Chapter One: The First
The darkness of night hovered in the air like a thick, impenetrable fog. Above, the moon remained hidden, and the stars dim, so even their lunar light became suffocated in the clouds. But though the street lamps remained lit, a murky haze seemed to have settled around them, giving off the impression that a dark presence lurked about. A normal, non-magical person would’ve blamed it on the aftermath of the past evening’s storm, but the witches and wizards of the village had known better and fled.
However, the streets were no longer abandoned. As if out of no where, a huddle of aurors swiftly appeared on the dirt road, their shoes hardly creating a cloud of dust where they landed. They stood close together, each pair of eyes cast in a different direction, all wands held up in anticipation of an attack. And even when nothing jumped out to greet them, they kept perfectly still, not even their breaths making the least bit of sound.
There were seven of them, all in a circle with their backs facing the center. A thick-haired blond stood in the back, accompanied by a curly brunette and a woman with piercing eyes on each side. Next to them, were two young men, one with scars lining his cheek and the other with black hair framing his face. At the front of the ring, stood the two leaders of the group: a dark-haired man with glasses and a redheaded woman by his side. For a moment, they all kept still, their senses sharpened to the highest point possible. It was the blond, Emmeline, that was the first to speak.
“They’re here,” she whispered, raising her wand so it cast an eerie green glow on the empty street before them, “I can sense it,”
“Of course they are,” said the scarred man, “It’s exactly where that we need to find out,”
“Easier said than done, Remus,” commented Marlene, the brunette, “But by the mist in the air, they can’t be far away…” Dorcas, narrowing her sharp eyes, nodded in agreement.
“You don’t think they’re breeding, do you?” asked the dark-haired man, gazing up in the direction of the star that shared his name, Sirius.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” muttered Remus, “No doubt that this is an ideal place for them,”
The warm facades of the nearby houses reflected how happy the village had once been before the reign of Lord Voldemort. Sweet memories of past summers and happy holidays that once were seemed to be slipping away, like water evaporating into steam. No doubt, the dementors were feeding on it the very moment they spoke.
“Well they can’t hide for long,” growled James, straightening his glasses to remain firm on his nose.
The red-haired woman remained silent, her vivid green eyes darting from window to window. Everything behind the glass was still and dark, though there was no questioning that the darkness was deeper than the night. Narrowing her gaze, she peeked up at the rooftops, tension tying into a knot at the pit of her stomach.
“You okay, Lily?” a voice asked suddenly. Blinking out of her trance, she turned her head to see James watching her, causing a few of the others to steal glances at her too.
“Yeah, fine,” she answered with a short nod, returning her gaze upwards, “Just-”
Suddenly, the shadows resting on the rooftops came to life, the night sky rippling as they soared into the air. The tattered cloaks of at least a dozen dementors whipped about as they flew upwards, gaping howls emitting from the depths of their hoods Suddenly, any dim light that had managed to glow before was put out, and all that was left was a cold darkness that rattled their bones.
“Shit,” hissed Sirius, aiming his wand up to the sea of ripped capes, “Expecto Patronum!”
A massive, bear-like dog erupted from the tip of his wand, it’s teeth bared in an unheard growl. It’s giant paws finding stability in midair, it sprang forward in a vicious attack, leading the way for an army of animal patronuses. Their misty exteriors gleamed brightly, like beacons of hope… lights in the darkness… magical saviors in a time of despair.
A majority of the dementors didn’t even have time to descend, being that they were thrown aside by the spells charging at them; but even the few that had managed to swoop down at them were pierced by the antlers of a mighty stag, and tossed forcefully into the night. For a moment, everything seem to have been settled, till another swarm of dementors drifted from the alleyways and glided towards them with an undying thirst for memories.
Realizing her previous patronus had already faded away, Lily aimed her wand at the nearest threat, mustered up a happy memory from just a few days ago and screamed the incantation in her mind. A hawk flew from her wand’s tip, flapping it’s vast wings and heading in for the hit. Though her eyes remained watchful of her patronus, her senses then picked up on something behind her.
A stare was focused on her head, the person’s wand aiming squarely for her back-
Whipping around, she yelled the first hex that came to her mind. A streak of red shot out from her wand, hitting a dark-hooded man behind her and sending him to the ground. But behind him, stood more men, undoubtedly death eaters who were seeking revenge. Without a word, they shot three simultaneous hexes towards her, only to be deflected by a shield charm she created with a flick of her wand. It was when another spell was shot at them from behind, that she realized she was not alone in facing them.
“And to think, we only expected this to be a breeding ground for dementors,” James snarled from beside her, sending a stunning spell at the two nearest death eaters. But the men shattered it into pieces with a mere wave of their hands.
“Like it would be that simple,” Lily said, her heart thudding in her chest as shot a hex towards the oncoming masked faces. She tried to keep her face looking confident to hide her fear, but it was flooding over her at an overwhelming rate. They had been caught in battle before, of course, but something about this time felt different… more life-changing than the rest.
She could only hope it just wasn’t their last.
Her thoughts must‘ve been reflected on her face, because soon, James was talking to her, still managing to ward off those so quickly approaching. “Don‘t worry,” he muttered, “We’re getting out of this… they’re no match for us,”
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, his rough palms brushing with her soft skin. Taking in a deep breath, she gave a small nod and managed to hit a death eater with a full body bind, keeping him immobile for at least the time being.
“Don’t worry Lily!” Marlene shouted, rushing to her side, “I got your back!” Her hair bouncing as she ran, she threw her wand arm forward and torpedoed a silver spell, sending three people down. But there were still at least twenty or so death eaters approaching, shooting spells with each step they took.
“Bloody hell,” James hissed, deflecting their hexes continuously, angling his wand left and right to protect everyone from being hit, “This is ridiculous!”
Suddenly revived with adrenaline, Lily slashed her wand through the air in an attempt to catch a majority of the death eaters in a burning hex. But even though she caught five with it, some of them still managed to get up and continue fighting. Eyes widening, she maintained a firm grip on her wand and shot snake-like ropes out of it, managing to ensnare a cloaked woman and send her to the ground.
“The others are still warding off the dementors back there,” Sirius yelled, inching in between her and James to shoot a spell of his own, “But it looks like the bigger threat is here,”
Suddenly, momentarily distracted by Sirius’ appearance, Lily felt something slice open the cloth covering her shoulder; digging into her skin in the process. She winced as she felt the blood spatter from her wound, no doubt the result of a dark spell of some sort. But she knew better than to cover it with her hand, that would mean to let her guard down with her wand. Gritting her teeth, she threw a hex back, grazing the top of a woman’s head and causing her hair to spark.
“What are they, multiplying?” Marlene exclaimed, still shooting out spells with every flick of her wand, “We don’t even know where they’re coming from!”
“They’re closing in,” Lily said, tripping a person and then trapping him in sharp, painful cords, “We can’t get stuck in between the dementors and the death eaters, we’re going to have to disapparate-”
“And give in?” Sirius screamed, horrified at the very idea of it.
“No one’s in immediate danger here!” she answered back, still throwing spells, “To weaken ourselves for something like this is just making it worse for when there are others we need to protect!”
But before anyone could yell out their arguments, the swarm of death eaters began to part, though the fighting still didn‘t cease. Ignoring it at first, Lily took it as the perfect opportunity to catch one of the men by surprise. But as the hex left her wand, a hissing voice captured her attention.
“Leave them be, I’ll take it from here,”
Spells from the death eaters stopped almost immediately, though a few still came from the Order’s side. But they eventually came to a halt as well, when a tall, hooded figure approached where the death eaters had divided. Lily watched with a narrowed gaze, noting the dark magical aura that surrounded the man. From the depths of his shadowy hood, were a pair of glowing red eyes, focused on them alone.
It was Lord Voldemort.
Keeping her feet firmly in place, Lily swallowed her fear and kept her gaze steady. She couldn’t let any doubt or fear show, because that was what he fed on. Standing her ground was the only way she could at least attempt to weaken him, as her fellow Order members were doing around her. After all, he was only human… wasn’t he?
A few feet away from them, he paused, staring them down as he twirled his wand in his fingers. The tension in the air was so thick, that Lily hardly dared to breathe. Now that he was closer, she could see his paper-thin skin stretched over his face, as if he were a walking skeleton. Chills crept up her spine; she had heard stories, of course, but they were nothing compared to the sight that met her eyes. It was as if the dark magic he thrived on was all that kept him alive.
He took his time looking at each of them, taking in all their features with his burning eyes. Lily knew they would have to either disapparate or fight eventually, but the only thing to do now was stand still with her wand at the ready. To move even an inch would be the worst thing to do in such a situation.
Slowly, a smirk stretched over his horribly gaunt face, putting her senses on the edge. “Lapdogs of Dumbledore,” he said finally, “I knew he’d send you…”
“How dare you call us lapdogs,” James growled, his wand poised for attack at any given moment, “When it’s those who keep you confident enough to challenge-”
“I do not depend on my followers,” he cut in sharply, “To think otherwise is a lie that will cost you your life,”
A silence had fallen over them, aside from the shuffling of careful footsteps Lily heard behind her. It was clear that those who had been fighting the dementors before, were now backing them up for support.
“What do you want from us?” Dorcas snapped, finally breaking the silence, “To back down? It’s not going to happen…”
He let out a short, cold laugh that gave Lily chills once more. “Nonsense,” he answered, with a nonchalant wave of his hand, “I know too well of your stubborn determination to expect that,” They all eyed him suspiciously, knowing that there was more to say.
Suddenly, he snapped his fingers, and half of his death eaters disappeared. Lily took a quick intake of breath, prepared to leap to her defense. By the movement around her, she knew she wasn’t alone in that thought.
“So that’s why I’ll force you to myself,” he finished with a hiss.
Popping noises surrounded them on all sides, the sounds of apparating giving away the death eaters that were now among the members of the Order. Whipping around, Lily slashed her wand and jinxed the man directly behind her, continuing to throw spells at whoever met her eye. She could hear grunts of frustration from Remus and Sirius, who were now back to back as they battled their newest adversaries. In the corner of her eye, she spotted Marlene, struggling to throw off the woman who had decided to attack her.
Sprinting to defend her, she was held back by an ear-splitting shriek. Turning, she saw Emmeline on the ground, the gash across her face staining her hair with blood. Above, stood her attacker, his wand poised to finish her off-
“Stupefy!” Lily screamed, her wand aimed at the back of the man’s neck. The beam of red streaked through the air and hit him dead-on, causing him to keel over onto Emmeline’s legs. Breathing heavily, Lily brushed her hair out of her eyes and ran to her, kicking the man aside and helping her to her feet.
“Thank- you…” Emmeline gasped, putting a hand to her stomach as she tried to regain her breath. With a nod, Lily rushed off again, suddenly desperate to make sure James’ was okay. She had lost view of him when battle had broken out a second time, and she couldn’t help but worry. But her thoughts couldn’t linger for long. Voldemort had Dorcas cornered against a wall, with no way to escape by herself.
Quickly, she racked her brain for ideas, still rushing closer to where they stood. Not even thinking before casting it, she shot a tongue of fire at the hem of his robes. They caught aflame on impact, rapidly crawling higher onto the rest of his clothes. She watched as he looked down at his feet, immediately going to put it out. But by the time he looked up again, Dorcas had escaped out of sight.
Cursing to the night, he whipped around to see who had sent the spell, his eyes immediately finding her emerald green ones. She stared him down determinedly, refusing to avoid his furious glare. Wordlessly, he brought up his wand and shot a jinx at her, but she quickly conjured a shield charm to deflect it.
Their stares had locked again when red sparks flew into the sky, signaling that the Order was to give in. Shooting him another defiant stare, she listened to the pops of apparation around her as she shot one last jinx in his direction. But she didn’t wait to watch him repel it, and instead went to apparate away herself, concentrating on Order Headquarters. But as the feeling of apparation overtook her, she heard a voice whisper across her mind.
“Just wait till we meet again,”
And with that, she felt the world close around her as she sped away to safety.
[This was a prologue to a 7th year HP fanfiction I planned on writing, but I never got past a few chapters. I'm considering continuing it though. Anyway, comments and criticisms welcome.
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