StarChaser// Jegulus||✔️

James

TW: depictions of violence, depictions of a battlefield/war scene, mentions of blood, mentions of injuries/wounds
Dufftown is under attack.
Everyone was sleeping when a patronus had burst into rooms of Order members claiming
"The Death Eaters have stormed Dufftown, we must act now"
After the patronus disappeared, Sirius, Remus and I share a look before we rush out of bed and begin to throw clothes on.
I've not yet fought in a proper battle, but I don't have time to dwell on it or feel nervous about it as Remus, Sirius and I barrel down the stairs into the Common Room where we see Lily who joins us in bursting out of the Gryffindor Common Room and heading down to the entrance hall.
The entrance has students of varying ages gathered in it, waiting presumably for Dumbledore, who arrives only moments after we do.
I search for Regulus.
I need to know he's here, I need to know that I can protect him.
"Thank you all for coming, I'm sorry for the sudden notice at such an early hour, but we must act now if we are going to save lives. Other members of the Order are already in Dufftown we're going to meet them now. I ask you all to follow me out of the grounds to the Portkey" Dumbledore explains.
We can't go yet, I haven't found Regulus.
Dumbledore doesn't seem to care at all that I haven't found Regulus because he begins ushering us out of the door the moment Professor McGonnogall arrives.
Dumbledore leads us to a field just off Hogwarts grounds, and on this field is an old manky boot and a chipped tea pot.
"Half of you will take the boot Portkey with me, and the other half will take the teapot Portkey with Professor McGonnogall. Everyone split, now" Dumbledore orders, unable to hide the urgency that seeps through his tone.
Miraculously, we all manage to divide ourselves relatively well. Sirius and I take the teapot with McGonnogall, because of course we would.
The Portkey activates moments after we all grab ahold of it and we all begin to spin.
The constant motion makes me nauseous, but I grit my teeth and bare it because I can't show up to a battlefield already weak, it's a mistake I can't afford to make.
Within seconds we are transported to a village in Dufftown.
It's immediate carnage.
There are screams, people running, spells flying left right and centre.
I feel disoriented just looking at it.
How the fuck am I supposed to be a part of that?
No one gives any form of instruction whatsoever, so Sirius and I exchange a look before walking head first into the chaos.
I grip my wand like a lifeline and look all around me, preparing myself for a fight.
Within seconds I see a red streak whoosh past my hair, very nearly hitting me.
I whip my head around and spot a Death Eater who has their wand raised once more, offering me a sickening grin.
I point my wand to the ground beneath their feet "Reducto!" I cast, causing the floor to uproot, sending the Death Eater flying backwards.
I walk over to them "Patrificus Totalus" I state almost lazily, watching them freeze up. I then stomp on their kneecaps before swiftly moving on.
I catch sight of my Dad in a head-to-head duel with a Death Eater, it looks intense, I stop for a split second to admire my Dad's flawless wand work, however, I manage to catch a Death Eater sneaking up behind him, ready to finish him.
"Oh no you don't" I say under my breath as I storm over
"Stupefy!" I shout with such force that the Death Eater I strike flies backwards into a wall and hits it so hard he's knocked out.
"Nice one, James!" My Dad calls out as he managed to defeat the Death Eater he was previously duelling with. He walks over and claps me on the back, I offer him a smile "Thanks, Dad" I reply with a grin before we split off to continue fighting.
I catch Sirius fighting someone and he seems to be doing well. He falters slightly and narrowly misses a killing curse, I move to protect him, but someone beats me to it. That someone happens to be my Mum.
"Not my son, you bitch!" Mum exclaims before sending a spell in the Death Eater's direction which seems to glue them to the spot before she sends them hurtling through the air at an ungodly speed to where I can only assume is the abyss.
Sirius looks star struck, either by my Mother's spell work or the fact that she called him her son, maybe even a mix of both.
"Thank you, Effie" Sirius says
"Of course, my love, are you okay?" Asks Mum
"I'm okay, are you?" Asks Sirius
"Nothing I can't handle, sweet" Mum replies, cupping Sirius' cheek and placing a fleeting kiss on his forehead before she moves off.
I continue to block spells and send some flying, hoping that they hit my intended target.
I never stop moving to make it harder for the Death Eaters to hit me with nasty curses.
However, I then spot Regulus.
My breath hitches and my heart skips a beat.
He's here.
He's in a nasty duel and seems as though he's losing, and when I see who he's duelling with, I find that it's Snape.
I move to help, but I'm blocked by Arlo.
"Oh, I've been waiting for this, Potter, you have-"
He doesn't get to finish because I point my wand at him "Stupefy" I say, stunning him and causing him to fall backwards, hitting the floor with a thud. I then lift him into the air with my wand and drop him back onto the floor for good measure.
Regulus is still struggling.
I watch almost in slow motion as Regulus stumbles and loses focus, leaving Snape an opportunity to get him.
I run to him, not even thinking as I jump in front of Regulus and take the brunt of the spell Severus was sending his way.
Blinding, searing pain spreads through me.
I feel as though I'm being ripped to shreds.
The pain get's too much for my body to handle, and the last thing I hear is my name being screamed before my vision goes black.
"Is he okay?"
"It's hard to tell, I stopped the bleeding, the wounds have stopped reopening"
"What spell was used?"
"I don't know"
"How do you not know?"
"Because I'm a healer, Fleamont, not a spell detector"
"Sorry, Poppy, he's just worried"
"I think a lot of us are worried, Euphemia"
I slowly wake up to the voices of what I think are my Mum, my Dad and Madam Pomfrey
"I hate to interrupt, but Mr Potter is awake" Dumbledore announces.
Why is Dumbledore here?
"James? Can you hear me? Are you okay?" Mum asks, rushing to my side
"I'm fine, Mum" I reply, which is a complete lie.
I feel like I've run a marathon, which I definitely have not done because I don't run, especially not for twenty six miles, no fucking thank you.
"What happened, James?" Asks Dumbledore
"Merlin, Dumbledore, the boy's just woken up" My Dad reprimands
"Unfortunately, Fleamont, we must get the information now before it gets muddled" Dumbledore explains, an edge to his voice. Dad doesn't argue but he doesn't look happy either.
"I saw Regulus duelling, he stumbled and lost focus, a spell was headed right for him, so I jumped in front of it to save him" I explain
"What were you thinking? Do you know how foolish that was?" Asks Dumbledore, this is the first time I've ever seen him show any emotion than calm
"Albus!" Mum exclaims
"I'm sorry, Euphemia, but he could have died" Dumbledore argues
"If I didn't take the spell Regulus would have, either way, someone was in danger" I state firmly
"You do not purposefully put yourself in the place of danger" Dumbledore reprimands
"It's war!" I exclaim "There is no safety in war" I add
"Is he in here?" I hear Regulus' voice travel through the hospital wing and immediately the pit of my stomach is swarmed with butterflies. I can't help but smile at the sound of his voice
"Dumbledore has asked for limited visitors" Madam Pomfrey replies
"Respectfully, Madam Pomfrey, I don't care" Regulus states firmly before pulling the curtain back that reveals my bed.
"James! Thank fuck you're alive" Regulus says breathlessly
"Yes, no thanks to you" Dumbledore states, his tone clipped
"Albus, enough!" Mum reprimands
"Regulus, you put James in terrible danger" Dumbledore states, ignoring my Mum
"He did no such thing!" I exclaim in Regulus' defence after I watch the colour drain from his face. He flashes me a bewildered look which I shake off with a soothing smile.
"James, you were hit with an unknown curse that caused your skin to rip open, bleed, heal itself and repeat, we were lucky that we were able to save you, I don't think you understand the severity of the situation you put yourself in" Dumbledore states
"With all due respect, Headmaster, but I expected to be killed by that curse, I thought I was jumping in front of the killing curse and I would do it again to save Regulus' life. Are we not also fighting to save lives?" I counter
Dumbledore remains silent for a while, pursing his lips.
"Really, Sir, I think Severus Snape is the one that should be in trouble here, not me or James" Regulus says after a while of silence. Dumbledore shifts his gaze and stares at Regulus, eyebrows raised.
"And what does Mr Snape have to do with any of this?" Asks Dumbledore
I thought Dumbledore was supposed to be an intelligent man. I'm sure it doesn't take much common sense to decipher that Regulus said that because Snape was the one who cast the curse? Maybe Dumbledore isn't as smart as people make him out to be.
"Well he was the one who cast the curse, Sir" Regulus replies as though it is obvious, which, in his defence, it should have been obvious, especially to a man who is painted to be the greatest wizard of our time, but I guess not everyone is gifted with the talent of common sense.
"Is that so?" Asks Dumbledore
"That is why I said it, yes" Regulus replies, evidently fed up with this man. It takes everything in me to bite back my laughter at the sass in Regulus' tone.
"Yes, well, I suppose I must have a chat with Mr Snape, then. In the mean time, James, I must stress how important it is that you do not actively place yourself in danger, with the orders I have given you, you are important to the war effort" Dumbledore states as he stands up from his chair and turns to leave.
"Yes of course, Sir" I reply simply, not apologising for my actions because he needs to know that if this situation ever happened again, I would act in the same way, I would sacrifice myself to save Regulus' life ten times over and I wouldn't apologise for it, ever.
"Euphemia, Fleamont, would you follow me, we need to talk about a few things" Dumbledore asks my parents, they nod and look over to me "We'll be back later, darling" Mum says, offering me a smile before she turns and leaves with Dumbledore and my Dad.
Once we're alone, Regulus turns his attention to me.
"James, you scared the fucking shit out of me" Regulus says
"Are you going to lecture me?" I ask wearily
"No" Regulus admits
"I'm sorry, baby, I just didn't want you to get hurt" I reply
Regulus sighs and shifts me over before crawling into my hospital bed with me, placing a kiss on my head and moving my head onto his chest, sliding his arm around my neck to encase me in a cuddle.
"Thank you" Regulus says as he kisses the top of my head.
"I would do it again, you know" I say
"I know, I would have done the same" Regulus admits.
That sits between us. Neither of us say anything more, the two of us sat in a comfortable silence, simply enjoying one another's company. The both of us happy that we survived this battle despite the small misstep at the end, the both of us hoping we survive the next. That's all the war is for us really isn't it? Hoping that we make it to the end, but really, not everyone does.

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Hello there my lovelies!

Sorry for the dip in updates, my boyfriend has moved in and I've had an essay due so I've had no time to write any chapters but here is a very angsty war chapter with Dumbledore slander! I have said it before and I will say it again, I'm a Dumbledore hater till I die, all my homies hate Dumbledaddy.
Also James taking a spell for Regulus????? He's so in love I'm unwell.
Also, the reason Dumbledore was so mad since we won't see it from his perspective is literally because James is one of the few students he's asked to begin a mission with James' being to learn new charms to help Dumbledore with Order meetings and to lose James so early on in to the war would mean Dumbledore would lose that progress he needs right now. In short, losing James would be an inconvenience for him, he didn't tell James off out of genuine concern.
Like I said, certified Dumbledore hater.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the angst! I'll catch you in the next one! Until then, have a great day my loves!

Stay wonderful!

All my everlasting love,
Blue<3