In Perpetuum

Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Quamdiu vixerit et

It was Hermione and Sirius’ turn to cook dinner in the flat, and both could be found in the kitchen, in the process of preparing the food. Hermione was chopping vegetables, without magic, and Sirius was sitting at the nearby dining table with a Butterbeer in his hand, while magic did all of the hard work for him.

All was coming along nicely until Hermione got the fright of her life and nearly sliced her thumb off from her hand. Sirius jumped up in an instant and rushed to his girlfriend’s side.

A tiger patronus had suddenly descended into their kitchen. It opened its mouth to speak and Marlene McKinnon’s voice issued forth from the swirling silver.

“Help, come quick. Death Eaters attacking Godric’s Hollow!”

Remus and Lily had been sitting in the lounge room and heard the message, clear as day. They immediately sparked themselves into action, calling out for their better halves to do the same.

Grasping each other’s hands, they stepped out of the front door, past the anti-apparition wards, and they apparated themselves to Godric’s Hollow. They did not given themselves, or what they were about to face, another thought.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Hermione’s feet hit the ground heavily, and she heard the others’ feet do the same.

The first sight that greeted them was fire and smoke. Disregarding the constricting feeling in her lungs, Hermione immediately rushed forth shouting ‘aguamenti’, to extinguish the blaze. She did not know who the house belonged to, but fortunately, there was only a small section of it that was destroyed by the flames.

When Hermione turned around, she saw that in the time that they had fought the fire, a full battle had already begun. The Death Eaters had called for back-up, now there were dozens of fighters duelling, quite literally for their lives.

This was no ordinary mission that the Death Eaters were on. They were not here for pleasure or for fun. They were here on Voldemort’s orders.

People from the village, no longer feeling the safety of their homes, had come out with their wands drawn, ready to help and defend in any way that they could.

Hermione felt Sirius let go of her hand that he had been gripping and ran over to James, who had begun to duel with a Death Eater. Coloured jets of light escaped their wands in an effort to gain the upper hand. One of the spells hit the Death Eater’s mask, shattering it and inadvertently revealing his face. Blonde hair and rat-like teeth were bared.

“WORMTAIL!” bellowed James.

Wormtail flinched and cowered at the sound of his former best-friend’s recognition of him.

James’ wand slashed through the air multiple times in quick succession in the direction of Peter, not pausing for even a second.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you, Wormtail. I want to repay you for your ‘marvellous’ friendship.”

Peter ducked to avoid a violet coloured jet of light.

Sirius was now snarling at Peter while red, and orange bullets of light whizzed above their heads and around them.

“Come on, Wormy, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the chance to see your old friends, now, would you?”

He too aimed a few jinxes at Peter. Although Peter had much practice at magic, especially duelling, since he had left Hogwarts, he knew that he was no match for his opponents. He did the only thing that he thought he could do: he ran for it.