All the Young Dudes ( Sirius' Perspective )

The War : Triage

London calling to the imitation zone

Forget it, brother, you can go it alone

London calling to the zombies of death

Quit holding out and draw another breath

London calling and I don’t want to shout

But while we were talking, I saw you nodding out

London calling, see we ain’t got no high

Except for that one with the yellowy eye

The ice age is coming, the sun’s zooming in

Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin

A nuclear era, but I have no fear

‘Cause London is drowning

I, I live by the river

 

Spring 1981

It was a routine mission. Standard; just a simple patrol of Diagon Alley. James, Sirius, and Lily were all assigned together, a tidy group of three, more than enough people for the job—Sirius had even thought that it was an abundance of caution, that they would’ve been perfectly alright with just two. They’d checked in with Kingsley Shacklebolt before they left, and were on their way to meet Dorcas Meadowes after finishing up. It was an easy job, the safest assignment any of them had had in months.

The death eaters came out of nowhere, bleeding like smoke from the shadows, surrounding them—and then suddenly curses were flying, light flashing, and Sirius was throwing up shield charms and shooting out hexes and trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Where had they come from?!

Everyone was shouting, and Sirius was twisting frantically, trying to cover himself while simultaneously searching for Lily and James in the chaos. The three of them managed to group together, covering each other’s blind spots, fighting as they had so many times—but this time there was no backup coming, no chance to even send out a distress signal. If they lowered their wands for so much as a second, they risked death.

Sirius managed to hit the death eater in front of him with a blasting curse, cracking the mask right off his head. He was shocked to see Barty Crouch’s sneering face, and for a moment his head swam with déjà vu—memories of Reg, walking through the corridors at Hogwarts with Barty by his side, the two of them always together—

The weaselly boy waved his wand, a sharp, jerking motion—a jet of green light burst forth, and Sirius was too slow, his concentration lapsed for one crucial second—but James was there, dropping his own shield just in time to deflect the curse, and then he staggered back—Lily was screaming, arm stretched out—Sirius!

He reached out blindly, grabbing her hand, and then he was sucked away.

The three of them landed, gasping, on the beach in Broadstairs, and James collapsed immediately, knees buckling as he slumped to the sand. Sirius caught him, staggering under the boy’s full weight, and Lily hurried to grab his other side. They each dragged an arm over one shoulder, preparing to apparate again.