Chapter Nineteen: Third Defiance

*It was a late December morning when Lily stepped out of the bathroom. James, who had awoken with his wife, was sitting on the bed and waiting for her to say something. The same thing had been occurring for nearly a week now—every morning around dawn Lily would shoot up in bed, race to the bathroom, and walk out right as rain, insisting nothing was wrong. Of course, it was clearer than ever to her husband that something was wrong.

“Lily, please. Don’t you think you ought to see a healer about this? Or even a muggle doctor? Someone who knows health?”

“I’m fine James. I’m sure it’s just a flu, or something along those lines. Stop worrying so much.” He smiled.

“That’s my job!” Grabbing her hands, he pulled her closer towards him. “Are you sure you feel fine now?”

“I’m fine James!” She rolled her eyes.

“Well, if you insist…” He grinned devilishly, and Lily knew something was going to happen. Then he tightened his grip around her hands and spun her around so she was caught off balance and flung onto the bed. Then James jumped over and straddled her, laughing evilly.

“James!” She gasped through her laughter.

“I made sure you were alright, didn’t I?” He laughed, nuzzling her neck. Lily moaned as he hit a sensitive spot.

“James…” Her breath caught. James looked up, and then down at the woman below him.

“I love you Lily.” Then he gathered her tightly in his arms. “So much.”

“I love you too James.” Lily hugged him back just as fiercely. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

“You won’t.”

“James…” Lily frowned. “Do you know how lucky Alice and Frank were? That was their third encounter with that twisted wizard. They barely escaped—Frank was in St. Mungo’s for nearly two weeks, and with Alice pregnant… she was in tears half the time. Is that going to be us?”

“No. We’re different Lily. Frank and Alice, they’re good, but we’re the best. Voldemort wouldn’t dare take us on.”

“He threatened to.”

“Empty. I’ll protect you from him Lily, no matter what. And what about the Order?”

“Oh I know. I’m just worried, that’s all.”

“Don’t worry. Lily, you hungry? I was thinking pancakes?” Lily smiled, and then frowned. “What? Not in the mood?”

“James, if you don’t get off of me, I’m going to be sick on you.” She ran towards the bathroom, and James watched in awe as she slammed the door behind her.

“I really need to stop mentioning food in the mornings.”

>>>)(<<<

“As I’ve already been informed, by Emmeline, we have a serious problem that must be attended to instantly. Our open eyes and ears have picked up on a most disturbing piece of news.” Dumbledore sat at the round table, staring at the faces of tired and haggard wizards and witches. Three seats around the table remained blank—a sad reminder of the costs their dear Order had wrought upon them.

“What’s happened?” Sirius sat up in his seat. The entire table seemed to perk up when they heard there was bad news. Usually bad news was associated with a death—or, more common nowadays, several deaths.

“An old book of spells has been spoken about at length by suspected Death Eaters in their circles. This book of spells is the very own handiwork of the original Salazar Slytherin, and they contain spells and incantations so terrible that they must not be allowed, at any cost, to fall into the hands of the Dark Lord.”

“The Book of Perils.” Lily whispered. Dumbledore’s eyes shot towards her.

“You’ve heard of it then, Lily?”

“Yes. When I was researching anti-muggle spells, I came across a small piece of text that briefly explained what the book was and why it was written.” She paused. “I thought it was only a myth, not a real book. But if it’s real…” She shuddered.

“My thoughts quite exactly.” Dumbledore nodded. “And if the Death Eaters are beginning to speak of it, it is only a matter of time before Voldemort attempts to find and take the book for his own selfish uses. We must stop his endeavors at all costs, if we do not, we will eternally be sorry.”

“If Lily already knows about the book, I think we should send her.” Someone from around the table spoke up. “It’s only logical to send someone who knows what they’re doing.”

“Do we know how long until Voldemort makes an attempt to actually steal the book?” Lily asked, unsure.

“No. We have no way of knowing when. Voldemort would not give such information to his Death Eaters when it is of little importance that they know.”

“So technically they could be looking for the book ask we sit here.” Ara pointed out.

“Technically speaking, yes.” Dumbledore nodded. Lily sighed. She knew what she had to do. This was a job for her. She knew the of book, she knew where it was rumored to be hidden. But to face Voldemort once more? She felt as though she were tempting fate—and didn’t much like the odds. But she had sworn an oath, and personally she knew letting that book out would be the downfall of the world, wizarding and otherwise.

“James.” She hissed, trying to get his attention.

“What?”

“I have to do this James. I’m the only one besides Dumbledore who understands what that book is capable of. I need to help.”

“Lily.” James looked at her, very seriously. “Are you sure? You know I’m going to help you.”

“That’s why I’m telling you now, not springing it on you in front of everyone.” She smiled a sadly smile. “Thank you for understanding.”

“Just promise you’ll go to a healer beforehand? I want to make sure you aren’t sick.”

“It’s a deal.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek, then sat up and looked across the table. “Professor?” She caught his attention. “James and I will go after the book.”

“Are you sure Lily? Si and I could maybe do it, if you tell us about it.” Ara offered, very worried. “You’re playing with destiny, fighting Voldemort three times.”

“Lily, if you can avoid it, don’t fight him.” Alice whispered.

“We know the risks, but we gave an oath.” James piped up. “Lils wants to do this, and I’m with her. Voldemort may be insane, but we’ve got the advantage, really. We’ve fought him before, plus we know he might be there, we’ll be ready.”

“There is no advantage when fighting the Dark Lord.” Peter whispered.

“Come off it Peter. He isn’t that scary. Rather ugly, actually.” Lily became pensive. “And he has the strangest voice, very snake-ish, I suppose you could call it.”

“Aren’t you scared?” Peter answered back.

“James’ll protect me, and I’ll protect him. We’ve nothing to be scared about.”

“That’s right.” James echoed. “By the way. Padfoot, it looks like we might have to cancel poker night.”

“Damnit Prongs! And I had a great idea too. Stupid git, you’re always gone nowadays!”

“I have a wife.” James pointed out.

“I have one of them too, except she doesn’t shag me when I say so. Lucky devil.” To loud cracks burst out in the silence of the room as Sirius paid the price for his comments—One courtesy of Lily, and one courtesy of Arabella.

“You git! How dare you!” Ara yelled. The rest of the Order flew into a fit of laughter at the antics of their youngest and most active members.

“Don’t speak about Ara that way!” Lily screamed. Then James stood up and smacked Sirius on the back of the head.

“Mutt.” Then, leaning down he whispered: “Too bad for you, isn’t it?” Lily and Ara, who had only just begun to feel vindicated, groaned angrily as Sirius cracked up laughing again.

“Prongs, you’re great!”

“I try, I try. Listen, hey Lils? What time is it?”

“Nearly nine thirty.” Lily told him. James glanced out one of the windows of Dumbledore’s office and spied the full moon through the clouds.

“Time to get going.” Sirius nodded. Peter stood too, ready to follow them out.

“Lily, we’ll leave tomorrow, alright?”

“You don’t want a day to rest?”

“No, we’ll stay with Remus tonight, sleep there.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow James.”

“Healer, alright?”

“Right!” She nodded. They kissed briefly, and then the three Marauders were gone. Ara, who had just been thoroughly kissed by Sirius smiled.

“I love it when they leave like that. Whatever they do, Sirius always comes back in the morning in a great mood, all be it a tired one.” Lily laughed and shook her head. The meeting adjourned, and they walked home, the girls asking Alice questions about the baby to be, and poor Frank suffering without any other male companions.

>>>)(<<<

“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep a little longer James?”

“Sure. What did the healer say?”

“She just ran a few spells, and told me she would know tomorrow for sure exactly what it was, but in the mean time it wasn’t life threatening, and that I should go on as normal.”

“Then I guess we had better get back by tomorrow, huh?”

“I guess so. James… whatever happens? I love you, alright?”

“Lily, nothing is going to happen. I love you too. Ready?”

“Ready. All right. The book is rumored to be—”

“Let me guess: a glacier? I here Alaska is nice late December.” He grinned, knowing the book would probably be somewhere not only incredibly hard to reach, but probably heavily guarded by some form of magic, and then probably a dragon or two, just to make things interesting.

“Actually James? It’s in a muggle library in London. But if you really want to take that trip to the glaciers in Alaska…” Lily giggled. James blinked.

“Really? No Hagrid-type monsters? No spells? No impossible to beat elements?”

“Nope. Maybe a cranky librarian or two. I’ll let you deal with her, since you’re so eager to fight a battle.”

“Ha, ha, har Lily, your such a comedian.”

“I try.”

“Lily, there has to be a catch. What’s the catch Lily?”

“The book looks like any other book, and it can have any title it wants. We’ll have to look through practically each book in the library to find it.”

“No!” James pouted. “When I left Hogwarts, I thought I’d never have to open a book again. You really don’t like me, do you?”

“On the contrary, I love you very much. Besides, cracking a book wouldn’t hurt you any.”

“Can we please just get going?”

“Yup.” And Lily waved her wand, catching James off guard.

When they re-appeared, they were in the center of a very large, very empty library. Or rather, the library was filled, from roof to floor, with shelves and shelves of books. It was only empty of people to read the books. To James, it seemed as though the rows of books stretched and went on forever. Too many books, with too many words. How would they ever find the one they were looking for?

“James? I thought there would be more people here.” Lily whispered. “It’s a Monday—the beginning of the muggle working week. They should be in here. There isn’t even a librarian at the desk.”

“She’s probably busy putting a book away. Maybe she got lost in the shelves.” Lily gave him a reproachful glance, and James shrugged. “What? I would get lost if I were her.”

“But you aren’t. She’s around these books constantly, and knows her stuff. Look, I suppose we can take advantage of the emptiness, and I can set up a finding spell for the book instead of checking for it through every single book. But that’ll take me a bit of time.”

“Well, set it up in a corner where you see clearly all around you, but are somewhat hidden. I’ll check out the rest of the building. Please be careful Lily.”

“I will. Good luck James.”

James began to explore the vast library with the knowledge that Lily would be perfectly safe. Silently he went row by row, bookshelf by bookshelf, looking for any signs of life. Lily was right, it was odd that no one was in the library. As much as he hated to admit it, it was a rather disturbing way to find a building, completely silent and vacant of all human life.

As he went he could hear nothing and see no one. Becoming more and more paranoid in the silent room, James strained to hear something, anything. The squeak of a mouse, the bickering of two old women, the dripping of water… dripping water? His ears perked up. He did hear dripping water! A water fountain maybe? No, it was coming in steady drops, not a stream, and it didn’t have the same metallic splash most water fountains did. The splashing was very faint.

As he walked closer towards the second floor stairwell, the dripping became louder. But where was it coming from? Suddenly James felt a splash of something warm on the back of his neck. Warm water? Reaching back, he smeared the water and brought his hand back to look at it.

Before he saw it, his nose could smell it. It was the rancid, metallic stench of blood. Then he eyes connected with the red smear that covered his hand, and James looked up. Across the balcony of the second floor rested bodies, impaled upon the iron arrows that formed the railing. James shuddered and gulped in absolute disgust. James didn’t even have to ask who might have preformed such a brutal slaying of muggles, no, he knew. And instinctively he ran. Lily.

“Impedimenta!” He heard her soft voice screaming at the top of its lungs. Two Death Eaters already lay immobile on the floor, and Lily was dealing with two more.

“Petrificus totalus!” James yelled, sending one down. Lily’s next curse finally stopped the fourth, and she stood shakily from where she had been sitting on the floor.

“He’s got the book James! He beat us to it!” She shouted. He nodded.

“Which way did he go?”

“He and that snake took off towards the right, something about a portkey!” She yelled.

“Come on Lil, we have to catch them!” The two aurors raced down the rows of books after an enemy they could not see but knew was there.

“Nagini, take the book back to the portkey, I have some unfinished business to—”

“Reducto!” James yelled out. Books flew from the shelves, and through the empty space he and Lily had a clear view of Voldemort, who had drawn back and snarled at them.

“Potter, Evans, again! I’m going to destroy you good this time! Gardnier, Leventhal!”

“Your Death Eaters are bound on the floor Voldemort, who will you run to to do your dirty work now?” Lily asked coldly.

“I suppose you ordered them to kill those muggles on the second floor as well?” James added, flames blazing in his deep brown and amber eyes.

“Fools! Do you think I would waste my time of petty muggles? You yourselves are a mudblood and mudblood lover! You disgust me Potter! Running around with half-blooded trash! You were from one of the greatest wizarding pureblood families ever born, and now here you are, ruining your family’s reputation! Just like your friend, Black! You sick cowards don’t know how much this purification is needed! Garbage should be taken out and burned! Lacarnem inflamare!” He aimed at Lily. She dove, and books behind her blazed to life.

“The only thing that the wizarding world needs purification from are insane wizards like you who’ve grown so power hungry they’ll lie even to themselves about the truth!” James screamed.

“Accio book!” Lily cried out. The book that Voldemort was holding fought his grasp, and he held on tightly to it, not wanting to let it go.

“No! Impedimenta!” Voldemort screamed. Lily was stopped in her place.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” James yelled. The snake, which had begun to twitch on the ground, suddenly rose in the air hissing and spitting. James threw it with all of his might towards Voldemort, smashing him in the face. The stunned Lily was beginning to raise her hand to summon the book again, but Voldemort, beneath the writhing snake, saw her and took aim.

“Crucio!” James ran before Lily and instead of her getting hit with the blast of reddish magic, he took the blow.

“James!” Lily screamed in horror as she watched the man she loved drop to his knees gasping in pain that he could not stop. As the tremors in his body subsided, the pain did not, and he choked back sobs from the nightmarish anguish that racked his beaten body.

“You can’t win Potter!” Voldemort laughed, throwing the snake aside.

“Watch us!” Lily cried out. “Expellaramus!” The wand Voldemort had been holding suddenly flew from his grasp. Lily cheered in triumph, but knew her job was not over yet. “Colloportus!” Voldemort flew back this time, into the books behind him, and screamed out in pain.

“Mudblood whore! I’m going to rip your heart out and eat it!” He screamed.

“Accio book!” James called, finally catching his breath. “Face it Voldemort, we’ve won. You can’t have this book!”

“Watch me!” Voldemort swayed as he tried to stand. Lily looked at the book, then snatched it from James’ hand.

“Hey!” He cried out.

“Trust me.” She whispered. “You want it Voldemort? Find it! Muliplicus livres!” She threw the book into the air, and suddenly there were hundreds of books, all identical to the one she had been holding.

“What? No!” Voldemort yelled. “Which one? Which one is the real one?” He began frantically digging. Lily pointed to one of the books on the floor and again waved her wand. “Limitus occulus!” It disappeared, and only she and James knew it had once been there.

“Lacarnem inflamare totalus!” He cried out. The numerous books burst into flames, and Voldemort screamed in agony as he was caught in the middle of the searing heat.

“I will kill you if it’s the last thing I do Potter! Evans!”

“Actually? It’s Potters, plural!” Lily cried out. James reached down and grabbed the one book that he and Lily knew was there, and then, in a loud snap, they watched as Voldemort apparated once more.

“He’s gone!” Lily yelled.

“Here, take this Lily!” James shoved the book into her hands. “I need to go do something before we leave—the muggles will be here soon enough to put out the fire. Don’t put it out yourself, otherwise they’ll suspect something more went on than just a fire.”

“Okay, but go quickly, alright?” James nodded and took off.

He couldn’t leave the bodies he had seen as they were; the muggles would have had heart attacks. Instead, he levitated them down off of the iron arrows and transfigured a book into a knife. At least it looked more like the work of a muggle madman instead of a wizarding one. On his way back to Lily he circled by the four Death Eaters they had dealt with, and was not surprised to find they had all escaped.

“James, the flames are catching everything in sight,” Lily coughed hard in the smoke. “We need to leave right now!”

“Okay, let’s go.” He waved his wand, and in an instant they had disappeared from the library, Book of Perils in hand. *