Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 31- She Returns

True hearts, never to be taken in vain
Even when wrongfully perceived gone
Love you have shared with each other
Everlastingly transmits with brilliance

The weekend was approaching and James was feeling glad about escaping Hogwarts for a night. He had so much to deal with it felt like he was watching his life pass by through another's eyes. It was already the end of Christmas Break in seventh year which meant that the year was almost half over. Soon, he'd have to make the most important decision of his life.

"Prongs are you ready?" Remus asked as he was exiting the Portrait Hole with Sirius right behind him.

"Yeah Moony. I'm coming," James said. He exited the Common Room with Sirius and Remus and saw an unusual sight. Fawn Daniels was pacing back and forth in front of the Fat Lady's portrait.

"What's wrong with you Fawn?" Sirius asked, concerned about her odd behavior. Fawn looked up and saw James and blushed.

"Well, um, James, I just wanted to ask you, if you'd like to, I don't think you would. Why am I even asking?" Fawn mumbled. James gave her a confused look.

Is this about me ditching her at the Yule Ball??, James wondered.

"WouldyougotoHogsmeadewithme?" she asked in one word.

"Calm down killer. What was that?" James asked.

"Would you, James, like to go to Hogsmeade with me?" Fawn asked, spilling out the words one by one.

She took him by surprise. He usually asked the girls, not many times had he been asked by the girl. He thought about it a moment.

Guess she's not too mad about the Yule Ball, he assumed.

"Well, sure Fawn. That'd be great. I'll see you on Sunday then? Tonight I have to do stuff with um, Sirius and Remus. So, I'll see you tomorrow?" James asked.

"Ok," she said brightly. She walked away, most likely towards her Common Room, smiling to herself.

James chuckled to himself.

Maybe I am over Lily, he reassured himself.

"Come on fellas, we have a great Saturday night in front of us," James said, putting his arms around his best friends.

They headed out the door and into the darkness.

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Lily and Katy were in their dorms talking once more. Remus had to go to the Shrieking Shack and Lily had nothing better to do.

"So Lils, what's the deal?" Katy asked.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked her friend, confused.

"With you and Potter? I mean, you guys barely get into seventh year, you get serious, then you dump him. Then, you kiss him when you're drunk, then you watch him out of the corner of your eye all the time! Do you like him or not?" Katy asked.

"I don't watch him!" Lily said, throwing a pillow at her friend.

"Oh yes you do. Don't deny it, because I see it all the time," Katy said.

"Fine. I watch him. But, I did love him for a long time. It's hard to forget someone in that short of time," Lily said.

"Then why do you keep trying to forget him?" Katy asked. Lily had no answer for her.

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"Well, you guys better transform, we're in for a long night," Remus said, sitting down on the torn up bed inside the Shrieking Shack.

"Ok," Sirius and James said together.

Both Sirius and James transformed into their Animagus form; Sirius into a big, black dog and James into a big, beautiful, white stag. Remus sat and waited.

The Shack was dark but then suddenly, a glimpse of bright, white light shined into the room. Remus stood up and felt his body go rigid. His limbs shook and he let out a piercing scream. After eleven years of transforming, he thought the transformation from human to werewolf would become less painful. Yet, it seemed to have worsened over the years.

His terrified screams turned into a long howl as his skin turned into gray fur and his normal nose turned into a black, wet, snout. Remus the werewolf had arrived and Prongs and Padfoot were ready for him.

The werewolf lunged at Sirius but James put his antlers between the werewolf and the dog, blocking Sirius from harms way. The dog began to bark and the werewolf snarled back maliciously.

The wolf turned on the stag and shoved it's great, sharp claws into the stag's side. Blood poured out onto the great white fur. The stag made a whimpering sound and the dog lunged at the werewolf, biting at the tail. The stag stood up and deep inside James thought, Do it for Moony.

Lily and Katy were laughing about the night Lily had gotten drunk when an owl swooped in through her door. It wasn't a recognizable owl nor was it a school owl. It had dropped a slim letter onto Lily's bed and Katy looked at it. It was addressed to both Katy Jones and Lily Evans. Katy looked up terrified into Lily's mysterious green eyes.

"Do you think? Could it be? Remus? Is he in trouble you think and he needs us to help him? Because I don't think I could take on a werewolf just yet. Wait a second, I don't think I could ever take on a werewolf," Katy nervously ranted.

"Calm down Katy, let's just open it and see what it is. I don't think its from Dumbledore," Lily said.

Who is writing to us??, she desperately asked herself.

She tore open the golden parchment and in squiggly purple ink she read:

Dear Miss Evans and Miss Jones,

Healer Lupin (Remus's mum) and everyone at St. Mungos.

Katy and Lily's jaws dropped as they read the letter from St. Mungos. Halle could be cured? Surely Dumbledore would allow the Hospital to cure Halle. No one else in that ward has permanent Spell Damage. Lily turned to Katy who was still in shock.

"She might be coming back?" Katy whispered, as if saying it out loud would jinx it.

"We have to see Dumbledore," Lily said immediately.

"But, Lils, it's midnight. Sirius hasn't even read the letter. Dumbledore must know by now. Why not wait until Sirius comes back with Remus? Surely all the Marauders will want to come as well," Katy said.

"Katy, do you know how long we've been waiting for this moment? Do you? Since they told us she was incurable," Lily said.

"I know that Lils. But they said to think carefully. What if Dumbledore was tortured and incurable? The good side would be defeated. We would have no way of stopping Voldemort's reign," Katy said. "Its possibilities like those that make me think whether giving Halle the potion is the right thing to do."

"I know Katy, but really, Halle is like my sister. She's like family. I have to protect her every chance I get. Plus, Dumbledore would never get hit by Crucio," Lily said.

"We don't know that. Halle got hit by it," Katy said.

Lily's eyes started tearing.

"I was supposed to be fighting against Bellatrix. I could have taken her. Halle was strong, but not strong enough. It was my fight not hers. I've felt guilt since the moment I saw her limp body. Do you know how that feels? I want to do anything possible to bring her back and apologize and spend time with her. Let her know how much I love her. If it was you, wouldn't you want us to give you the potion?" Lily asked, sobbing, with tears streaming her face.

Katy wrapped Lily in a sisterly hug and sympathized.

"Of course I would," Katy said softly. "And I know you and Halle would have done the same for me as we're about to do for her."

"So, you want to give her the potion?" Lily asked, her eyes red from crying.

"Whatever it takes," Katy said.

Sirius, Remus, and James rolled into the Gryffindor Common Room at about eight the next morning. They saw that the room was empty and they headed towards the couches near the fire.

"Whew. I am tired. I can't believe you're going to have the energy to go on a date; with a chatty fifth year at the least," Sirius said.

James had collapsed in an armchair near the fire and was staring blankly into the flames. How was he going to manage staying awake for his date with Fawn? His head was pounding from concentrating on keeping his eyes open and his side hurt him.

He clutched his stomach and felt dried blood on his t-shirt. He lifted the shirt and revealed a deep wound.

Remus sat and watched in sorrow.

"I'm sorry Prongs," Remus said quietly.

"Don't be. You couldn't help what you did," James said, taking his shirt off completely to show off his muscular body. All those years of Quidditch had paid off.

Lily and Katy came quietly down the steps and walked into the Common Room. Lily had experienced a restless night and she assumed Katy had as well.

Katy clutched the piece of parchment and Lily had spare parchment and an ink as well. They had gotten up at six and waited for the voices of the three Marauders. When they had heard Sirius's carrying voice they headed down the stone steps.

Lily looked at the scene and saw Remus tending to a bite on his leg and Sirius icing his eye. James was examining a wound in a mirror nearby. Lily looked and saw that the wound was deep and was even still bleeding.

"Wow, James, are you ok?" Lily asked.

"Yeah. Didn't know you cared Evans?" James teased. She rolled her eyes and prepared to discuss more important matters.

"Sirius, we need to talk," Lily said confidently.

"Sure Lils, but I don't think it would every work between us darling. We're too different," Sirius joked.

"This is serious. Read this," Lily said, shoving the parchment in front of him. Sirius's reaction was as expected, shocked. His mouth hung wide open as Katy and Lily's had done the previous night.

"We're doing it," was all he said.

"It's not our decision. It's Dumbledore's," Katy said. She was sitting on Remus's lap tracing over the scars on his face with sadness.

"Then we go to Dumbledore," Sirius said. He headed straight for the exit and was followed closely by everyone.

"Hi James! I wasn't sure what time you wanted to go to Hogsmeade but-" Fawn Daniels tried to say. She had been pacing again in front of the Portrait Hole.

James gave her an annoyed look and interrupted her.

"Can't go Fawn. I have more important things to do," James said. The fifth year followed, trying to keep up. The five of them were walking fastly, heading to the other side of the castle.

"But James, why not? You said that we could go together. I thought it would be fun," Fawn said, casting a sad look at James.

Lily turned around and gave a disgusted look.

"Our friend is more important that some stupid crush you have on Potter. Now please, get out of our way because we seem to think that saving our friend is more important than you acting stupid in front of James," Lily said. She turned around again and continued walking.

Fawn had a look on her face and seemed stunned by the verbal whiplash she had just received from Lily Evans. She had stopped walking and watched as the group disappeared from her sight.

The five of them reached the statue of the stone gargoyle. James stepped forward and said "Jellybean." The gargoyle didn't budge.

"Let's see. Chocolate Frog, Acid Pops, Fizzing Whizbee. Bean Dip," James tried, counting off foods. The gargoyle moved.

"Bean Dip?" Remus asked, looking concerned at James.

"What? It's good and obviously Dumbledore appreciates the finer things in life," James said, walking onto the escalating stairs. The group reached Dumbledore's office still panting from the journey they had made.

"Professor??" Sirius yelled.

"Ah, Mr. Black, I had a feeling I would be seeing you here," Dumbledore said, smiling. His face looked warm and cheery but Lily saw that his eyes were misleading. The old man was troubled and facing conflict. Was this all about Halle??

"So you heard about Halle, Headmaster?" Katy asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "I haven't made the important decision but I have decided something. I want to bring you to St. Mungos where we will talk to the Healer."

"I have a Portkey," Dumbledore said. He held a silver instrument from off his desk. "Everyone, please hold on."

The five of them had grown used to traveling by means of Portkey and barely stirred as their feet were tugged from the ground and landed on tiled floor. They were inside the Hospital, outside of Remus's parents office.

"Come on everyone," Dumbledore directed them inside. Healers Lupin had been expecting him apparently as they had Halle inside. She was looking nervously around the room.

Lily and Katy rushed towards their friend and hugged her. Halle showed no sign of recognition and the two of them felt sympathy. They stepped back and watched their friend more carefully.

Sirius's heart sank as he saw his girl again. She was so beautiful, even like this. He missed her so much. Not just her beauty, but her laughter, and her sense of humor. He even missed her fighting with him. But now, she was empty.

"So, we're all here today to decide the fate of the 'Healthy Draught.' Bad name I know, but please, more important matters. I feel that the Headmaster could make a more responsible decision, not a biased one. That is why he was chosen to pick her fate," Remus's dad said. Remus's mum had gone to Halle and was introducing everyone in the room to her. Halle seem uninterested but was staring at Sirius. Maybe she did remember.

"As you can see, Halle has made some progress. As Remus told us that Halle was a friend of his, my wife and I have taken extra special care of her. But now, I must ask you to make your decision Professor," Healer Lupin said, holding a needle filled with a ravenous purple potion.

Sirius, as well as everyone else in the room had their eyes on Dumbledore. Dumbledore seemed to be pacing his thoughts.

James felt angry that the man was contemplating his choice. Dumbledore was going to let them down, just as he had down that entire year. You stupid man, you better cure Halle.

I can't stand to see Sirius if you don't. You'll ruin more than one life, he thought bitterly.

"I think that Miss Douglas should be given the Potion," Dumbledore said quietly. His eyes rested on James's as though he had recognized James's thoughts.

The room erupted with cheers. Sirius was wiping tears of joy from his eyes and Remus was hugging his parents and Lily and Katy were hugging each other.

Healer Lupin walked towards Halle and the room went silent. He injected the needle into her arm and everyone saw her squirm. She was wriggling flat on her back and had closed her eyes. Remus's mum had placed monitors on Halle's temples, showing brain activity and slowly the thoughts increased. She opened her eyes and rubbed her head. Halle raised her body and as though seeing a light for the first time in weeks, she squinted around the room.

"I love you too, Sirius," were the first words she spoke when she saw Sirius Black in her room. Sirius knew she had been trying to say those words for weeks.

A/N: I want your reviews to be long and lengthy people! I hope you liked it and please review.