The Marauders: Year Four

On the Steps of the School

On the Steps of the School

The entrance door burst open.

Sirius and Remus both looked up from where they were crouching by the stairs.

"SEVERUS? SEVERUS..." Lily's voice came out the door - the only warning Sirius or Remus got...

"SECTRUMSEMPRA!"

"Protego!" Remus waved his wand only just in time. Snape's spell hit the shield charm with an audible blow. Remus jumped to his feet, standing between Sirius and Severus, shield charm still humming from his wand, his face wildly surprised. "What in hell are you thinking, man?"

Lily came rushing out the doors, her eyes wide.

"Go inside, Lily," Severus said.

"No! What're you doing attacking them for?" Lily snapped.

The images of Sirius Black's mind were so dismal, that they'd been slow to make cohesive sense to Severus. It was a disjointed tortured, fighting feeling followed by a quick burst of energy... of magic... a flash of green light... cries of surprise... a crumpling black hooded figure... Prince. The word echoed about in Sirius's brain, Prince, Prince... Murderer... Death for Death, they're coming to kill me as I killed ... Eileen Prince... The moment the words crossed through Severus's mind, he'd charged forward out the door.

"I'm not attacking them - I'm attacking him." Snape's eyes were burning and aimed directly at Sirius with a fiery hatred that seemed to consume every fiber of his body.

Lily had never seen Sirius look frightened before. But he certainly was now. His face crumpled, expecting a spell to strike him, and he turned his face away... but he didn't draw his wand. He didn't mean to fight back.

"Well to get to him you'll need to go through me first." Remus said, not moving from his place, standing over Sirius, shield up before him, blocking Severus. Hiis voice was steady, almost calm, as though he were suggesting Severus take a slight detour in some directions he was giving him.

"Like that's a problem," sneered Snape and he took three fast steps forward.

"STOP!" Lily yelled as Severus raised his wand.

"Apscindo!" A bright cutting light snapped out of Snape's wand and literally seemed to tear the shield charm in half. Remus blinked in surprise - he'd never heard of a spell that could do such a thing. Even Lily looked shocked as the smokey shield charm seemed to fall away like halves of a curtain being pulled apart.

Lily had her palms against her cheeks.

"SUFFIO!" Severus shouted.

A huge stream of smoke poured from Severus's wand -- it was so thick and grey-white it instantly seemed to fill Remus's lungs and set him to choking.

"No! No! Stop it! Not Remus, don't hurt Remus -- he never did anything to you!" Lily barked, "Finite Incantantum!" She cried desperately, the smoke clearing, but Remus continued on choking, his eyes watering as he doubled over.

Likewise, Sirius leaped to his feet to try and help Remus, too, but Severus was too fast. "FLIPPENDO!" he yelled, waving his wand and sending Sirius to the ground. He raised his wand again, "SECTUM--", but Lily grabbed his arm... and dangerously, as she caught him just before the word came out and it might have gotten her if he hadn't caught the word in his throat. Severus looked angrily at her, scared by how close a call it had been to him cursing her instead of Sirius Black. "LILY -- GO. IN. SIDE."