Lily Evans and the Marauder's Secrets

Unexpected Visitors

Author's Note: The last two chapters of Lily Evans and the Marauder's Secrets will drop together on Wednesday March 27 for James's canonical birthday. See you then. It's been truly magical to have you along for this journey <3

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Professor Dumbledore reaches us first. He grips both of us by the shoulders.

"Are you two alright?"

"I... I think so?" I say. I'm still staring dazedly at the spot Voldemort vanished from, his threat ringing in my ears.

James coughs. "Truthfully, I've been better."

This shakes me out of my daze. "Shoot, James, are you okay?"

"I'll live." He grins, but it's shadowed with pain. "But if it's possible, I'd really like to get this looked at now."

Now I'm really concerned. If James is asking for the Hospital Wing, his injury must really be bothering him.

But we can't go yet, because a second later we're flocked by a mass of our mates.

Marlene throws her arms around me with a scream. "Lily, you did it! You were amazing! And we won!"

"That was terrifying," Emmeline says. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I say, wriggling away from Marlene to hug Em. "You? I saw you go against Rosier there at the end."

To my surprise, she breaks into a sheepish little grin. "That... felt nice."

"Especially since you beat him," Alice says, budging in. Frank follows her, looking like he's never letting go of her hand again.

"I'm so glad you're all okay," I say. My eyes fill with tears again. This day has more than filled my crying quota for potentially the rest of my life. "You all were amazing."

"Aww, thanks Evans," Sirius drawls from behind me. "You weren't too bad yourself."

I spin and throw my arms around him. "Thanks," I say, my voice muffled against his chest. "And don't you dare complain about a hug."

"I'll tolerate it," he says, but he hugs me back, just as tight.

"And Peter, where did you come from there at the end? And where did you go from the Hog's Head?" I ask, turning to him once Sirius releases me.

"I met him up at Hogwarts," Remus answers for Peter. He hugs me, too. "Glad to see you made it out alright, after all."

"You too," I say. Then, to Peter, I ask, "How did you get to Hogwarts?"

"The Shrieking Shack tunnel," he says, looking very pleased with himself. "It's the only one the Slytherins didn't know about, so it was never blocked."

"We were going to use it to come back through, if we needed to," Remus adds. "Peter had already rounded up the staff by the time I got to the castle and we got messages out to Dumbledore and the Ministry. But then we saw the barrier go down, all the way from the castle. That was you, Lily?"

"Yeah," I say.

"Wow," he says. "You'll have to give me some more patronus tips, that was incredible."

"Thanks," I mumble, a little bit embarrassed. I'm not sure I could give Remus any tips on that particular patronus.

"Excuse me?"

We all look up to see Harriet Ashe picking her way across the square to us. One of her Aurors, the man with the grizzled silver mane I recognize from the Ministry visit back in February, accompanies her.