Up To No Good

Chapter Twenty-Nine: 10 March 1980

[Good news! Up to No Good and The Hunter Rises are now available on AO3! Chapter names included]

[CW: magical torture]

As to when this Death Eater attack was bound to happen, no one seemed to know. Truthfully, it wasn't like Voldemort's followers were simply going to send them owls and update them as to where they'd strike next. Even if that would be far more convenient.

It seemed that Lily was the most apprehensive about the whole thing. The Dursleys lived in Surrey, and while they certainly couldn't care less for her being a witch, she still cared about them. At least, in Petunia's case--Vernon had made his disapproval of her existence, and James's by extension, very clear.

"Who found out about this?" James asked.

"Some Order members living around the area passing information," Peter responded. "We're lucky, really. Rumor has it one of the Death Eaters turned back to the good side and left some information, but no one knows where he's gone. The trail ends there."

"A Death Eater turned back?" Sirius's voice was quiet. "Did you catch a name?"

"That's all I know, Padfoot," Peter shrugged. "I'm sorry, mate."

James knew what he must have been thinking then. But he said nothing. He wasn't sure whether anything he said would be of any comfort to his friend. Instead, they had to focus on stopping that attack, or at least slowing it when it happened.

Suddenly, a Patronus appeared in the center of the room: a silvery-blue eagle, which had Marlene's voice as it spoke. "We need Order members, now," she intoned the last word.

The Marauders exchanged glances before standing up and Apparating at once.

Finding a secluded place to Apparate safely was of little importance in these circumstances. The brick road they appeared on had already become a battlefield full of masked figures and Order members alike. The first faces that James saw were the Prewett brothers, Fabian and Gideon, the red-haired twins, the latter of which called out to James just as he dodged a green jet of light.

James scanned the crowd of dark hoods for some sign of the Dark Lord, but it was apparent that either he wasn't here, or he hadn't arrived yet. The uncertainty definitely made things worse. His Stunning spell collided with a Cruciatus Curse, but someone was coming up behind him--

Instantly, he felt like his entire body had gone up in flames. He collapsed onto the pavement, wondering what had just happened to him, but the agony blocked out his ability to think.

Someone had sent a second Cruciatus at him.

He was vaguely aware of the fact that Lily was screaming, but the sound was drowned out by his own. His skin was being pierced by a thousand deep knives, each one burning white-hot. He was writhing, trying to throw off the sensation despite the nature of the Curse.

It felt like someone was trying to rip his skin from his body, swiftly and violently.

And as swift as it came, it was gone. He was panting on the ground, but the racket of the battle hadn't stopped. Lily was standing in front of him, shooting hexes and jinxes at anyone who stepped too close.

"Can you stand?" she asked, but her gaze hadn't faltered. She was instead focused on protecting him, despite the fear in her voice.

James reached for his hand. It was intact, thankfully. He'd been afraid that in his fall it might have broken, but he gripped it in his shaking, clammy hand.

With her left hand, she helped him to stand up. He was shaking so badly it was a wonder how he managed to stay on his feet.

One of the Cloaked figures closest had shot a spell at a Muggle woman that was running and screaming for cover. James blocked it, thanking his quick reflexes from Quidditch, and Stunned the wizard that sent the spell instead. As the man fell to the ground, so did his mask, and for a moment James thought he'd been Stunned himself.