Until The Very End

Chapter Nineteen: The Black Chamber

James's PoV:

I woke up in a dark room. The last thing that I remembered was fighting a Death Eater in the ballroom next to Sirius and Marlene... and then nothing. I tried to look around but it hurt to move my neck. I tried to lift my hands up to run them through my hair, but I couldn't. I was bound to the chair. I frantically glanced around the room, searching for any sign of my friends. It took my eyes a little while to adjust, but I made out the vague outlines of people who were hunched over in chairs of their own.

"Guys! Wake up!" I shouted as loud as I dared. We were obviously in enemy territory.

"Damn, Potter. You're going to wake the whole bloody place!" someone groaned. It was Marlene, it had to be.

"Listen, Marls, you've gotta help me wake up the others!" I said.

"I'm already awake, Prongs," Remus replied.

"Same here. Merlin this place could use an upgrade! Maybe a chair in that dark corner and a painting over there on the blood stained wall-"

"Sirius, love, now is not the time," Marlene chided. Love... Lily.

"Oh my Merlin is Lily alright?!" I exclaimed.

"She's over by me, Prongs. On the very end," Remus replied.

"Does she look ok?" I asked. If Lily was hurt in the slightest, Voldemort has got another thing coming to him.

"She's got some bruises and a very small cut on her cheek, but that's it. Other than those things she seems to be okay," Remus said.

"Why isn't she waking up yet, then?" I questioned.

"James, calm down. She should wake up soon," Marlene said, trying to reassure me.

"But-"

"James, Lily-Flower is like a weed in the sidewalk- the woman can grow through concrete. She'll be ok," Sirius said.

"Wow, Black, I'm happy I know what you really think of me. A weed, am I?"

I whipped my head around so fast that I got whiplash. I ignored the pain in my neck and raked my eyes over Lily's body and dress. Remus was right; Lily had a lot of small gashes decorating her arms and face, with a few larger ones cutting across her bicep.

"Lils, your arms-"

"It was the chandelier, James. I'm okay, I promise," she said. A small grimance that was trying to be a smile spread across her bloody lips. Merlin, she's amazing; trying to smile during a time like this.

All of a sudden, the door to the room we were in burst open. Two masked Death Eaters walked in, both fully cloaked. Next came two more, who were both easily recognizable. It was Bellatrix Black and Lucius Malfoy. They sneered at us as they walked in. Bellatrix almost looked giddy. The room cooled and it seemed to darken a bit. I saw Marlene shiver out of the corner of my eye. I knew exactly what had caused this to happen. Voldemort glided into the room, bringing nothing but fear in with him.

"Gryffindor seventh years, yes?" Voldemort inquired. No one answered.

"The Dark Lord asked you worthless pieces of scum! Answer him!" Bellatrix yelled. She raised her wand, ready to hit Remus with some nasty bit of magic, when Voldemort raised his hand. She frowned and lowered her wand.

"Lucius, are they Gryffindor seventh years?" Voldemort asked, turning to the blonde man beside him.

"Yes, my Lord. Three blood-traitors, a half breed, and a mudblood," he answered. He glared at all of us, nose so high up in the air he might as well be trying to smell Merlin's arse hole. The thought kept me from leaping out of my chair to beat him up for degrading my friends like this.