I own nothing
**
Chapter 7: The Dark
"O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon,
Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse
Without all hope of day!"
--John Milton
October 27, 1977
"Lily!"
Lily turned towards them and James sighed. Her nose was in a book again! Honestly. He hadn't seen much of Lily since the last Quidditch practice, and for some reason, not fighting with her made the guilt of Amy even worse. They hadn't been all that close lately, but she had been his first serious girlfriend.
Something had changed between him and Lily in that cell. Something changed. He couldn't call her Evans anymore.
"Yea, Sirius?" she asked, kissing him on the mouth softly as they caught up to her. She acknowledged James with a nod. "James." It was a cloudy afternoon on Tuesday when they would normally be in Divination, but Professor Sandrine was sick and there was no reasonable substitute.
"Lily."
"You two are hilarious together," Sirius remarked. He shook his head mournfully. "I shall die of laughter someday and then you shall be sorry."
"Not bloody likely," James snorted. Lily grinned at him over Sirius's shoulder.
"Where are Remus and Peter?" asked Lily. She looked around cautiously. "Should I know something?"
"Yes," said James immediately, just as Sirius said "No."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Which is it, boys?
"Yes," said James stubbornly. "You should know something, as in Remus and Peter are coming up behind you and are about to throw a bucket of ice water over you, effectively drenching you robes and your hair which is a nightmare to dry, woman. How do you deal with it?"
Lily gaped. "You liar!" she cried after a moment. "The last time you said something like that I ended up running out of the tower half-naked because you told me that Joseph Lorden was going to chop off all my hair!"
"You remember that?" asked James, shocked.
"Of course. I got detention for two nights with Vector. Although I think that was because he like the way that black bra looked on me," Lily said thoughtfully. "Two nights was much too little for almost flashing a group of first years, and he didn't even take points. I thought he was going to go into cardiac arrest or something."
"When was that, again?" asked James.
"Mid-sixth year. Before you went silent to me," Lily said with a short chuckle. "So where are Remus and Peter, James? And where did Sirius go?"
"I told you, ice water."
"Shut up. What are you four plan-"
SPLASH!
"JAMES POTTER, SIRIUS BLACK, PETER PETTIGREW, AND REMUS LUPIN!" Lily shrieked, loud enough to bring out Vector and Celestia from an empty classroom. James felt slightly nauseated as he saw that Professor Celestia's shirt was hanging off one shoulder and the beginnings of love bites covered her neck and shoulder.
James leaned against a wall and laughed as Lily rounded on Sirius, Peter and Remus, crying, "Petrifucus Totalus" and waving her wand at all three of them. She then proceeded to cry "Pluvius!" causing a rain cloud to hover over them and soak them, but not the floor. It was then that she rounded on James, and what he saw made him laugh even harder.
"What, James?" growled Lily. "What is so funny?"
"L-L-Lily," James wheezed. "You're wet in white again!" he crowed and fell over. "And you're wearing-wearing a black bra!
"Miss Evans!" Celestia cried. "Put on some clothes and remove the charms from Pettigrew, Black, and Lupin!" Celestia was clearly not happy that Vector was staring at Lily with very adoring eyes. With that, Celestia dragged Vector off.
There was a clatter as Lily's wand fell to the floor. She leaned against the wall, laughing so hard tears streamed down her face. "Did you see Vector's face?"
"Yea," James snickered. "Hey, reckon you should take those charms off the rest of the idiots and put on some clothes?" James was trying very hard not to stare at Lily. "Because sooner or later someone is going to-"
"Well, well, well, Evans. Look what we have here."
James turned slowly, staring at Alex Avery and Salmand Malfoy. They were staring at Lily coldly.
"Who knew you looked that good under those robes?" sneered Malfoy. "I think we deserve to see your charms, as you're beating me in the subject." James only had a second for Malfoy's meaning to sink in before he reacted. Unfortunately the spell was already cast.
Lily stood in disbelief as her robes, wet shirt, and the black bra disappeared, leaving her topless. James couldn't help but admire her and stood there gaping for almost fifteen seconds, his pants going way too tight, before Avery let out a long, low whistle and began advancing towards the frozen Lily, who was only wearing her school uniform skirt.
James only had a moment to think before rage consumed him and he leapt into action. "Stupefy!" he roared, pointing his wand at Avery, who crumpled in a heap. Malfoy cried something unfamiliar and James felt a brief flash of pain and heard Lily's gasp of shock, but he saw red and ignored it. He headed towards his goal, Lily, who was beginning to move, reaching for her wand. James pulled off his robes and hurriedly covered her shivering body, turning and pointing his wand at Malfoy.
"We can take turns, Potter. She's got to be a good fuck. I know you'd do her," Malfoy reasoned pathetically. Beside him, James felt Lily shiver and a small exclamation of dismay escaped her lips.
"You fucking bastard," James spat. "100 points from Slytherin!"
Malfoy gaped. "You can't take that many points without being approved by a Professor!" he cried.
It was at that moment that Madhura Patel came walking down the corridor, her pace brisk. She slowed when she saw the scene ahead. "What's happening here?" she asked sharply, her gaze flickering from the crumpled Avery, to the shivering Lily, to the heap of Marauders on the floor, to James and Malfoy, who were glaring at each other so hard sparks were flying.
"Potter's abusing his position as Head Boy! He just took 100 points from Slytherin!" Malfoy cried.
"Mr. Potter?" Patel asked, switching her wise gaze to him. James clenched his fingers around his wand so hard his knuckles went white. "They-they-they removed her shirt," he hissed softly. "And her bra, and they were-I just-I don't need to justify myself to you!" he cried to Malfoy. "You're getting whatever the hell you deserve!"
"And who is responsible for drenching Ms. Evans. And what about those boys over there, with the cloud over them?"
"They poured the water on me, James and Sirius and Remus and Peter," said Lily suddenly. "And I hexed them. It-it was just a prank, but then my shirt was white and I was wearing black underneath and Malfoy and Avery came down the-"
Patel held up a hand, quieting Lily. "I support the subtraction of 100 points from Slytherin. I also however, am taking 50 additional points from Slytherin. Nothing gives you the right to defame a fellow student like this, and it was Dark Magic that you used to slash Mr. Potter's chest, was it not?" she said to Malfoy, phrasing it as a question. It was really a statement. "Five points from Gryffindor for drenching Ms. Evans, you four, and five for hexing them, Ms. Evans. You could have solved the conflict another way. Ten points to Mr. Potter for helping Ms. Evans in her time of need and five for an excellent Stunning spell, although those will be cancelled out because of the five I must take for your use of magic in the corridors. Mr. Malfoy, revive Mr. Avery and we will take him to Dumbledore's office. We need to have a little chat. Mr. Potter, take off those hexes from your friends and do visit the hospital wing, all five of you. You will get sick. Good day."
They gaped. Malfoy revived Avery and as soon as the Slytherins and Patel were gone, James muttered "Finite Incantatem," at his friends. The rain cloud disappeared, and their bodies relaxed. "Dissecto," he muttered, drying them off. All three were livid.
"Those bastards," cried Sirius. "How-how dare they! God, when I get my hands on them-" The three boys who had previously been drenched began plotting a way to get them back, but James made his way to Lily, who was still standing with his robes wrapped around herself.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly. Lily didn't say anything for a moment. Then, she said, "That was my favorite shirt," bent down to retrieve her wand, and swept off, taking his robes with her. He knew she was heading to the hospital wing and followed her.
"Come on, Lily! That can't be all you have to say on the matter!" he cried. Lily stared straight ahead as she began to speak in a flat, monotonous, tone.
"No one should see me like that except for someone who loves me, and someone I love. In a romantic sense. Or at least someone I want to look at me. But they just-they make it sound so dirty. 'We can take turns, Potter,'" she mimicked, her voice now filled with emotion. "'She's gotta be a good fuck,' As if that's all I'm good for! And that isn't even British, it's from the States! At least use the right slang if you're going to be a bastard!"
"Well, it's not all you're good for! You're a person. You aren't just good for things!"
"Well, would you have?" asked Lily.
"Would I have what?" replied James warily.
"Fucked me, since you're so horny off Maria Danes."
"No! You're my best friend's girlfriend, even if-" James cut himself off and pressed his lips together. He was slipping up too much now.
"Yes?" asked Lily curiously.
"Nothing," James said firmly, and she sighed, dropping it.
"And your friends?" Lily asked. "What of them?"
"What do you mean?" James queried.
"They seemed almost happy it happened, just so they have a reason to get them back. Not that I don't want to get them back," she added hastily. "And none of them even asked after me! They immediately began plotting."
"Hey! I asked if you were okay!" yelped James as she stomped on his foot. "What was that for?"
"I saw you go hard, Potter," she hissed at him, and James winced. Busted.
"Well, it's a normal reaction!" he said defensively. "You're exquisite," he said softly, and her steps faltered, causing her to stumble. He caught her arm and steadied her until she began walking again, even faster now.
"Well thank you, as if that makes it any better," she said, but her features had softened slightly.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'll try to forget," James offered helpfully.
"I thought you said I was exquisite!" Lily cried, bursting into tears and running ahead. James stared after her for a moment.
Women.
"Lily! Lily!" he called after her, running to catch up. He forgot to call her Evans again. "Wait!"
She slammed through the doors of the hospital wing and James followed. Madam Gauche looked at them with surprise. "What's wrong, dearies?" she asked.
Lily opened her mouth and closed it several times. She obviously couldn't think of anything she needed medical aid for. "He-he has a cut on his chest," she said sullenly, pointing over her shoulder at James. He looked down at the front of his shirt and saw that it was almost drenched it blood. Suddenly, pain hit him and he gasped, and he dimly realized that it was very similar to the curse that Snape had used on him, as it felt like salt was being rubbed into the cuts. There was, however, a strange sensation underlying the pain that he hadn't felt before.
"Oh, it's worse than I thought," Lily said feebly.
"Come in, come in. This will be easy to fix up. Just a simple blood restorative potion and some ointment will fix it up in a second. And a handy little charm. You seem to have some bad run-ins with the Salvanus curse, Mr. Potter. We have magic on our side, you know!" James rolled his eyes at her and followed her over to a bed, with Lily trailing after. No doubt his friends were wondering where the hell they were.
"Here, sit down and I'll be right back." Gauche ordered, hurrying into her apothecary. Lily sat down on the bed next to James. They didn't speak to each other.
Finally, Gauche came carrying a flask and a bottle, along with cotton swabs. She set them down on the bedside table. Just as she began opening the bottle of ointment, the door burst open and a large group of Hufflepuffs rushed in.
"Care of Magical Creatures," one panted. "Can't carry up to wing. Hurry, serious!"
Gauche looked at Lily. "You, girl! Apply this with the swabs and then give him a flask of this potion. I'm trusting you. If anyone else comes in, tell them to wait. Put him to bed after you give him the potion, it has some sleeping draught mixed in." With that, she grabbed her medicine bag and left the room at a run, albeit a slow one.
James was beginning to feel a little dizzy, and he clutched the side of the bed for support as Lily jumped up. The first thing she did was take of James's shirt, unbuttoning it quickly and pulling it off his shoulders herself as he couldn't move that much.
"You're an idiot, Potter," she muttered as she soaked one of the cotton swabs with Matilda's Magical Healing Ointment. "You shouldn't have hacked off Malfoy."
"Whatever," was all James could gasp out. Lily started dabbing at the large slash across his chest. The ointment stung like needles against his cut, which went from his collarbone down-diagonally, just missing his nipple.
Lily made a sound of annoyance in the back of her throat. "So how are you holding up? About Amy, I mean."
The loss of blood had the same effect as alcohol on James. It made him open up. "Not good. Can't sleep. See her face. I keep remembering things that I haven't thought of in a long time. Driving me mad. Can you hurry up? Dying here."
"Hold on," Lily said, irritated. She screwed the cap on the bottle of ointment and put it down, picking up the potion. Measuring out the correct amount, she gave it to him and James forced it down his throat, gagging at the taste of boiled cabbage. Immediately, the dizzying feeling increased and chills overtook his body. Lily looked at him worriedly.
"Is that normal?" she asked, and he leaned forward, putting his head on her shoulder and twining his arms tightly around her waist in a surprisingly intimate gesture. She stiffened and he knew that this was wrong, but he was too drugged to care. After a moment she seemed to give in and her body relaxed. James turned his head until he was breathing in her ear and enjoyed her answering shiver.
"Sorry," he breathed in her ear.
"For what?"
"I dunno," he answered truthfully, before falling asleep.
**
October 31, 1977
"Why the hell did we arrange a masquerade party tonight anyways?" asked James grumpily as he adjusted his mask. Sirius looked at him with an exasperated expression on his face.
"Because I wanted one," he said for the hundredth time in the last eighteen minutes and fourteen seconds.
"Ugh," was James's reply. Sirius chuckled and shook his head.
"You know, I told Lily to pretend we weren't together tonight so we can do whatever we want."
"How did she take that?" James wanted to know.
"Pretty well. She told me she'd remove my family jewels if I cheated on her while I wasn't under the influence of alcohol and then walked away laughing her head off," explained Sirius. James laughed.
"You idiot," he said playfully, as Remus and Peter rushed in.
Remus was dressed as a wolf-for some odd reason-and Peter was dressed as an American cowboy they had seen in a picture Sunny had given Remus. Sirius had, for a reason James didn't want to know, dressed as a Roman in a toga with a white mask that fitted over his eyes. James himself was dressed as a magician, with a top hat to hide his messy hair that would surely give him away.
"Those girls are vicious once you try to get a peek at them even though I found a way up the girl's stairs after the slide appeared and oh, shit. This thing starts in five minutes." He said this all very fast and James had a heard time following. By the time he had finished understanding, the room was empty and he sighed. Throwing a pillow at Sirius's empty bed, he got up slowly and, very reluctantly, he made his way out to the stairs. He could see the common room from the landing, and deciding it would be fun to see if he could guess which costume each Gryffindor Seventh year girl was wearing, he watched their dormitory door, which was across from his, on the other side of the room.
He recognized Sunny-he thought--first. She was dressed dramatically in a kimono made of rich red and gold, with a matching mask that contrasted against her powdered-white skin perfectly. Or maybe it was Ana, or Clara. It was most definitely not Lily, as she was shorter than the figure. Then again, James thought, that won't help as an identifying factor if she's wearing heels.
Next came a vision in a blue ball gown, with a tiara set on her head of blonde curls. Unless Lily or Sunny had dyed their hair, that was Clara. She drifted gracefully down the steps and disappeared into the throng.
The next two came out together. One was dressed in a rather skimpy red dress, and James knew that one was Lily. Her mask was black. Next to the figure in red was a woman wearing pure white, with angel wings and a halo. Her mask was of white feathers and sparkles seemed to drift in the air around her, giving off a sweet aura. She was obviously Sunny.
When he reached the floor he saw Sirius dancing with a blonde wearing a pink bunny suit, and he shuddered. He would have nightmares about that costume.
"How cliché," whispered a voice in his ear. He turned to see Lily standing behind him in her short red dress.
Damn. What the hell's she thinking, walking around in that…scrap of fabric?
"What's cliché?" he asked back.
"You're a magician," she said, a smile quirking at the corners of her mouth.
"You don't like magicians?"
Lily shrugged. "They're okay." She smiled mischievously and if he could've seen her eyes, he knew they would be twinkling, but the slits in her mask were too narrow. "So, who are you?" she asked in a low voice.
"Like I'd tell you," he responded. He knew he was flirting shamelessly, but who said he couldn't? He could just say he didn't know who it was.
Lily gave a sigh. "Thought so," she said, before grabbing his hand and pulling him onto the dance floor. He tried to resist but his heart wasn't in it, and he allowed her to pull him along.
"I can't dance," he said to her over the beat of the music.
She grinned. "Everyone can dance. Just move."
Shrugging, he moved, and she looked rather surprised, he noticed.
"Am I doing well?" he asked after a moment.
"Fabulous," she replied with a wide smile. "Better than I thought you could."
She moved closer as a slower song came on and they swayed to the music. James found that he liked dancing to the slower songs as it was so much simpler.
"Are you still not going to tell me who you are?" asked Lily.
"No."
"Fair enough," she pouted. "You don't know who I am."
Oh, thought James. That's where you wrong, Lily. That's where you're wrong.
A slower, sensual song blared out, and Lily turned in his arms, pressing her body back against him and swaying with him. James stifled a groan as her arms snaked up over his sides to twine around his neck.
"Oh, god," he shuddered, his voice shaking as she ground her hips steadily against his. If she kept that up a moment longer he would have a boner. And then he would have to take her up to his room and do things with her.
She stopped, probably because she knew he would get aroused, and he could hear her breathing harshly, even over the music, she was that close.
"Merlin," she breathed. "this has to stop."
"Forgive me for asking," he said through gritted teeth, "buy why?"
"I'm-I'm, god, whoever you are stop that," she said breathlessly as he nibbled on the nape of her neck, "I'm taken," she finished, and slipped away from him, out of his arms and into the crowd. He stared after her, dumbstruck.
Shaking his head to clear the euphoria being with her had created, he went to get a glass of butterbeer from the punch bowl in the corner. He suddenly wasn't in a party-like mood. He made his way over to the stairs and to the small overhang on the second landing. From there, he sat in a couch and could see everything. He removed his mask and his top hat, not really seeing much use for them anymore,
He had lied to Lily, he did dance. He just didn't dance with girls he was potentially going to meet again. Which meant he had a strictly dance in night clubs only rule. He was contemplating how much trouble it would be to go down and dance again when he saw Lily in the red dress, the Japanese clad woman, and the girl in the blue ball gown leave through the portrait hole. Noting that for later, he went down to get another glass of butterbeer. It was then that he realized there was none left.
Furious, he went to find his best friend. Sirius was talking animatedly to a girl in the corner when James hauled him away and into a niche that used to hold a suit of armor.
"Did you not get the refillable punch bowl from the house elves?" James hissed angrily, and he shoved Sirius away when he began to look guilty. "Fine, whatever. I'll just go get more butterbeer. Where's the cloak?"
"What are you talking about? Peter took it when he had to prank the Quidditch Changing rooms for the Slytherins. Didn't he give it back to you?"
"Shit," James cursed, whirling away to find Peter. He found his friend sitting in a corner, morosely staring into his empty cup. "Wormtail!"
Peter looked up at his nickname and mustered a small smile. "Hey Prongs," he sighed. "How's it going?"
"Never mind that," said James irritably. "Where's my cloak?'
Peter's eyes widened. "Shit!" he cursed suddenly. "James, I left it in the Quidditch-"
James was already gone.
He walked quickly through the halls, aware that it was just past eleven, the Seventh year curfew, and that he could give the excuse of patrolling if he was caught. He was Head Boy, after all.
It took him almost half-an-hour just to get out of the castle, as he kept on having to duck behind statues and tapestries as a teacher or Filch walked by. He breathed in the fresh night air and slowed his pace, not really caring anymore that there was no butterbeer left. Screw the Gryffindors. His cloak from his favorite aunt was missing.
Almost an hour after he had set out he reached the changing rooms, and was pleased to see there were no lights on. Finding an Invisibility cloak would be a bitch anyways without the added trouble of answering a nosy student's questions. He pushed the door open quietly, as was his instinct. It shut with an audible snap behind him and he immediately fumbled for his wand to light it, as the idiot who built this building had not installed Movement sensitive lights.
As he pulled his wand from his pocket he realized he was hearing something distinctly odd. Someone was breathing in here, hyperventilating was more like it. There was a sound like a whimper and a rasp that sounded like, "No!"
"Who's there?" he called out loudly, his voice echoing in the pitch-black room.
There was a scuffling sound and something heavy was thrown at him. "James," someone gasped in his ear, "Oh, thank god you're here, James," she whispered, as he struggled to regain his balance.
"Lily?" he asked incredulously, lighting his wand.
Lily nodded. "It was so terribly dark and I was hoping anyone would come!" Then she did something that shocked him.
She kissed him.
Deeply.
Forgetting the hundreds of questions that had leapt to his mind at her presence, James kissed her back fervently, pulling away after a moment with a whispered, "What the hell?"
He tried to pull away from her but she stubbornly clung to him like a little child. He muttered the spell to activate the lights and was puzzled when they didn't turn on. Still frowning, he muttered, "Incendio," pointing his wand at the fireplace, and was pleased to see a blaze start up. James sat Lily down by the fire and she finally let go. The flickering light cast shadows around the room but he didn't bother to look about.
"What happened?" he asked Lily. "What happened?" he repeated after she didn't answer.
"Ana was acting strange ever since she came back from her meeting with Darryl Longe, from Hufflepuff, you know. That was this afternoon and she went out to meet him by the Greenhouses. She was distant and she always had a glazed look in her eyes." Lily's voice was flat, monotonous.
"After I stopped dancing with-with-I don't even know who, Ana caught up to me and told me that she needed to show me and Sunny something. And we followed her out onto the grounds."
So that's why they left, James realized, remembering the three girls leaving.
"She-Ana, that is, she took our wands and brought us here. I was rather confused, as I hadn't done anything to make her angry. When we got here the lights were on and Sunny managed to get her wand from Ana. She tried to stun Ana but Ana was too quick-and-she Disarmed Sunny."
"In here?" James asked, surprised.
"Yes," Lily responded quietly.
"Then-then where is Sunny?" James asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Ana Disarmed her and she went flying across the room, but before I saw where she landed the lights just-went out. And there was this terrible cr-cracking noise and then footsteps and the door slammed. Ana-she still has my wand and I couldn't do the Lighting Charm without it and oh, god, why isn't Sunny here?" Lily buried her face in her hands and began to sob quietly.
James stood and thought for a moment before raising his wand and pointing it at the ceiling. Licking dry lips, he cried, "Solaris!"
He immediately wished he hadn't as Lily let out a bloodcurdling scream and ran across the brightened room to Sunny's still form. It was one of the most horrible things James had ever seen, Sunny lying with a pool of blood under her head, spreading out like a fan around her, red marks streaked down her pale, pale face. Her kimono was rumpled and her arms were thrown out in wild abandon. Had it not been for the blood, James would have thought she was just sleeping.
Lily's cries brought him back to reality. She was holding her best friend's hand, pleading for her to wake up and say it was all a joke. James himself wanted Sunny to do just that, when a terrible thought struck him.
Remus.
"Li-Lily, we need Dumbledore," he said quietly, trying to keep his voice from shaking. He and his friends were cursed, no doubt about it. Remus would have to go through even more pain, and he and Sunny had been fighting!
Lily paid no attention to him and began to rock back and forth in anguish, her sobs quieted but tears running freely down here face. Damn it, James thought. This shouldn't be happening, not to us. And how do we get Dumbledore down here?
As if in answer, a draft blew in the window along with the sound of flapping. James turned and pointed his wand at whatever had just entered, relaxing when he saw it was only Fawkes.
"Of course," James breathed, moving towards the scarlet and gold bird. "Fawkes, go get Dumbledore. Quick. It's important."
Fawkes gave James a look that suggested he wasn't giving the bird enough credit, and swooped off. James didn't want to do it, but he turned to the task at hand.
Comforting Lily.
She had stopped crying, but her alternative wasn't much better. She was sitting with her back against the wall, staring into space. She seemed to not want to feel any type of emotion. As he looked at Sunny's still form, James had the strong urge to cry himself. He knew people he cared about were going to die in this war, but Sunny? She was so-nice. So-comforting to be around. Or-
She used to be like that.
Not anymore.
"Oh, Remus," sighed Lily, almost inaudibly. James's head snapped up.
"Huh?"
"They had no time," Lily choked out. "They had no time to be together. Their relationship was just starting, even though Sun said they were fighting-oh, god, she's dead and they were fighting and now he's going to beat himself up about being on the outs with her."
The phrase 'She's dead,' jolted James. It made it so clinical, so stark. He didn't want to think of Sunny, of all people, as dead.
"They did have time. Sunny and Remus have been dating since fifth year," James said softly. Lily chuckled grimly.
"I knew something was going on with her. Do you know what they're-what they were-" Lily corrected, "-fighting about?"
James shifted from foot to foot, trying not to look at Sunny's body. Her body. She wasn't a person anymore, but a body. "He told her he was a werewolf," James explained, in a quieter tone. "And she told him she hated him. She called him a monster."
A choked sob escaped Lily as the door burst open. James's wand was drawn and pointed at the door before it had opened and inch. He lowered it when he saw the Headmaster, with two other figures behind him.
"Oh, good heavens!" Professor McGonagall cried, pushing past Dumbledore and kneeling next to Sunny. "Explain yourselves! Both of you!"
"Minerva," said the other person, Madhura Patel. "I doubt Miss Evans or Mr. Potter killed their best friend." James looked at her. She had gone pale and there was a haunted look in her eyes. Then he looked at the Headmaster.
He never wanted to see that look on Dumbledore's face again. He looked guilty and old. Too old. He had the saddest expression on his face and when he spoke James shivered.
"How did this happen?"
"Ana Figg. We don't know here she is. She has Lily's wand," said James quietly. He felt like he was going to be sick.
Dumbledore sighed. "We must find Miss Figg. Minerva, send an owl off to Arabella Figg, tell her what's happening with her daughter. Then rally the teachers and have them meet me outside of Hagrid's hut." McGonagall left to do as he said. "Madhura, please take Lily and James up to my office. I will need to speak with them."
"What about-what about Sunny?" Lily said. She seemed to be unable to form a sentence.
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore said sadly. He turned towards the lit fire and pulled a pinch of Floo powder from his pocket. "Poppy," he said clearly, and Miss Gauches's head appeared in the fire. "Poppy, since your mother is not here I will need you to come down here immediately. There is no actual Floo connection so hurry, please."
"Of course," said Poppy eagerly, her head disappearing from the fireplace.
"I need to tell Remus," James muttered, "and Sirius."
"Ah, yes. Madhura, please stop at Gryffindor tower to bring along the necessary people to my office, where we shall explain this in depth."
And with that, he swept out of the room.
**
"Why are we here, James?" Remus asked for the fourth time.
"Just hold on," whispered James.
"You said that before."
"Shut up, Remus," Lily said sharply, before staring into space again.
"And what happened to you Lily? You look like you've been to hell and back," Sirius said.
"I have," choked Lily quietly.
"What," Peter snorted in a stage whisper, "the dark?"
At this, Lily let out another choked, gut wrenching sob and James glared at Peter. "Fuck you, Peter," he hissed quietly.
"I understand your need to swear, Mr. Potter, but please control yourself," Patel spoke quietly from the corner. James jumped and flushed guiltily. He had forgotten the Professor was in the room.
"Will someone please tell me what is going on here? Where are Ana and Sunny? I've hardly seen them all night!" cried Sirius.
"Oh, don't worry Padfoot. Nothing's seriously wrong with their absence. Sunny just thinks I'm a bloody monster, so she's avoiding me. That's all. No worries. Then again, I am, right? All I am is a FUCKING MONSTER!"
"You are not a monster, Remus. Hardly. And I do believe you are owed and explanation." Dumbledore walked slowly into the room, his eyes dull.
"Yea," said Peter sullenly. He was still cross after James's harsh rebuke.
"We just need to wait for Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, taking a seat behind his desk. James took note of Fawkes's absence.
"No need to wait, Albus, I'm here," said McGonagall as she swept into the room. Her robes were ripped in several places and her hand was cut.
"What's happening? What's wrong?" asked Remus frantically. "I can smell the fear and the-the pain on all of you? What is it?"
"Late tonight…Ana Figg attacked Sunny Chi," said Dumbledore. Sirius's and Remus's mouths dropped open.
"What?"
"Anabella was under the Imperius curse, we have found. After she attacked Sunny she ran off-into the Forbidden Forest," continued Dumbledore.
"And where is Ana now?" Sirius asked, his knuckles white from gripping the arms of his chair so hard.
"And Sunny?" asked Remus anxiously.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair. "I'm so sorry. Neither made it."
"NO!"
Everyone jumped and looked at Remus.
"She can't be dead! Please, she can't be dead!"
"But she is, Remus. And there is nothing we can do to bring Sunny back," Dumbledore said softly.
"But-but-but how?" asked Remus, his eyes glistening with tears.
"Please explain, James." Dumbledore directed his request-a command really-at James. Probably because Lily's in no condition for an interrogation, James thought.
"I-wasn't here when it happened. I came to get something I forgot down here and the lights were out. They wouldn't turn on and then I heard someone breathing. Lily just threw herself at me and then she-" James blushed and edited his story a little, "-then she told me what happened, after I lit a fire."
"And what happened?" asked McGonagall.
"She said Ana had been acting weird, and today in the tower she told them she had to show them something, Lily and Sunny, that is. Lily said that when they got onto the grounds Ana took hers and Sunny's wands. Then Sunny managed to get her wand from Ana and-" James shut his mouth. He didn't want to repeat it in front of Lily, as she might start crying again.
"And what?" asked Professor Patel gently.
"And then Ana disarmed her. And she flew across the room. Sunny did. And the lights went out before she hit the wall and I heard this sickening crunching noise, before the door slammed. She-she took my wand." Lily had cut in and everyone looked at her, mildly shocked. "And then James came in and he heard me and asked who was there and I was so relieved to see someone that I just threw myself at him and-" Lily stopped and dull red color began to rise in her cheeks as she realized what she'd done. "--and you know the rest," she finished quietly. She kept her eyes carefully away from James's.
Dumbledore was silent for a long moment. "Anabella Figg was attacked by something in the forest. We found her deep in the heart."
"Who put Imperius on her?" asked Sirius, his voice shaking with something. Sorrow? Rage? James didn't know.
"We don't know. We can't do a Priori Incatatem spell on every wand in the school," said Dumbledore.
"So this will go unpunished?" whispered Peter.
"Unless we have a good idea of who performed the Imperius curse, then yes, this will go unpunished."
"Bullshit," whispered James.
"Control yourself, Mr. Potter!" Patel said again.
"I must write two very distressing letters. Please don't do anything rash and please be careful. Something dark is afoot at Hogwarts," Dumbledore pleaded.
"Let's go," Remus whispered, standing up and leaving the room without another word. James stared after him, and then jumped when Peter followed. James got up slowly, and looked at Lily worriedly.
"Lily?"
Lily looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. "Yes?"
"Are you coming?"
"Of course, James."
She got up from her chair and joined Sirius at the door, hugging him tightly and kissing him before leaving with her arm in his.
"Right," James said. He turned to go.
"Mr. Potter."
James turned and looked expectantly at Dumbledore.
"Please give Miss Evans her wand." He held out the wand to him and James grasped it, noting the excellent woodwork. "And remember, Mr. Potter. The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference."
It took a minute for the impact of Dumbledore's words to sink in. James's head snapped up. "How-how do you know?" he breathed, almost frightened.
"I know almost everything that goes on this school of mine, Mr. Potter. You will do well to convince Mr. Black to do the right thing."
"I see," said James, walking out of the room as quickly as possible, not looking at McGonagall or Patel, even though he could feel their eyes on him.
He didn't know if he could act indifferent to Lily. Hating her was so much easier.
"Well," said James gloomily as he trudged along to Gryffindor tower, "I see I've been officially welcomed to hell."
The empty corridors echoed with his words, and James couldn't help but feel the ominous wave of dark that was descending around his ever-distressing life.