Chapter 57-Revealed
"Oh, the poor girl is right in here. Just pace three times so the handle appears," Cole said. "I do hope she's still here."
He grasped the door handle and pushed open the door that had emerged from the wall. Lily hoped that Cole knew what he was doing. She held her wand nervously at her side, wishing James was there to comfort her. Cole had been the one she wanted to help, but now she needed to help this poor, suffering girl.
"Potter?! What are you doing here?" Cole asked. He scanned the room to see Katy Jones undoing the ropes that bound her. James had been helping her remove the ropes and looked up to see the dangerous caramel eyes of Cole Jacobs.
"James? Katy?" Lily asked, in disbelief. She turned to Cole.
"Why didn't you tell me it was Katy?" she shouted at him.
"I knew you'd panic. I thought it was best if you remained calm so we could help her as best as possible," Cole explained, his voice carrying a certain unprepared air about it. The usual slick, all-knowing tone was lost from the now frightened voice escaping his mouth.
Lily looked at him, finally seeing through some of his lies.
Things were not going as he hoped they would. His Lily was not happy, not happy at all. He hadn't counted on Potter to already be in the room. He knew that Jones would spill and the whole incident would be done more sloppily than necessary.
Venus had been right. He was a coward and a big one at that. His amount of cunning was good, but his weakness to human
beings was his downfall. He couldn't let his mentor down. She needed the two of them killed and he had to do it. He
looked at Lily with a pained expression.
"Cole? What is going on?" Lily inquired.
"I'll tell you what's going on," Katy said. "This creep told me you were in trouble while I was in the library. He took my wand and tied me up! You can't listen to him, Lily. He's unstable."
"You shut up!" Cole screamed. "You shut up. She's lying, Lily, she's lying."
Lily looked at Cole and then back at Katy.
"She's my best friend, she would never lie to me. Why did you do this? Is it because Remus is your tutor?" Lily asked.
"He's in love with you, Lily," James explained. Lily shook her head, rubbing her temples with her fingers.
"No, he can't be in love with me. I would have known it," Lily defended, her voice also turning unsteady. "I'm a smart witch, I would have known."
"How could you not know?" Cole cried. "I always have loved you. How could you not know?"
He was now pleading and his head was shaking. His eyes were shedding tears of pain.
"But Cole, you know I'm with James. We're just friends," Lily reminded him, trying to reason with herself.
"No, Lily. I love you. We could be happy together. I could treat you so much better than him. He gets you into trouble," Cole said, pointing his wand at James. James lifted his own while Lily's remained at her side.
"I get her into trouble? You have got to be kidding me," James muttered. "You're the one who just tied up her best friend!"
"I had to, Lily. I had to do it," Cole said.
"No, you didn't. You have a choice. You can be normal. You don't have to hurt people," Lily said.
"I hate him," Cole said quietly.
"What?" Lily asked, putting a hand on his shoulder to keep him calm and rational.
"I hate him!" Cole exploded. "How could I have been so stupid? James Potter is perfect. Perfect grades, perfect girlfriend, perfect friends. Perfect!"
James shook his head. This boy was clearly not stable and he was putting Lily and Katy in danger.
"Why don't we take this back to Dumbledore? He can surely help you," James said.
At that moment, another person entered the room.
"I won't let you hurt them," a female voice said, coolly. The same wispy voice was inherited from Venus Adams.
"Adams, you stay out of this!" Cole shouted.
"No, Cole. There is something wrong with you. My mother has something wrong with her. Why do you think she's in Azkaban? She is mental. Unfortunately, I speak just as highly about you," Grace Adams informed him. She had no wand, but had a fierce look on her face.
Lily looked at the girl, recognizing so many haunting features. She recognized the girl just as she recognized Venus Adams. The resemblance was horrifying.
"How can we trust you?" Lily asked.
"Do I have my wand pointed at your boyfriend?" Grace pointed out. "No, I don't."
"What do you know?" she questioned the girl.
"Lily, come on. Let's just take him to Dumbledore before he does anything stupid," James begged.
Katy was trembling as she saw Cole's eyes squint in anger at the mere presence of Grace Adams. She didn't know how long it would take for this boy to snap.
"I know that he works for my mother. He receives orders from her while she's in Azkaban. She wants James and one other person dead. She ordered him to lure James into the forest and murder him in her little torture chamber," Grace said.
"How do you know this?" Cole hissed.
"It's all in this letter," Grace grinned, removing a letter addressed to Cole.
"It came while you were here," she continued. "I came to give it to you and warn you to stop."
"Give me my letter," Cole barked, gritting his teeth.
"Don't talk to her that way!" Lily protested. Her eyes were flashing.
"Expelliarmus!" Cole hollered.
"Protego!" Lily countered.
"Impedimenta!" James shouted.
Lily blocked the disarming spell while Cole blocked James' curse.
"Don't you ever try to lay a wand on my girlfriend," James warned.
"I have no intention of doing so," Cole declared. "I do, however, have intentions that involve you and a Miss Katy Jones. Special orders from the boss."
"That bitter hag," Katy muttered.
"If you want to kill me, then just do it," James tempted. "Don't kill Katy, though."
"James, no! He's psycho. He'll actually do it," Lily pleaded.
"Psycho, am I? You never seemed to think so before, Lily. Psycho? You fought over me with your boyfriend. Don't you love me, Lily?" Cole asked, his eyes burning red and his wand outstretched before Katy.
"No, Cole," she whispered. "I love James."
"Avada Kedavra!" he spit out, fast.
The spell did not hit Katy Jones though. Someone jumped in front of Katy, taking the spell themselves. That was the last anyone saw of Grace Adams.
"Crucio!" James screamed.
Cole keeled over in pain, screaming.
"Lily," he screamed. "My sweet Lily."
Lily just stood there, crying, disgusted with herself.
Katy leaned over the body, crying to herself.
"She died to save me," Katy Jones voiced. "I didn't trust her, and she died to save me."
Lily walked over to her and put her arms around her.
"I don't think anyone gave her the fair judgment," Lily whispered.
"Cole Jacobs has been identified to have gone insane due to the Cruciatus Curse administered by Mr. Potter," Healer Lupin proclaimed. Remus' father had sad, blue eyes that would not meet James'. James felt ashamed.
James sat with his hands in his hair, next to Cole's bed. Cole lay sleeping sound. James had done precisely what Bella had done to Halle months ago. He felt disgusted. What would become of him? Would they arrest him? What would happen?
Professor Dumbledore walked over to James and looked down at Cole's sleeping figure, disappointed.
"Thankfully, no charges have been made against you. The Wizengamot held a midnight meeting at the Ministry and found the use of the curse necessary in such a dangerous situation," Dumbledore said, quietly. James knew he had failed the man. He knew he had failed his parents.
"It wasn't supposed to end up like this," James whispered.
"I think it is safe to say that the wizarding world is approaching it's darkest times, James," the old man said.
"I'm no better than a Death Eater," James spat, disgusted in his actions.
"The difference between you and a Death Eater is that you were protecting the ones you love. Death Eaters love no one but themselves and Voldemort. They would have killed anyone who dare disobey them. You, did not," Dumbledore said.
"That doesn't change anything. Today has been one of the most horrible days of my life," James said.
"As for me as well. It is horrible that I should have to share the news of a girl's death with the school. Hardly anyone knew this girl. Yet, once I reveal her name, no one will give her the judgment she deserves. They'll assume she was like her mother in every way and deserved to die. That is what makes these days such dark times," Dumbledore sadly announced.
James knew that this would not be the last of the innocent to die.
A/N: Please review.