Lily:
Shock.
"What happened?" Mar asks in a quiet voice, and Sirius sighs deeply. "We were going back to get the book, when we bumped into Snape. We didn't say anything, but as soon as our backs were turned he started a fight. He stunned me, and stunned Prongs too. But then he started to use a stinging hex on Prongs, before removing the stunning curse. That's when he hit Prongs with something else. I...I've never seen it before, or even heard of it. It was totally new. Sectum- I don't. Sectum something. It's what caused all of the blood. I...I don't know exactly what it did, but it looked like an invisible knife was just cutting him all over. And I was forced to watch. Then there ws some sort of sound coming from a few hallways down, and Snape ran. The stunning curse was removed by somebody - I don't know who. That's when I got up, and quickly examined Prongs as best I could. I then ran off, trying to find someone. Unfortunately, I didn't meet any teachers on my way to the Head's common room, so the first people I could tell were you's!" he says, and we all look down in silence.
"Who do you think helped you, Pads?" Remus asks, and Sirius sighs again. "That's what I can't figure out! Who? Who would help me like that, and not say who they were?". At his words, I see a thought flash in Remus' eyes, but he doesn't say anything to Sirius. Hmmm...I'll ask him about that later. But right now we have bigger things on our hands.
"Snape. Snape did this." I say, my voice trembling with anger. "Yes. I'm going to kill him. Who wants to help?" Sirius replies, his voice dangerously low. Without replying, and not even looking at any of my friends, I set off down the hall way. I hear some of them try to follow me, but Sirius stops them saying that I have a reason for doing this. I speed walk all the way down to the Slytherin common room, and when I reach it I knock on the door.
The door is opened by Regulus Black, no less. His eyes narrow as he sees the blood covering my uniform, and says, "What do you want?". "I need to talk to Snape. Now, please." I say, and he scans the room quickly. "Sorry, he's not here. But, what happened?" Regulus replied, and I decide to give him a short answer instead of just leaving as he actually seems like one of the nicer Slytherins, and is actually interested.
"Well, Snape attacked James and Sirius in the hallway. Sirius was just stunned but James is bleeding to death in the hospital wing so I need to find Snape and find out what curse he used." I say, not even taking a breath in between words. "Is Sirius ok? Is he going to be ok? James, I mean." he says, and I shrug. "Sirius is fine, but James isn't. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go.". I quickly excuse myself due to the fact that I see Bellatrix Black walk into the common room from the Slytherin girls' dormitory, and I really don't want to deal with her right now.
"Ok." he says, and he he closes the door after I leave. I rush around the school, desperately trying to find Snape. I need to know what spell he used, because only he will know the counter curse, and that is needed to save James' life. It's one of his little spells that he makes up himself - I just know it is. When we were younger, he made harmless spells - just colour changing flowers and things like that. But it seems as though since our friendship ended he has started o work on more dangerous spells. Maybe even fatal spells. I shudder to think of the consequences if I don't find Snape.
As I round the corner of one of the hallways near the hospital wing, I bump into someone. Snape. "You! You foul loathsome evil little cockroach!" I say, pulling out my wand and holding it against his throat. "What is it Liy?" he asks, having the audacity to use my name. "What spell did you use of James? What did you curse him with?" I ask, my voice slowly getting louder and louder. "Well, let me think..." he says, pretending to deliberate.
So this is how things are going to go. "Tell me the counter curse! Please." I say, whispering the last word. "How about...no!" he says, walking off. I know that there is no point in following him so with tears in my eyes I run back to the hospital wing.
I see my friends waiting for me as I return, and I think that they deserve an explanation about where I went. "I went to look for Snape. You know, to try and get the counter-curse, which only he probably knows. I went to the Slytherin common room, and Regulus Black opened it." I say, and Sirius stiffens when I mention Regulus. It's obvious that Regulus still deeply cares about Sirius, but just can't admit it. I continue, "I asked him where Snape was, and he said that he wasn't in the common room. He then asked wht happened, so I told him the briefest of details. He asked if Sirius was ok. I then left and looked for Snape. When I couldn't find him, I started walking back up here when I bumped into him. I threatened him but he was flat out refusing to tell me the counter curse. You know when someone just isn't going to tell you anything? Well, that was the mood he was in. So I came back up here. Dumbledore will probably have to force it out of him if Madam Pomfrey can't help James.". My voice cracks a bit as I say this last part, and Marly wraps her arm around me.
"She'll be able to do something. She has to. I've never seen Madam Pomfrey fail to help someone before." Remus says, hope in his voice. I try to focus on this point, but it's hard. We stand in a tense silence for who knows how long before Professor McGonagall, one of the teachers drafted in earlier, opens the hospital wing doors and comes out.
She takes a look at all of us, and frowns slightly. "Any news on James?"I ask hopefully, and she looks down as she answers. "Unfortunately not. Madam Pomfrey has never seen anything of this kind before, and no teachers are able to recognise the spell used.". I decide to speak up, because it might help James, "It was Snape. When we were still...friends, he used to invent small spells by himself. Harmless ones. But...I guess that since we stopped being friends he has moved on to more dangerous ones. I tried to get the counter curse out of him earlier, but he wasn't playing ball. Should I try again?".
"Not yet. Professor Dumbledore will have to try and get it out of him. Thank you for that information Miss Evans, it is a big help." she says, and I nod my head before McGonagall turns around again and heads back into the hospital wing. We all try to see in after her, and try and see James, but the curtains are still drawn around his bed and McGonagall closes the doors after herself, blocking our view completely.
Hours pass as we stand or sit outside the hospital wing, living for those small updates on James, not one of us caring to eat. Sirius and I are the most shaken up I think, simply because we rely on James even more than the others. James is Sirius' brother, and James is my...I don't really know what! I just know that I can not lose James Potter. I can't not have him in my life.
Eventually, McGonagall comes out and forces us to go to sleep. We're all too tired and emotionally drained to argue, and so we allow her to drag us to our beds. "Hey guys. Would one of you mind staying with me tonight? Because I...I don't think that I can stand to be alone in there tonight?" I ask, and Sirius replies, "Lils. We'll all stay. I feel the same way.". I smile at him gratefully and we all head into the Head's common room, and fall asleep in the living area in our uniforms. I mean, it's not like we're going to use them tomorrow! There is no way in hell I am going back to school until I am certain that James is ok.
After tossing and turning for ages, just thinking about how awful James looked when I found him in the hallway, I eventually drift off into a restless nightmare filled sleep.
I wake up to a loud knock on the Head's common room door. I wipe my sleepy, bloodshot eyes and stand up to get it, my head spinning slightly. I open it to see Professor McGonagall standing there. "Oh! Ummm...Professor. Come in!" I say, slightly embarassed by my disheveled appearance. "Actually Miss Evans, I need to speak with you alone." she says, and I'm shocked, but then step out of the common room into the hallway.
"We need that counter curse. Mr Potter has not stopped bleeding throughout the night, and is dangerously close to losing too much blood. We have tried and tried to get the counter curse out of Mr Snape, but he is refusing to oblige, and I must ask you a great favour. Please try and get it out of him. Please, Lily." she says, and even uses my first name! I feel close to tearing up at the news about James' condition, and I can see the worry in McGonagall's eyes. I know that she wouldn't ask this of me if it wasn't urgent, and of course she doesn't know about the incident a couple of days ago, but I guess that she asked me because of our history. "Of course, Professor. Where is he?" I ask, and McGonagall replies, "In Professor Dumbledore's office, Miss Evans. Don't even bother to clean yourself up, I'm not too sure how much time we have.".
At her words I immediately rush towards Dumbeldore's office, asking Professor MGonagall to tell the others where I have gone so that they don't get worried. I run my fingers through my messy hair and straighten out my robes before entering. I see Dumbledore sitting in his throne like chair, and Snape is sitting like a midget in the seat opposite. I glare at him as I enter.
"Ah, Miss Evans! Thank you for coming! Just to make you fully aware, you and all of your friends are excused from lessons today. I shall leave this office, but please do your best." Professor Dumbledore says, and I nod my head unsmilingly. Dumbledore exits the office leaving me alone with Snape.
I take a deep breath, and begin, "What you did was foul. Why are you not going to just give the counter curse?" I ask, and he glares at me, "Why not? Because he doesn't deserve it!". At this response my jaw drops and my anger levels bubble over, "Doesn't deserve it? Are you actually fucking with me? James is laying in the hospital wing bleeding to death and you say that he doesn't deserve to live? That's just cruel! Do you want to be a murderer? Snape, just give the counter curse. Please.".
I really don't want to have to beg him, but I might just have to. "What will you give me Lily?" he says, and I'm stunned. What will I give him? I'll give him a great big punch in the mouth! "Nothing Snape. But believe it or not, I still believe that there is some good in you. Somewhere. So please, Snape. In honour of six years of friendship, please do this for me." I say, and he sighs. "Fine!". I nod my head and we leave the room in search of Professor Dumbledore.
We find him waiting outside the room, and I say, "He's willing to say the counter curse, Professor.". "Good job, Miss Evans. Now, Mr Snape, if you'll come with me." he replies looking at Snape coldly. "Oh, and Miss Evans, you may head back to your common room and get changed. Mr Potter shall hopefully be better in a short while." Dumbledore adds, and for the first time in what feels like days, I smile.
I walk back to the Head's common room, instantly feelimg much lighter and filled with joy. James will be ok. Ugh, it feels so good to say that! As much as I hated begging Snape, it all paid off, because now James will be saved. I would have done much more than I had to if it meant that I could save his life.
When I enter the Head's common room, I see everyone sat up waiting for me. "What happened? How did it go?" Sirius asks anxiously. "He did it. James will be ok." I say, and relief floods through their expressions. Sirius jumps out of his seat and rushes over to me and give me the biggest hug imaginable. "Thank you, Lily. Thank you so much." he whispers into my ear, and I can feel a tear fall down my back. When we break apart I announce to them that soon we'll be allowed to go and see James, so they all jump up and we begin to get dressed and ready.
In no time at all, we are ready to go and, with all of our hearts lifted, make our way to the hospital wing.