SEV AND LILY - PART 3.1 AND 3.2

(Sev and Lily Part 3.1)

A STRANGE DEATH EATER

Things were never too good with Petunia. Very often Lily went to meet her in the Little Whinging, almost every Sunday. She was her sister. She loved her. Petunia never hated her, one can see that in her eyes, but she obstinately refused to admit the same; it was since Lily got the letter from Hogwarts and Petunia didn’t. Maybe it was a sheer jealousy.

Lily, after a couple of quiet hours with Petunia, bid her goodbye and left to her home at Godric’s Hollow. Usually James would accompany her but he received an urgent owl from Dumbledore and couldn’t make it this time. Lord Voldemort was a major threat, especially to her kind, muggle-borns, but she had a grave thing to worry about - Voldemort was after her son, Harry Potter.

As usual she passed the Cooper’s square and entered the Flowerbed Alley. She thought she could buy something for dinner. After the shopping, she found her way to Diagon Alley, where she bought a Nimbus 1200, one of the fastest brooms in England. James had broken his Nimbus 1000 while playing quidditch in the garden with Sirius, Peter, Remus and a few more Hogwarts friends. He was the best seeker in his school days.

The way to Godric’s hollow was pleasant, except the passage that was adjacent to Knockturn alley. Knockturn alley had a reputation of not being amiable, not just because of the strange houses it contained but also because of the people who fancied to pay a visit in that part of England. It was a centre of performing dark magic, everyone knew it, and was rumored to have the Headquarters of the Death Eaters, the Dark Lord’s army.

As she passed the Knockturn alley, which she had to, she thought someone caught her eyes. She thought she knew those eyes.  She fastened her steps. She could not disapparate because of the counter-disapparition charms that had been performed on almost everywhere near Godric’s hollow to prevent Death Eater’s unwanted brief visits. It was a long quiet walk back to Hollow. There were houses, all right, but everything was quiet. Sky was cloudy and that was certainly abominable, for its vagrancy radiated the hints of portentousness. It was barely six in the evening but the houses were without lights. She was scared and she knew it. But brave as she was, she went on.

Suddenly, the fear in her hearts worsened. The dark mark, oh yes the dark mark, outlined by the clouds, was apparent in the sky. It was the mark that death eaters fancied if they so desired to organize a planned attack. Lily couldn’t disapparate back to Little Whinging, for she knew Harry would be in grave danger. Yes, her house was protected by disillusionment charm but it was the mother’s heart that wanted to be with her son. Her love towards her son was fathomless.

Not to her surprise, she saw the death eaters flying towards her in the form of dense dark cloud; they gradually took their forms but their faces were masked. She thought she knew one of them. But he seemed as if he was trying to hide; he seemed as if he was muttering something behind the mask. Lily had other things to worry about.

There were spells being fired and spells being blocked. There were a dozen death eaters against Lily. One of them was not “actually” casting any spells. He seemed to be casting non verbal countercurses because none of the danger curses, including the cruciatus curse, had any severe effect upon her. It was something very strange. Besides, he was trying to hide.

 Death Eaters were more furious than ever. None of their spells were working. The closest they could guess was that the place was charmed that way. They had not casted Avada Kedabra curse, the dark lord had forbidden them. They left the place in frustration and anger. They were firing the curses in the air.

Lily reached home safely. But the vision of that trying-to-hide death eater was persistent. He was someone she knew and he was not casting any “real” pernicious spell. It seemed as if he was casting anticurses. But a death eater and countercurse -- that was discombobulating.  

................................................................................................................................................................

________________________________________________________________________________

(Sev and Lily Part 3.2)

THE LAST ENCOUNTER

“It is certainly not prudent to walk without protection, is it Mrs Potter?” The voice was angry but amiable.

Lily almost jumped. It was Severus Snape but unusually robed in dark clothes -- even his head was covered.

“It was you, between the death eaters … good lord Severus, it was you. You did not join them, did you? Oh Severus”

He grabbed Lily’s arms and disapparated from the mid - market to a quiet corner. “The dark lord is at his most vulnerable; you are under constant surveillance and that lazy Potter alone is not enough.”

“He is my husband; I trust him”

“Well, certainly you do. But has it, by any chance, ever occurred to his brilliant mind that it is safer to bring his arrogant company with you when you are away from the house. Or do you take pride in adjusting to a false belief that your husband can duel alone with swarming death eaters.”

“And why are you here? Aren’t you one of them?” Lily sounded angry.

“You know the answer.”

“Dumbledore?”

Severus ignored the question, “I must repeat -- do not leave your house. Send others, in case you need anything -- send Lupin or Pettigrew or even your Husband you ‘trust’” Severus spoke in stressed tone.

There seemed to be someone spying them. Severus turned around. It was James.

“Petrifi…”

“Immobulus”

Severus was too quick. James was freezed.

“Sever..” Lily tried to speak before he interrupted, “He will be fine, you know the counter curse”

“ Severus, can I ask you one more thing?”

“Anything” Severus was not looking at her eyes. Perhaps, it weakened him.

“If any harm befalls us ..”

“Never say it again”

“No let me say it Severus”, Lily insisted,” I have to say this. If any harm befalls us, do you give me your words that you will take care of my boy; protect him from any harm possible?”

“You know the answer Mrs Potter”

Immediately after uttering those words Snape disapparated.

Lily strangely felt comforted by the last words of Snape. Almost suddenly Lily remembered those words of Albus Dumbledore - “Love is the only magic that can transfigure a potential evil; this much, at least has always been clear to any Professor of Transfiguration.”

She knew that it was his love towards her that helped him to not be one of them despite being with them.     

Maybe, she felt sad. But she knew her boy will be safe.