The Patronus Charm- A Lily and James Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty-Nine: I Need You

I glance out the window briefly, before returning the pages of the my book. The weather is beautiful outside. Spring has finally arrived on the Hogwarts grounds. It reminds me of finding the first flower of spring as a child.

I scrawl some notes across my parchment and study the diagram of the Unforgivable Curses. The one about Crucio isn't very accurate. I would know.

"Class, the Unforgivable Curses will get the caster a lifetime sentence in Azkaban. No one has ever survived the killing curse. However, the other two are survivable. Miss Evans, you have had the Cruciatus Curse used on you, correct?" Professor Stone asks from the front of the room.

The room goes completely silent. "Yes." I say bluntly,

"Could you possibly describe what it was like?"

I sigh. "There's no way to describe it. It's so painful that you forget everything else. Imagine the worst pain you've ever felt and multiply that by at least ten." I say dryly.

No one says anything after. I wish he didn't ask me. He could have asked any of my friends. They were there.

There's a knock at the door. "Come in!" Professor Stone calls cheerfully.

Professor McGonagall walks in. She's pale and her usually stern expression is gone, replaced with a mournful one. "Arnold, could I borrow Miss Evans, please?" She asks.

"Of course. Miss Evans, please go with Professor McGonagall."

I shove my stuff into my bag. I catch Alice's eye and she shrugs. Quickly, I follow McGonagall into the corridor. "Professor, is something wrong?" I inquire.

"Lily, Dumbledore will explain in his office." Uh oh. She called me by my first name. She almost never does.

My mind races through the different possibilities. More Head duties? A student attack? Death Eaters? No.

We enter Dumbledore's office. It's my second time in here this week. I don't know how the Marauders managed to spend a few days a week here in our first few years at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore stands behind his desk with a look of timeless sorrow in his eyes. "Please sit down."

I sit in the chair and focus on Dumbledore. I have no clue how old he is. He looks about seventy, but somehow he's older and younger at the same time.

"Lily, there was a Death Eater Attack last night."

I raise an eyebrow. "It wasn't in the Prophet."

"The Ministry wanted to keep it quiet until they finished going over the scene. There was no warning. It appears the attack come out of nowhere."

"What was attacked?"

"London."

My blood runs cold. London? My family lives in London! "Where in London?" I ask.

"The downtown." Dumbledore lowers his spectacles. "There was also another attack. This one was isolated from the rest. Lily, your parents are dead."

No! No! I'm going to see them in a week for Petunia's wedding! They can't be gone! No. No. No!

"Lily, the Ministry did not want me to tell you this, but I feel that you have the right to know. Voldemort was at your house. He may have been the one to kill your parents. I fear that you and James may have provoked him at Christmas when you refused his offer."

"So, it's my fault." I whisper hoarsely.

Professor McGonagall places her hands on my shoulders. "I only met your parents once, about seven years ago, but I know that they would have never wanted you to join Voldemort. You're a strong young lady, Lily, your parents' values reflect in you."