“We shouldn’t be doing this,” I said, biting my lip as we entered a run-down, one-story house. “I don’t feel safe without Dorcas.”

“It’s not about us feeling safe,” answered Sirius. “It’s about protecting the Muggles from knowing more than they should.”

“I’ve just got a creepy feeling, that’s all…”

“Don’t we always, when we’re working? All right, Alice, Frank, and James… You take the living room and kitchen. Lily and I will get the office and bedrooms.”

As we separated, uneasy feelings crept over me more. Goosebumps cascaded farther down my arms the deeper we preceded into the dark.

“Want to light your wand?”

“Sure. Lumos.”

A gold light illuminated the room and we quickly discovered that it was empty. We left and headed to what I assumed was the master bedroom. I put my hand on the knob and twisted it to discover that it was locked.

“Here, let me,” Sirius said, and kicked it down. He game a small grin. “Too many Muggle movies… sorry.”

I lit my wand also and followed closely behind. Nothing.

Sirius crossed through and continued into the bathroom, which also appeared deserted.

“This is creepy,” he said softly, and I couldn’t agree more.

As he checked in the toilet room, my eyes fell on something. “Sirius.”

He turned around to see the same thing as me: a child, lying in the bathtub. I rushed to her side and rested my fingers on her wrist. “I have a pulse. It’s really weak though. We need to get her out of here.”

He nodded, handed me his wand, and bent down, wrapping the fragile girl in his arms. After hoisting her up, he trailed behind me.

“Going somewhere?” a voice hissed softly.

I jumped and spun around; it was the same girl that we’d run into last time.
“Bellatrix,” glared Sirius. “What are you doing here?”

“Why don’t you answer the same question?”

“We’re here for clues.”

“I'm here to provide them for you. The Dark Lord is on his way. I told him that you’re here. He doesn’t like you meddling in his business, Sirius.”

“I don’t like you killing people.”

“Who, her?” asked Bellatrix absentmindedly. “She’s not even dead… yet.”

“What business do you have with hurting little kids?”

“And what business do you have talking to me, Mudblood? The girl gave me lip.”

“She’s nine, at the most! What could she have said?”

“I don’t know,” Bellatrix shrugged, an evil glint in her eyes. “I forgot.”

“You scum!” I roared, whipping out my wand.

Bellatrix didn’t even move. “You think that I am scared of you? You make me laugh.”

“Bellatrix, why are they still breathing?” said someone from the shadows.

“Master!” she gasped, dropping to one knee. “I did not see you there.”

“That’s apparent.” Voldemort stepped forward and removed his hood. He sneered as he looked at the girl in Sirius’ eyes. “It’ll be best if you let her die… you shouldn’t always try to play the hero, Sirius.”

“You know my name.”

“Yes, and I know your friends, too. You didn’t think that I’d let you leave and not find out you were, did you, Lily Evans? Or Potter, now, isn’t it? You have a son. I also know of Frank and Alice Longbottom, and James… Oh, yes, and Dorcas Meadowes. Pity that she had to die. Such a shame, really…”

“You don’t care about anyone else except for yourself.”

“And Bellatrix, here.”

She grinned cockily. “Want me to kill them, Master?”

“Of course. But first… Potter, come here.”

“I’d rather die.”

“Filthy Mudblood, bow when the Dark Lord addresses you! He is almighty!”

“Now, now, Bellatrix. She can die if she wants too. But before she does, I want her to tell me. Are you here alone?”

“Yes.”

“Liar,” he sneered, wrapping his long fingers around my cloak and pulling me forward. “Your friends are here, too. Let’s have them… join us!”

James, Frank, and Alice, slammed through the bedroom wall, pulled by a magical force. As the fell to the floor, James looked up. “Get your hand off of her.”

“Make me,” Voldemort shot back childishly.

“Gladly,” James answered, raising his wand. “Crucio!”

The spell shot right into his arm, but Voldemort didn’t even flinch.

“I think I’ve gotten stronger since we last met.”

“Or maybe you just dipped yourself into some more Dark Magic,” I suggested, my eyes meeting his.

He laughed a little and slid his hand down my arm to my waist. She pulled our bodies together and smirked. “So?”

“Lily, do it,” James yelled. “Do it. Forget why you had to last time… If you don’t do it for yourself, then do it for this girl. Do it, Lily. DO IT!”

I knew what he meant. Tears began to pour down my cheeks as I concentrated as hard as I could. Though my eyes lids were closed I could see Voldemort in front of me… I could feel his hands searching my body.

Ucciderli… Ucciderli… Ucciderli…

It was the spell I’d used when Dumbledore had put me in the Memory Vortex. It was what I’d used against the ‘Death Eater’ who had ‘killed’ James. It was wandless magic, and it’d kill a person in a heartbeat.

“Ucciderli!” I roared, and Voldemort threw me away from him.

“Ah,” I gasped, looking down at my hand. Ignoring it, I called to the others. “Come on, let’s go!”

“Just a second,” replied James, looking down at Voldemort, who was collapsed on the floor in pain. He reached down for the man’s wand and snapped it in half. Red and blue sparks erupted as James threw it across the room.

We headed towards the door but Bellatrix’s cries met us. “Master, master! Stop, all of you! You will pay! Avada Kedavra!”

The spell shot towards Alice, but Frank intercepted it. “Crucio!”

Ignoring Bellatrix’s screams, he turned to Alice. “Are you okay, baby?”

“Yeah, I'm fine… but hold on. My turn. CRUCIO!”

As her screams grew louder, Bellatrix’s words became more slurred. “I… I wilb... WILL… I WILL fine yub!”

However, when we left, her sentence was more than clear.

“I WILL FIND YOU!”

****

“You all right?” James asked, looking down at me in the safety of the Headquarters.

“She’ll be fine,” Dumbledore interrupted, looking at my hands. He peered at me over his half-moon spectacles, and then sighed. “You performed wandless magic with a wand in your hand.”

“Yeah, I did.” I replied, glancing at my right hand. A long, fiery burn had split open the skin and blood was oozing out slowly. “I also had another spell in process, too… Lumos.”

“Tsk, tsk. It will take a while to heal. Healing magic can’t counteract such advanced magic… you’ll have to take care of it yourself. Go see a Muggle doctor. They’ll help, I promise. For now, though… we need to talk seriously. Voldemort knows your identities. You’re in very grave danger.”

“I understand that, sir, but I have another question… When I used Ucciderli, Voldemort didn’t die… Just sort of withered on the floor, in pain. Why?”

“Like you said, he’s getting farther and farther into Dark Magic. I'm afraid that it will take much more than we know of to kill him...”