James And Lily Potter: Third year

Chapter 24: summer of third year

"What's wrong, James?" asked Remus, concerned.

"Oh...it's just that I wish I could find my true love here at Hogwarts, Remie. I mean, you and Jen did, as well as Arabella and Sirius and Violet and Peter. But what about Lily and me? I mean, Evans will definitely find her soul mate; every guy's after her. Me, however—everyone's afraid of us Potters, because of what we are. Many Dark wizards have been after our family for generations, so hopefully there aren't any Dark wizards around today."

"I heard about one, though he's not very strong," said Remus. "He fashioned some stupid name called 'Lord Voldemort', and wishes everyone to be afraid to speak the name. Quite stupid, actually. But he has a few followers, though not many. I heard that he's killed a few wizards and Muggles, but not enough to attract the attention of the Daily Prophet. Still...he may turn into something bad, but I doubt it."

"I sure hope not," said James, shuddering. "Then my parents would be deeply involved, since they're top Aurors, and there's a likelihood that they may...die because of it." He gulped.

Lily's heart suddenly softened for the enemy. She knew that it would be hard on James if his parents died—she would surely mourn if her parents died fighting some evil wizard. Suddenly, she wondered if that was the Dark wizard that killed her and James in their dreams. But Remus had said that this Voldemort didn't sound too serious—

"WHAT THE HELL!" screamed James suddenly. The whole mall became quiet, surveying the scene with interest and horror.

"Potter, what are you screaming about?" asked Lily, annoyed. "Really, in broad daylight, you should be keeping your language decent."

"Sirius and Arabella are gone, is what I'm screaming about!" shrieked James.

Lily shrugged. "Probably snogging in some broom closet, who knows."

"No, I mean really, they're gone. Some guy at the speaker said that two children have been kidnapped, and that it was a boy and a girl. The boy had long, black hair and the girl had brown curls, and both looked to be about thirteen or fourteen. And since we haven't seen them both anywhere earlier, I think that we can conclude that they've been kidnapped by some mad Muggle!"

Lily felt that her heart had been chilled. What will the Blacks and Figgs do to me when they find out that Muggles kidnapped their children? She tried not to panic at the moment, though it was extremely difficult not to.

"What do we do now?" asked Jennifer nervously. "Oh, Lily, we should ask the guy from the speaker..."

"Yes," said Lily distantly, and without thinking, she dragged the three of them along. They spotted Violet and Peter, who both looked very white, and went in search of the man on the speaker. They found him at the highest tower of the building and begged him to tell them details.

"Well," he said, scratching the back of his head, "those two young ones were chatting and kissing and whatever crazed teenagers do, and all of a sudden, these three cloaked figures take them away. I don't know why they did so, and I told them to stop in the name of the law, but they wouldn't listen. So, I called all of y'alls over the speaker to see if you knew those two teenagers." He had a Texas accent, smooth and carefree.

"They're our friends," said Lily desperately. "Do you, by any chance, know where they were taken?"

"Kidnappers took them straight out of the entrance, miss."

"Thank you, sir. We'll be looking for them."

"Why"—the man looked surprised—"aren't you going to call the police, little lady? Surely a bunch of you teenagers can't handle a kidnap crime like this. May I suggest—"

"Sir, I can assure you that we can handle it," said Lily firmly. The man argued no further and pointed them out the entrance.

"Good luck!" he called after their retreating figures.

"This is all my fault," moaned Lily, as the six of them ran after the black-cloaked figures that held a screaming Arabella and Sirius.

"Lily, it's all right, we'll get them," said Jennifer, panting, as she sprinted down the sidewalk, trying to catch up with Lily.

"STOP!" she screamed at the figures ahead. "Stop, I tell you! I'm armed!"

The figures pointedly ignored her shouts and entered a small forest just in the back of a house. Lily, James, and the others followed, clueless to what would happen to their friends and who the three mysterious figures were. Finally, the figures stopped running and clutched a now silent Arabella and Sirius to the six teenagers.