The Marauders; A Generation

Author's note; Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this chapter; I really put a lot of work into it. It's meant to be one of the breaking points in the story, you know, when you find out all the stuff you've been wondering about ... I hope I've done everything right, but if I haven't, feel free to tell me! I've also included another note at the end of this chapter so make sure you read that as well. All I can say now is ... enjoy! (Or cry ... you know, whatever you want ...!)

The Marauders; A Generation

Chapter 4

James' shocked eyes followed the other boy as he raced upstairs at an almost supernatural speed. He was supporting himself against the sandstone wall of the entrance corridor and his breathing was heavy and full of gasps. James was stunned. Those eyes ... those eyes that were on a daily basis full of sorrow and haunted ... when they had flashed red ... James just didn't know what to think. All he knew was that he needed to speak to Remus. Immediately. He shook himself out of his reverie and set his face determinedly. Squaring his shoulders, he marched on.

"Hey, what's up?" Sirius asked him when he entered the common room.

"Nothing, I'm just tired, see you tomorrow," he said shortly, and stalked upstairs. Sirius looked after him in confusion. He knew James very well, and when he got in this kind of mood, there was no talking to him. But what could have caused this? He thought about it for a few moments before deciding to leave it, and turned back to the others.

James climbed up the stairs that led to the boy's dormitories. When he got to the room he shared with Sirius, Remus and Peter, he opened the door quietly and was shocked again to see Remus packing up his things. Not just the essentials this time, it was everything.

"What do you think you're doing? Going to see your mother again?" James said sarcastically. Remus jumped around in surprise.

"No, I'm leaving," he said shortly and turned back to his packing. James walked over to him.

"Why won't you talk to me about it, why do you have to shut everybody out?" he asked. Remus whirled around and looked him straight in the eye.

"There are just some things that you don't understand James. Some things that nobody understands ... I'm ... I just have to leave," he said, the last phrase more desperate then the first two.

"How do you know that? How can you say that when you haven't even given me a chance? And just because I wouldn't 'understand' it doesn't mean that I would be a pillock about it. Remus, you can trust me." James' face was set in desperation as he tried to reason with him. Something huge was plaguing him, and until he got it out his system, he was never going to be able to truly live. Remus stopped, in the middle of throwing in his school robes, and sighed heavily. He slumped onto his bed, and put his face into his hands. There was a pregnant pause in which James was sure he was contemplating whether to tell him or not. After a minute or so, Remus took his face out of his hands and looked up at James.

"You'd better take a seat," he said. James noted that his eyes were full of fear, and his hands were shaking nervously. He was obviously extremely frightened that James was going to stop being his friend after he found out. What he didn't know, was that James had already figured it out, just then in fact. When he thought about all the events that had happened to Remus since the time he'd met him: The unnatural strength and speed, leaving every month to 'go and visit his mother', and a big secret that he was too scared to tell anyone for fear of rejection and alienation. James sat down on the bed next to Remus', which happened to be Peter's.

"Look James. It's not that I haven't trusted you, I have, I do, you're one of the few people I've ever met that ... well, that I've ever even thought about telling ... and that's saying a lot. There aren't a lot of people that do know, mainly because, well, I'm scared that people will be scared of me when I tell them ... it's happened before you know." He hung his head down sadly.

"You're a werewolf aren't you?" James asked quietly. Remus' head shot up.

"You knew?" he asked incredulously. James shrugged.

"I actually only just figured it out then ... you know, there's no way in hell that I, or Sirius, I can say this on his behalf, would ever stop being friends with you just because something happens to you every month that you can't control," he said. The look on Remus' face had turned into absolute shock.

"I don't know the story, and if you want to tell me, that's fine, I'm here for you, but it's not your fault that you got bitten. I know how most wizards view werewolves, and I understand now why you didn't tell me, or us, but my parents ... they always taught me that everyone has a right to be given the benefit of the doubt, especially those who need it most, and I've always believed that ..." he trailed off, remembering when his dad had used to say that.

"I-I, I don't know what to say. I've never met anyone except Professor Dumbledore who's reacted like this before ... he was right, he told me that he didn't think you or the others would be prejudiced against me. I don't know how I feel about telling the others yet though James ... I think, if what you say is right, that I'll tell Sirius, but I'm still not sure about Peter ... it's not that I don't like him, but ..." he didn't know how to put it in words, but James understood.

"It's up to you. I'll be behind you whatever you do, so don't go running away again ok?" he said, now smiling, and trying to put some light back into the conversation. Remus laughed and his face broke into a grin.

"Okay."

~*******************************************************************~

Finally, it was Halloween. Luckily, this year, Halloween had fallen on a Saturday, and so the students at Hogwarts didn't have to attend classes that day. Instead, a lot of them either went out to the Quidditch pitch, or to the outside grounds of the castle to sit and talk, and even to do weekend homework.

The day eventually turned into night, and the students of Hogwarts got ready to head down to the Great Hall in anticipation of a grand Halloween feast. Many gasped as they entered the hall, which had been decorated to extreme, with pumpkins and all the traditional Halloween symbols and objects levitated and floating around the dark nights sky. The house elves had outdone themselves, with food like broomstick shaped chocolate cakes, wizard hat toffees and all sorts of wonderful things, including the best pumpkin juice the students had ever tasted.

Just as Lily and her roommates were entering the hall, Dumbledore approached her and asked for a word.

"Ah, Ms. Evans, I wonder if it would be all right if I could ask you to come to my office after supper this evening? Don't worry! Nothing bad my dear, I would just like to show you your rankings and test scores so far in the year - very excitable I must say," he said winking. Lily blushed as he walked off. She'd studied really hard since she got to Hogwarts, and she was blissful to hear that her hard work had paid off. She went and sat down at the Gryffindor table just as Dumbledore finished a conversation he was having with James. Completely forgetting all about anything academic, she gasped as she caught sight of the enormous spread that had just appeared in front of them on the table.

"I could sit here and keep eating for the rest of my life," Sirius commented through a mouthful of pie. The other Gryffindor's laughed heartily.

"I know for a fact that you could Sirius, but leave some for the rest of us would you?" James said, smiling. Their conversation was stopped short though, when Dumbledore stood up at the head of the table and called for quiet.

"I trust that you all are having an enjoyable feast?" he asked, and was answered with a huge bout of applause, cheering and whistling.

"But there are more serious issues that must be dealt with at the moment. It is untimely of me I know, to be informing you all of this at such a festive occasion, but I'm afraid that this announcement cannot be held off anymore. As I'm sure most of you are aware, Lord Voldemort has taken and destroyed the lives of many since he began his reign of terror," a few people gasped at the sound of his name, but Dumbledore kept on.

"It has come to our attention, that his next target, will be Hogwarts-" he was cut off when most of the occupants of the hall, including the teachers gasped aloud, and heated conversations began to start up.

"Quiet!" Dumbledore exclaimed sternly, and the hall quieted immediately.

"As I said, it has come to our attention, that his next target will be Hogwarts. However, I would like to inform you all, that there is no place that you could be, that could be safer then Hogwarts. Of this, I assure you. No wizard has ever gotten past the barriers that surround this school, without my knowledge and consent, and therefore ... I would like you all to stay unalarmed. The reason I have told you this, is because I feel that you all have a right to know what is going on, as it effects every single one of you. My advice to all of you, is to be aware, try to stay calm, and don't wander off anywhere by yourselves. I emphasize the rule that the Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden, and no student is to enter. Now please, try to enjoy the rest of your-" he was interrupted, when the huge doors to the Great Hall banged open suddenly.

It was Mundungus Fletcher and Arabella Figg. Unsure of how to react, and still in shock at the announcement their headmaster had just made, only a few people exuded a scattered applause, but the Ministry representatives were not in the mind-state. They marched somberly up to the teacher's table and had a few quiet words to Dumbledore. After a few moments, he stood up and addressed the rest of the hall.

"Please continue with the feast, I shall see you all tomorrow, have a good evening," and with that, he swept off.

The hall gradually became animated and noisy with conversation again as the doors banged shut, but the conversations that had arisen were much different to what they had been previously.

"You-know-who-"

"Here at Hogwarts? Never!"

" ... I'm leaving, never coming back," could be heard floating around the large room.

Lily finished her supper quickly, and said goodbye to her friends before heading up to Dumbledore's office. She wasn't truly sure if she should still go, after the events that had occurred, but she thought he might think she was rude or irresponsible if she just didn't show up.

Lily knew the way to Dumbledore's office as she'd been there once already, when he'd asked her to accompany Mundungdus and Arabella somewhere, so it was through familiar corridors and hallways that Lily found herself walking, leading to her destination.

When she arrived outside the secret entrance to Dumbledore's office, she said the password: 'Pepper Imp' and entered the grand hallway. She made her way down its length, and came to the closed door that led to Dumbledore's office. She had just lifted her hand up to knock when wafts of conversation drifted through the doorway to her unsuspecting ears.

"Albus, I'm afraid that the situation with the Death Eaters has just become worse. Last evening there was an attack on the Potter's home ... we think that You-Know-Who is trying to finish off ... well, we think he's trying to tie up loose ends."

The voice belonged to Mundungus Fletcher, as Lily guessed - she'd spoken to him quite a number of times already, and was well acquainted with his voice. She heard Dumbledore sigh heavily.

"And Cynthia?"

"She is alive ... but her condition is unstable ... it was the Cruciatus curse Albus ...she's at St.Mungo's. "

The answering voice was female, and Lily recognized it as Arabella Figg's.

"How bad is the damage?"

"There is hope that she will pull through ... but she suffered badly ... that's why we're here ... the boy needs to be told."

Lily almost winced at the bluntness of his statement. She'd figured out whom they were talking about a few minutes ago ... but didn't really understand it. What was the Cruciatus curse? And what was St. Mungo's? This was just awful. She had no idea what she was going to do. James had become one of her closest friends ... and now she'd found out something just awful about him ... and he didn't even know about it.

A noise behind her caused Lily to whirl around. Her heart dropped when she saw who it was.

"How much did you hear?" she asked him. James Potter stared back at her, the expression on his face almost made her want to cry.

"Everything," he whispered hoarsely. A second later, the door to Dumbledore's office opened, and the three adults stepped outside. When they saw the first-years, Arabella gasped, and the two men were thrown into speechlessness.

"We er-ahm, James, well, the thing is you see-uh, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," James replied Mundungus abruptly, before whirling around and racing back out of the entrance. Lily looked helplessly between the adults, and the direction that James had run. She cast an apologetic look at Dumbledore before racing after him. She saw him again just as he was rounding the last corner that led to Gryffindor tower.

"James! Wait!" she cried, panting from running so fast. He stopped without looking at her, and leant, face first against the wall, eyes closed. She walked up to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry James," she said. He sighed deeply, before turning around to face her.

"It's all happening again ... it's just ... here, I'd better tell you the full story. Come on, let's get into the common room, there's no one there," he said, and the entered the tower.

Lily and James both sat down on opposite comfy armchairs next to the fire, and Lily waited for James to speak. He stared at his hands for a long time, as if trying to decide something inside of himself. When he looked back up at her, his dark eyes shimmered in the firelight.

"My mum and dad were Auror's ... those are like what muggle's call policemen. Auror's catch dark wizards, and bring them in before the ministry. My parents were the best goddamn Auror team around-" he broke off suddenly, eyes to the ceiling, breathing deeply, as if trying not to cry. Lily bit her lip; she couldn't help but experience the emotions that he was feeling. She tried to hold herself together for his sake, and let him talk without interruption.

"There are three curses that a wizard or witch can perform, that will get them with a life sentence in Azkaban - that's wizard prison. The first is the Imperius curse, which allows the inflictor, to gain control over the actions of the victim, to do whatever they want them to. The second is the C-cruciatus curse; a pain so agonizing it's able to kill, if the curse is strong enough, or permanently damage the mind. The third and final one, is called Avada Kedavra. This is the killing curse. The three of these are called the Unforgivable curses. Not many wizards in our year, or even up to sixth year know about these, let alone the muggle-borns, but I do, because of my parents. Lord V-Voldemort, is the darkest wizard to ever live, for almost a hundred years. Every Auror was ordered to try and find him, to bring him in, but see, he has so many followers, so many dark wizards by his side ... he hated my parents because they'd brought so many of his men in to justice, and he wanted them to pay for it. So he went for what my father loved most ... my mother."

'Harry! They've taken Cynthia; they've bloody taken her! You have to find her!' Henry 'Harry' Potter looked up in alarm as his young friend and fellow colleague Arthur Weasley rushed into his Ministry office, shouting.

'What do you mean they've taken her? She's at home! She was just about to Apparate here! What's going on Arthur?' Harry asked frantically.

'Harry, the Death Eater's, they went to your house, she went outside to Apparate, they've-' he was cut off as an eagle owl swept grandly into Harry's office and dropped a formal, white letter into his hands. The parchment was expensive-looking, and a message was written in calligraphy-like handwriting - black and neat:

If you ever want to see your wife again, Apparate to the graveyard at Grandeur's Hill, Penning. Immediately. There is no time for hesitation.

It was unsigned, but Harry knew immediately who its sender was. He stalked over to the door and grabbed his jacket. Whirling back around, he looked at the terror in Arthur's young eyes, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

'Arthur, thank you. You've become a good friend to me, and though you've only been working here for a short time, you have your whole life ahead of you, and you're going to go far in the wizarding world. If I don't make it back ... give my regards to Molly, little Bill and baby Charlie. Good luck Arthur, I ... I'll see you soon." And with that he disappeared.

Arthur stood at his door, in shock and fear at Harry's leave. The older man had become a trusted friend to him, and had really helped him when he'd first started out at the ministry. He hoped against all hope, that Harry would make it through the night.

"Good luck Harry," he whispered to the empty space.

Harry arrived at Grandeur's Hill, and walked through the ominous black gates leading into the graveyard. He spotted the group at the top of the small hill, and cautiously approached them with his wand out. There were two figures standing, robed in black, wands a ready, and one figure curled up on the ground. He didn't have to guess who it was.

'What do you want?' he growled out at the prominent figure that'd just stepped forward.

'Why do you think that I would want something Henry?' the other man said smoothly, his voice slicing through the air with its dark sharpness.

Voldemort pointed his wand at Cynthia and magically forced her to stand up off the ground. Harry took this distraction to stun the other figure. Voldemort whirled around in fury.

'You idiot! What do you think you're playing out? Now you will pay Henry Potter, now you will pay." Voldemort pointed his wand at Cynthia, and began saying the dreaded, awful words that would live in her mind forever.

'NO!' Harry cried and he jumped in front of her. Time seemed to freeze, or slow down, as he kissed her swiftly.

'I love you, I love you forever, I'll never stop loving you, even in death, you have to live, please Cynthia, live!'

'Avada Kedavra.' The curse hit Harry before she could push him out of the way. As his lifeless body fell to the ground, the only thing Cynthia could do was muster up all her strength, and Apparate back to the ministry. There was a sensational stir when she suddenly reappeared. Cornelius Fudge, Arcturus Black and young Bartemius Crouch Snr., rushed to her side in a panic.

'Cynthia! Cynthia! What on earth has happened? Where's Harry?' Arcturus cried, fearing the worst. Cynthia looked up, wiping her tear-filled eyes, to see Arthur Weasley standing in the doorway to the main area of the Ministry, his eyes full of fear and shaking his head in disbelief. He was clutching the door frame tightly, knuckles white. She could barely choke out the words, but knew that she must. They needed to know.

'I-I couldn't save him ... V-Voldemort ... he killed him. Harry is dead.'

Lily sat back in shock. There was a waterfall of tears cascading down her white face, and her hands were clutched over her mouth tightly. James had broken down halfway through telling her, but forced himself to tell event after event, because he needed her to know, he needed to get it out.

"James ... I ... I'm so sorry ... I, oh James," she rushed over to him and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, and he hugged her back, needing the support as they cried into each other.

"He never got to see me get my Hogwarts letter, never got to see me buy my first wand-" he choked on his words as his whole body became racked with heart-wrenching sobs. Lily just held him for a while longer, until his tears had subsided, before pulling back and sitting down again.

"She'll pull through James, you know she will ... that's what your father wanted her to do ... that's what she'll do," she said, trying to reassure him. He was just about to reply when the portrait hole opened, and they heard footsteps approaching the common room. They both quickly wiped their eyes and sat in the direction of the fire, so that their splotchy red faces weren't visible to whoever had just walked in.

"James?" a voice said hesitantly. James sighed in relief. It was Sirius. He got off the armchair and walked over to his friend. Sirius took one look at James' face and hugged his best friend.

"Mum just owled me ... I'm so sorry mate," he said, almost breaking down himself. He had grown up with the Potter's his whole life. Cynthia and Harry had been like second parents to him. Lily quietly got up off the couch, and tried to sneak up to her dorm, as she didn't want to interrupt them.

"Lily?" Sirius said. She turned around.

"Hi Sirius," she said, her voice shaking slightly - still recurring from the shock of James' story. Sirius' eyes darted from James to Lily curiously.

"I told her, she knows," James told him, as he knew that's what Sirius had wanted to ask.

"Okay. Well, since you're both here ... Dumbledore wants to see you both tomorrow morning, first thing ..." he trailed off when he saw their identical expressions.

"I'm going to get to bed, I'll see you up there. The rest of them are coming up soon, so ..." he nodded at each of them before heading up to his room.

Lily pulled James into another warm hug.

"We'd better get to bed as well ... but I'll see you tomorrow morning, we can walk to Dumbledore's office together," she said. And James nodded.

"Thank you for listening Lily ... it means a lot ..." he didn't really know what else to say.

"Always."

~****************************************************************~

The next morning was Sunday, and Lily and James met up before most of the school had even woken up, to have a quick breakfast before heading to Dumbledore's office.

"I was just thinking about it ... how come you were outside Dumbledore's office yesterday anyway?" Lily asked James when they began the journey through the maze-like castle.

"Before dinner, he asked me to come, something about grades?" James replied. He was in a better mood then he'd been the night before, mainly due to the fact that he'd finally got it all out of his system. He'd kept it all bottled inside of him for so long ... sure, he'd talked to Sirius about it a few times, but it was different. Talking to Lily really made him feel like he could truly, honestly say what he was feeling, and not what he should be feeling ... he pondered this as they reached the entrance. Lily said the password, and the entered. This time, when they made their way down the hallway, Dumbledore's door was open.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, and Ms. Evans ... I wonder Ms. Evans, if I could have a word with Mr. Potter for a moment alone-"

"No, it's all right ... I told her everything Professor ... I'd like it if she were here ..." James said, glancing back and forth between the two. Dumbledore nodded slowly after a moment of mild surprise, and then invited them both to sit down. Lily sat down cautiously. She felt a little out of place sitting in on such an important event ... but if it was what James wanted, then she would stick by him.

"I'm terribly sorry for the news that you had to hear James ... and I am even more sorry for the way that you found out ... if I could turn back time ..." Dumbledore trailed off. His normally smiling face was curved into a sad expression.

James looked at his hands, wringing them before speaking.

"No, it's not your fault Professor. I wouldn't have wanted anyone to tell me anything other then what actually happened. Sugarcoating things only ends up in a mess," he said, nodding, as if trying to convince himself. Dumbledore smiled wistfully.

"I remember when your father use to say that ..." Dumbledore said, causing James to look down at his hands again, as if not trusting himself to speak.

Lily cleared her throat softly, finally gaining the courage to speak.

"I don't really know if it's my place at all to ask this, and please tell me if it's not-"

"Please my dear, go ahead," Dumbledore told him. She looked to James for reassurance, and he nodded back.

"She will be all right ... won't she? You say she's still alive ... I don't really understand about the Cruciatus curse, except from what James told me," she said timidly. She almost felt like eating her words. James was looking at Dumbledore expectantly. The headmaster sighed.

"I'm afraid I don't know ... James, your mother is a strong woman, a very strong woman indeed. But the Cruciatus curse ... especially one invoked by Voldemort ..." he trailed off, the sadness reappearing on his wrinkled face.

"I want to know how it happened Professor ... will you tell me?" he asked, trying to strengthen his resolve. There was a silence as Dumbledore contemplated his question. He sighed heavily.

"I won't lie to you James ... it began yesterday afternoon at around 6pm ..."

Cynthia Potter heard a crashing sound outside her house. Her head shot up in alarm. It was dead quiet, and night had already fallen, so her paranoia level was high. She heard footsteps outside, and then someone fiddling with the lock. Cynthia ran to the kitchen and picked up her wand. She cautiously made her way back to the hallway leading up to the front door of her home, and saw green sparks flitting through the keyhole.

Harry and herself had put many charms on their house when they'd first become Auror's, because it was so widely known that Auror's were often attacked at home.

They'd used wards and magical gateways, as well as an anti-apparition spell so that no wizard could just turn up at their house. They'd also closed off the Floo connection into their fireplace, and Cynthia had only reconnected it when James had needed to get to places like Diagon Alley.

The only place in the whole house that they had not protected with a charm was the front door, as it was too bothersome to continually break the spell to go out, and then put it back on, and then do the same thing again when they came home, so they left it off.

Fear coursed through her body as the glow of the green sparks began stronger and turned into a long, continuous glow. She was hidden in the shadows, but still frightened: she hadn't had to go through any of this since her husband had died, and she wasn't ready for it now.

Suddenly, without warning, the front door burst open, and three cloaked, hooded figures entered stealthily. Cynthia pushed herself as far back into the shadows as she could, and pointed her wand at the first one.

'Stupefy,' she whispered. The stunning spell shot out of the end of her wand and hit the first trespasser, causing his entire body to become completely stiff and fall to the ground with a loud thud. Cynthia was just about to repeat the actions, but the other two were quicker. The Death Eaters, as she'd guessed, pointed their wands at her and cast a body-binding spell on her. She could see and hear what was happening, but there was nothing she could do about it. Her wand dropped to the floor.

One of the figures bent down to his stunned cohort and pointed his wand at his heart.

'Enervate,' he whispered. The stunned Death Eater immediately got back up and turned back to Cynthia in a rage.

'I shall see that you pay for that. Lord Voldemort will make you pay, just like your dear Harry did,' he said nastily. Cynthia raged on as tears welled up in her eyes. There was nothing she could do. The three figures lifted her up and walked back outside. Using a portkey, they were transported to a mouldy old castle that sent a shiver down Cynthia's spine. One of the Death Eaters un-bound her, but kept her wand, which he'd picked up off the ground, so she was un-armed and helpless.

The four of them walked through many old, decrepit corridors and walkways before finally coming to a set of huge, rosewood doors. The first figure opened them, and they entered what was without a doubt, the best room in the castle. It was dark, the walls a midnight black, but everything else was in pristine condition, and Cynthia's eyes flitted over to the middle of the room where Voldemort sat, smiling evilly at her arrival.

'We meet again Ms. Potter ...' he breathed out. Cynthia looked at him with intense hatred. The Death Eater she had stunned walked over to Voldemort, knelt before him and bowed. He rose again and whispered something into his ear. Voldemort's cruel red eyes shot back to Cynthia.

'Davidoff tells me that you weren't very hospitable upon their arrival,' he tutted, shaking his head.

'That will not do Ms. Potter, you shall be punished.' And with that, he stood up and glided over to where she was standing inbetween the two remaining Death Eaters.

'Kneel before me,' Voldemort commanded. Cynthia stared back at him defiantly.

'Never,' she whispered through clenched teeth. Voldemort pointed his wand at her and magically forced her to drop to her knees. She looked up at him from her new position, a deep anger filling her usually warm brown eyes.

Voldemort pointed his wand at her again.

'Crucio.'

Dumbledore sat back in his chair, closing his eyes in grief. The first-year's had been able to tell how hard it had been for him to say it. James was sitting in his chair, head down again. When he looked up, the whites of his eyes were red with strain, and tears were freely flowing. Lily was also crying. She couldn't believe how so much sadness could happen to someone ... to a family like the Potter's. She remembered meeting Cynthia Potter in Diagon Alley at Ollivander's. She watched as James began taking deep, ragged breaths.

"I want to see her," he said, looking back up at Dumbledore. Lily looked up in surprise. Dumbledore regarded James for a moment. He nodded.

"Then you shall. I will arrange for you to be taken off from your normal classes tomorrow. Does that suit you James?" he asked. James found it oddly comforting that he used his first name in such a time as this.

"Yes, thank you Professor. If it's all right with you, I'd like to go back to my common room now. I know you wanted to talk to us about our grades and such, but I don't think that I'm at all up for that at the moment," he said. Dumbledore nodded again.

"Of course. You too Lily, go with James. I shall send word with the details for tomorrow later this evening. Please, I hope you feel a little better James ..." he trailed off, and James nodded. The two first-year's got up and began walking back to Gryffindor tower. The journey was silent, until they were outside the portrait hole. James turned to Lily.

"W-will you come with me? Tomorrow I mean ... I'd like it if you came to St. Mungo's with me ...and Sirius as well of course ... I mean, you don't have to," he stammered. Lily smiled at him, a rather sad smile.

"Of course I will James." James nodded in relief, and they went into the common room.

"I'm going to go up to my dorm for a little while ... I just need to sort a few things out in my head. I'll see you later on okay?" he said. Lily nodded back at him.

"Okay, I'll see you later."

~**************************************************************~

St. Mungo's ...

The two wizard doctors stood outside the closed door of the intensive care unit at St. Mungo's. The sign on the door read: 'Cynthia Potter'.

"I just can't believe it Jack. She was one of the best. Do you think she'll pull through?" the younger of the two asked. The older doctor: Jack Wirth sighed heavily and looked through the little window on the door. Cynthia was writhing around on the bed, in which she was chained to, still in a state of unconsciousness and sweating profusely.

"I've known Cynthia for a long time, and she has every strength to awaken ... but this was a strong curse ... we can only hope Peter. We can only hope."