I Will Follow You Into The Dark || Jegulus

44. Keep Myself Alive

James wasn't ready to go back to Hogwarts. Even though he loved quidditch and had his head boy responsibilities, he didn't feel stable enough to handle all of it yet.

At the platform, he saw Lily, surrounded by her friends Dorcas, Marlene, Pandora, and Mary. Lily was holding Mary's hand and looked happier than James had ever seen her. Her smile lit up the room as she beamed at him.

"hi," James offered an awkward smile.

"Hello James," She let go of Mary's hand and stepped away from the group to talk to James.

"I'm glad for you." He said, "I do still want to be your friend."

"Thanks James, you're so sweet," She hugged him, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, really. We're better off as friends," He said, "I'll see you at school." He let her go back to her friends and rejoined his on the train. The train ride was nothing much, he had a meeting with the other prefects and head boys and girls. The only thing notable though, was Regulus.

The moment James stepped foot in the meeting, he made eye contact with Regulus, predecessor to the noble and most ancient house of Black. He looked just as beautiful and neat as always, a head boy pin clipped onto his robes. The second he saw Regulus' face, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.  Of course the entire time, he refused to look at or even acknowledge James, even when James was speaking. 

He didn't think Regulus would actually die over the summer - of course he would neve think that, but it being a possibility absolutely terrified James, and seeing him alive and breathing washed all his worry away. 

The train ride went quickly, as well as the feast. He laughed as Sirius gorged himself with all the delicious Hogwarts food, almost forgetting that this would be the last year they would do this. He led all the first years up to Gryffindor tower, and almost collapsed in bed before realizing that maybe, just maybe, Regulus would want to talk to him. He didn't.

James dug out the map, which had a layer of dust from not being used, but Regulus was in his common room. He stayed there the entire night. James was restless, continuously checking the map, but Regulus never moved.

𝄽

"C'mon guys please just trust me" Pandora said. She was standing outside of one of the girls bathrooms alongside Remus and Regulus.

"I'm not going in there. What if someone sees?" Remus asked.

"Please trust me. I think this is where the chamber of secrets is." She said, a pleading look on her face. 

"Even if we find the basilisk that you say is in there, how do we get it's fang?" Remus asked.

"I..." She paused. "I don't know. I mean, we could kill it. All I saw was us going inside and we-" she went stiff again.

"Pandora?" Regulus ran up to her, shaking her by the shoulders. "Snap out of it"

She let out a breath, losing her balance. Regulus caught her, "what happened?" He asked.

"That's how we get the sword."

"The... Gryffindor's sword? Are you crazy? How are we supposed to get that?" Remus exclaimed.

"Remus. Do you think you could sneak into Dumbledore's office?" Pandora asked, "you have that invisibility cloak. After hours you could take the hat and meet me and Regulus here." She said.

"Why do we need the sorting hat?" Remus asked.

"Gryffindor's sword is hidden inside that hat. It should materialize for you, and we could kill the basilisk. That gives us two weapons to destroy horcruxes. Besides, I don't think we could just take the sword. Dumbledore would know it was missing, so I think we should get the basilisk fang and stick with that." She explained.