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When Lightning Strikes by rebelwithoutacause
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When Lightning Strikes

rebelwithoutacause

A/N: This is an excerpt from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix pages 646-650, Snape's Worst Memory. This is 5 years later in Lily and James's 5th year.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this chapter; it is all straight from J.K.'s book.

Excerpt from Order of the Phoenix pages 646-450.

-Snape's Worst Memory-

"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.

Snape reacted so fast it was as though he ad been expecting an attack. Dropping his bag, he plunged hi hand inside his robes and his wand was halfway in the air when James shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

Snape's wand flew 12 feet into the air and well with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"Impedimenta!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet, halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand.

Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained. Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands up, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view.

"How'd the exam go Snivelly?" said James.

I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word of it."

Several people watching laughed; Snape was clearly unpopular. Wormtail sniggered shrilly. Snape was trying the get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You-wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing. "You-wait…"

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What are you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but his wand being ten feet away nothing happened.

"Wash your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips making him gag, choking him-

"Leave him ALONE!"

James and Sirius looked around. James's free hand jumped to his hair again.

It was one of the girls from the lake edge. She had thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders and startling green almond-shaped eyes-Harry's eyes.

Harry's mother…

"All right, Evans?" said James and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's he one to you?"

"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…"

Many of the surrounding watchers laughed, Sirius and Wormtail included, but Lupin, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and neither did Lily.

"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just and arrogant, bulling toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me Evans," said James quickly, "Go on…go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch towards his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.

"Bad luck Prongs," said Sirius briskly, turning back to Snape. "OY!"

But too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, splattering his robes with blood. James whirled about; a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants.

Many people in the small crowd cheered. Sirius, James, and Wormtail roared with laughter.

Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upward. Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes, he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said, "Locomotor Mortis!" and Snape keeled over again, rigid as a board.

LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.

Take the curse off him then!"

James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the counter curse.

"There you go," he said, as Snape struggles to his feet again, "you're lucky Evans was here Snivellus-"

"I don't need help from filthy mudbloods like her!"

Lily blinked. "Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him.

"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "Your as bad as he is…"

"What? Yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a-you know what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can-I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."

She turned on her heel and hurried away.

"Evans!" James shouted after her, "Hey, EVANS!" But she didn't look back.

"What is with her?" said James, trying and failing to look as though this was a throwaway question of no real importance to him.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," said Sirius.

"Right," said James, who looked furious now, "right-"

There was another flash of light, and Snape was once again hanging upside down in the air.

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?

A/N: Sorry about the mention of Harry in there, I tried to cut out as much of him as possible. This is just an event that I figured I would write so you get the idea of the next chapter.