It’s been such a long time. He brings very good chocolates.”
“Do you want him to come over, so that you could have chocolates?” exclaimed Lily half amused.
“No. We love him. Don’t we Harry?” Harry could just mutter some monosyllables sensing excitement. She left, helping Harry on the pram.
Lily sat down to write the letter.
Dear Padfoot,
His behavior worries me a lot. I hope if you could come, that would up his spirits a bit and even yours. What is it with you? There’s been no news from you, nothing at all. How is Moony, did you meet him? Last time we heard, he was out with order’s work. Yeah Order comes first.
Please do not discontinue writing.
Well, Miley and Harry are fine too. And Miley was quite excited to learn, I was writing to you and and also misses your chocolates a lot. She is all up with pranks these days. She has become very active too. The other day I left pudding on the table and went over to call Bathilda, and until the time I was back, quarter of it was gone! At my stern gaze and questioning, she blamed everyone, including birds, Tasha (cat) even Harry. Though her face, hands and clothes were all smeared with chocolate. The scene was amusing and to top it she has learned lying and blaming others, got good thrashing for that, but yes, I felt bad later and baked her favorite cookies.
Bathilda told there had been many deaths and Bellatrix with others have abducted the Longbottoms, its infuriating. Thak Heavens! their son is fine.
I cant believe Snape did all this. We ( Lily & James) even had an argument regarding this. Felt sorry later though, but you know how it is.
Please come over and inform me if there’s any change of plan. Bring Moony too, if you can, that would be a change for him too.
I am expecting a quick reply and wishing you to come. Please.
Lots of Love
“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ...”
**********************************************
It had been raining all day. People preferred staying inside in their cosy homes, and there were not many on the roads even when the rain stopped in the evening. A cold February night with an overcast sky, the moon was faintly visible.
His wife had gone to bed after putting the children to bed. He could see her face under the dim lights from the fire. Good thing, she was asleep, he had been working all day, trying not to think about it.
He was sitting on the chair by the fire thinking about the past, his days at Hogwarts, friends, Lily, Miley and Harry – these constituted his happiest memories.
“James, were you up the whole night? What are you doing to yourself?”
“That’s the problem. I cannot do anything, anything at all, to save my own family from him. You don’t understand how it is sitting inside this virtual cage waiting just waiting.”
“You are getting restless again.”
“I wish, I could finish this before, before he gets to touch my family.”
“But, we are protected James. We are guarded by the Fidelius charm.”
“I am not worried about myself.”
Lily could see the pain in his eyes; when he said that. She got on her knees beside him, and hugged him. “I love you James.” “All will be fine, Albus says the charm is impenetrable and Harry…H..a..rry will be fine.” She fought back tears while saying this.
“Its not Just Harry, its everyone – you, Miley and Harry. I am worried about all of you, because, he would not care about how many lives he claims.” “To him it does not make a difference. But to me, it makes all the difference.”
“Oh James..!”, He clung to her as someone clings to a lifeline and there was nothing as real as, her heart thumping beside his.
A red glow was visible outside the window across the sky. They could hear the distant chirpings of the morning birds. She straightened herself after what seemed like an hour.
She composed herself after a moment and went to wash herself. Making a mental note to owl Sirius and call him over, may be, that would distract him a bit, in fact both of them.
Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light ~ Albus Dumbledore
Power - It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well. ~ Albus Dumbledore
"Fear of a name increases fear of a thing itself." ~ Albus Dumbledore
"There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." ~ Albus Dumbledore
"Voldemort himself created his own worst enemy, just as tyrants everywhere do! Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress?" ~ Albus Dumbledore
“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love. By returning, you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed, fewer families are torn apart. If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say good-bye for the present.” ~ Albus Dumbledore
"So top grade's O for 'Outstanding,'" she [Hermione] was saying, "and then there's A-"
"No, E," George corrected her, "E for 'Exceeds Expectations.' And I've always thought Fred and I should've got E in everything, because we exceeded expectations just by turning up for the exams."
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"You two just Apparated on my knees!"
"Yeah, well, it's harder in the dark --"
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"Yeah, Montague tried to do us during break," said George.
"What do you mean, 'tried'?" said Ron quickly.
"He never managed to get all the words out," said Fred, "due to the fact that we forced him head-first into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."
Hermione looked very shocked.
"But you'll get into terrible trouble!"
"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks, I dunno where we sent him," said Fred coolly.
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"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" said Zacharias Smith.
"Here's an idea," said Ron loudly, "why don't you shut your mouth?"
"Well, we've all turned up to learn from him, and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it," he said.
"That's not what he said," said Fred Weasley.
"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" inquired George, pulling a long and lethal-looking metal instrument from inside one of the Zonko's bags.
"Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stick this," said Fred.
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"Cheers," whispered George, wiping tears of laughter from his face.
"Oh, I hope she tries Vanishing them next...they multiply by ten every time you try..."
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"We tried to shut him in a pyramid, but Mum spotted us." -George
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"Has Ron saved a goal yet?" asked Hermione.
"Well, he can do it if he thinks no one is watching him," said Fred, rolling his eyes. "So all we have to do is ask the crowd to turn their backs and talk among themselves every time the Quaffle goes up on his end Saturday."
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"You don't want to bottle your anger up like that, Harry, let it all out," said Fred, beaming. "There might be a couple people fifty miles away who didn't hear you."
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"--but you get these massive pus-filled boils too," said George, "and we haven't worked out how to get rid of them yet."
"I can't see any boils," said Ron, staring at the twins.
"No, well, you wouldn't," said Fred, "they're not in a place we generally display to the public --"
"-- but they make sitting on a broom a right pain in the --"
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"Hey, look - Harry's got a Weasley sweater, too!" Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow 'F' on it, the other a 'G.'
"Harry's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Harry's sweater. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."
"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."
"I hate maroon," Ron moaned half-heartedly as he pulled it over his head.
"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid - we know we're called Gred and Forge."
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"Harry!" said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy--"
"Marvelous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing."
Percy scowled.
"That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Mum!" said Fred as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand too. "How really corking to see you--"
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"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat!" - George
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"Hello, Harry," said George, beaming at him. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones."
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"We've got it [ Percy's Head Boy badge]. We're improving it." The badge now read, "Bighead Boy."
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"You're a prefect? Oh Ronnie! That's everyone in the family!" [Molly Weasley]
"What are Fred and I? Next door neighbours?"
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"Well, I certainly don't," said Percy sanctimoniously. "I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days."
"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" said Fred.
"That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!" said Percy, going very red in the face. "It was nothing personal!"
"It was," Fred whispered to Harry as they got up from the table. "We sent it."
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"Time is Galleons, little brother."
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"What would we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."
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"What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?"
"Oh no, Ron," came Fred's voice, very sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up."
"Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here," said George, whose voice sounded muffled, as though he was squashed against the wall.
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"This isn't how we imagined handing over our present," said George grimly, putting down a large wrapped gift on Ron's bedside cabinet and sitting beside Ginny.
"Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious," said Fred.
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“For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes. That’s a basilisk, listeners. One simple test: Check whether the thing that’s glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it’s safe to look into its eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that’s still likely to be the last thing you ever do.” [Fred]
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