The Light

Chapter 31- The Duel

The boy stared unwaveringly back. Lily went pale. James looked between the two with a frenzied uncertainty. Even Hermione felt unnerved; this was an undeniably bad idea- everyone could feel it.

James stepped forward and said, "I'll do it. I volunteer."

But Moody shut him down, shaking his head and his mouth twisted into an anticipated leer. "No, this one'll do."

The Slytherin slowly made his way to the front, drifting out of the shadows and into the centre of attention. His sallow face was continually sour, yet blank and no shred of emotion touched it.

Severus Snape stepped onto the platform and there was a hush over the classroom. He took his stance opposite Lily, who looked deeply troubled. Confliction flashed across her pretty face.

James was chewing his lip religiously, and the skin there bled. After a split second decision, he moved to the stage, resting his hands on the edge and looking up at Lily. "Lil," he said quietly, so that no one else could hear. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do," she said. There was no room for negotiation.

He faltered. "Lil- Lily, you beat him, okay? Forget everything else but beating him... Pretend it's me," he offered her a small smile.

Lily let out a breathless laugh, but the knuckles on her wand hand were white. James stretched up to brush his fingers against her other hand, which was dangling by her side. Briefly. So briefly, and then there was the ghost of a touch between them.

She looked down at him and smiled. James smiled back. Then he backed away, returning to stand besides Sirius. He was still tense.

"On the green sparks," Moody reminded.

There was silence. The green sparks graced the air and Snape raised his wand. Lily hesitated.

"Sev-"

Snape didn't.

"Serpensortia!"

A long, thick python burst from the end of the Slytherin's wand. It writhed through the air, closer and closer to a stunned Lily. James was suddenly alert and he glanced at Datner to see if the Auror was going to intervene, but the man didn't seem to be on the verge of action.

Licking his lips, James hurried forward, shouting, "Lily!"

She snapped out of her trance and, with a shaking hand, shouted, "Impedimenta!"

The serpent slowed down, barely moving an inch. Snape didn't care for this rebuttal. His face was still and empty and he spoke in a low voice, each syllable punctuated with inconspicuous poison.

"Engorgio!"

And now, the snake was growing, larger and larger, until the width was easily the size of a large baby, and then a fully grown child. The length was increasing too, expanding both at its tail and at its head. Lily could only watch in horror.

The creature unhinged its jaw, and its fangs were retracted. It was close enough to her that its tongue could flick out and taste the fear in her perspiration.

Hermione wanted to scream and she clasped a hand to her mouth in unconcealed alarm.

"Incendio."

Moody cast the spell, intervening, and the snake erupted into flames. The heat billowed back into her face, and Lily, having closed her eyes at its proximity, did not open them even as it lay in a long line of ash on the floor. She was unbelievably white, looking as though she might melt or fade away.