Free Falling

Five

Professor Trelawney's Prediction

I could barely keep my eyes open during classes Thursday afternoon, two weeks after Christmas holiday. I had had a terrible night before: Tossing and turning, turning and tossing. I had no idea why, either.

Half of me was thinking it was just nerves about classes starting up again, but that had never happened before. I mean, I had never been nervous to learn something new. Besides, it had been two weeks since classes started, I had already gone to several classes.

The other half of me seemed to tell me that I was forgetting something. That was ridiculous! I wasn't forgetting something. I didn't know what it was, but it kept me awake all night long.

"Lily," James had said at breakfast, "you look dead on your feet, go back to sleep until Charms is over, I'll tell Flitwick where you are. I'm sure he'll understand."

"No, no," I had replied. "I can't do that. I have to go."

So I went. And let me tell you that doing magic while you're half asleep is not a good idea.

First of all, in Charms, we were reviewing incantations. Professor Flitwick had asked me to demonstrate the Prediredus Charm (which makes the object you are charming feather-light), but instead of saying "Prediricie" to charm the Charms Master, I had said "Predicurie". Before I realized what I had done, Professor Flitwick was up in violent-purple flames.

I frantically pointed my wand at the Professor and muttered "Aqueous," which made water come out of my wand, but that didn't work. For the life of me, I could not remember the counter spell to the Predicur Charm.

Finally, James grabbed my wand, pointed it at Flitwick, who was lying on the floor screaming, and said "Finite Incantatem". Instantly, the plum inferno disappeared and Professor Flitwick stood up and brushed himself off.

"I am so sorry, Professor," I said quickly. Flitwick, who did not look burned save his eyebrows were a little singed, looked at me, and, to my extreme surprise, grinned.

"No worries, my dear Miss Evans," he squeaked. "No one I know has ever been able to work that charm properly."

"You mean, I didn't burn you?" I asked, almost in disbelief.

"Of course not. It was a little shocking to see the flames dancing around me, but I felt no pain or heat whatsoever. Except," he added, rubbing his left eyebrow, "it did get a little hot for a minute. But I was shouting the Protection Spell so it wouldn't make me into a living pile of ashes."

I put my head in my hands. I had just lit a teacher on fire and he wasn't going to expel me? This was unbelievable. If it were McGonagall I had set on fire, I would have been on the Hogwarts express right back to Mum, Dad, Petunia, and the Muggle world.

"You mean, you didn't get burned and you're not going to expel her?" I heard Sirius ask.

I glanced at Sirius; sometimes he was such a dumbass. I looked back at Flitwick.

"Professor, I am so sorry. I really am," I said again. "I've had a rough night and I am really tired."

"As I said before," Flitwick said, "don't worry about it. I am just ecstatic that you can do the charm. Now everyone go sit down, I have a lesson to teach."

Everyone, who had all had gotten up during the frenzy, sat back down in their seats with furtive glances at one another. After I sat down, I put my head in my hands again and wanted to disappear right on the spot. In a few hours time, the word that I had lit Professor Flitwick on fire would be spread around the school.

In the meantime, Professor Flitwick went on with his lesson like nothing had even happened.

* * *

James, Sirius, Peter and I trudged up to the North tower for Divination. I dragged my feet the whole way there.

Remus was out sick again, since last night was the night before the full moon and he didn't sleep well either, he stayed up in Gryffindor tower to sleep until he had to go to the Shrieking Shack to transform.

"Lils," Sirius said, stopping and waiting me to catch up with him. "Don't worry about what you did to Flitwick. You saw him, he was pleased that you could work that charm."

"I know," I sighed. "I just feel really bad. I'm so tired. I just don't think I can be awake any longer."

"So sleep through the Old Bat's class," James said, putting his arm around my waist and practically pushing me up the stairs.

"I can't do that!" I exclaimed. "It's very important to get good marks."

"Yeah, but you agree with us when we say she's an old bat, don't you?" Sirius said.

"Well..." I hesitated. "Yes; and I absolutely hate Divination. It's absurd. Ludicrous even."

"You'll never use Divination in your life, so why learn it?" Sirius said. I nodded, which was surprising, since I hardly agreed with Sirius when it came to school. "You just stick to your Arithmancy."

Sitting through Divination was harder than I thought it was. The perfumed fire made me drowsy. The dim lighting made me drowsy. Professor Trelawney's droning on and on about Tarot cards made me drowsy. And being drowsy as I was already, I became even more so and started to nod off.

I was sleeping well, with no dreams, when I heard James whisper, "Lily, wake up."

I opened my eyes drearily and found Professor Trelawney standing over me with her hands on her curvaceous hips.

"My dear, I do believe that you were sleeping in this class, am I not correct?" she said. I put my head down, about to apologize, but I didn't.

"Yes, ma'am," I said instead. "But you see, I was getting an aura from the clairvoyant vibes in the room. I tried listening hard, but it didn't work. So, I put my head down and thought that I might be able to receive it with an empty mind, which means I would have to sleep."

Professor Trelawney's expression softened. So did her tone.

"I completely understand, dear," she said in her mistiest tone. "I, too, am having those auras that tell me I should sleep. Yes, yes, I think we should be done for the day, I need to seek after these clairvoyant vibes with an empty mind like Miss Evans did. Good day, class, good day," she whispered dramatically.

I stared with incredulity at Professor Trelawney as she transfigured her desk into a small bed with cerulean hangings. I had lied to a teacher and had gotten away with it.

Students passing by me to make their way down the staircase patted me on the back.

Sirius, James, Peter, and I just stared at each other.

"If you would like to stay," Professor Trelawney said mistily, "and catch some more clairvoyant vibes, you may do so." With that, she climbed into the diminutive bed and closed the hangings.

We stayed seated at the little table and looked at one another again.

After a few minutes, we got up and started packing our belongings into our bags.

"Potter," came a hoarse whisper from the corner where Trelawney's bed was. "James Potter." We looked at each other and then around the room.

"I think it is coming from Trelawney's bed," Sirius said. He slowly walked over to Professor Trelawney's bed and pulled back the hangings.

Professor Trelawney appeared to be sleeping, but her head was rigid and unmoving. A speckle of drool was running down her cheek.

"Potter," came the hoarse whisper again. It had escaped from Trelawney's lips. "James Potter."

"I--I'm here, Professor," James said rather nervously.

"The Dark Lord...he will...he will come for...you...you will be betrayed by... someone close to you...The Dark Lord will come after you and your heir....You will not...survive...his wrath." James' eyes widened and he swallowed. Professor Trelawney continued in her raucous tone. "Your heir will be the only to survive....The Boy Who Lived...."

Professor Trelawney started shaking madly, then went, well, normal again, as if she was sleeping.

The four of us stood there, just staring at her.

The Professor opened her eyes and started.

"Might I ask what you are all doing watching me sleep?" she asked, angrily, yet mistily. "I'll have you know that it is very rude."

"When?" James asked, a little hoarsely.

"It's rude all of the time," Professor Trelawney replied.

"No, I meant, when is the Dark Lord coming after me?" James said.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, with wide eyes.

"Professor, you just said that the Dark Lord would come after me and my heir," James said. "When will it happen?"

"I said no such thing. I was sleeping. Now, I suggest you all leave before I have to call the Headmaster in."

"But," James started.

"No buts, Potter. I said no such thing! To think that I would do such a thing!" She let out a derisive laugh. "Now, leave me."

James, Sirius, Peter, and I left the room with wide eyes. I couldn't believe that Professor Trelawney would predict such a thing. And then to deny that she predicted such a thing was even more amazing.

But this was different from all the predictions that she made about Remus and his "illness". This seemed real. And I mean real. Trelawney didn't have her misty voice, and she had her eyes closed. She was convulsing and didn't seem to remember when she returned to her normal self. This was getting stranger by the minute.

"We've got to go to Dumbledore," Sirius said.

"No, we shouldn't bother him with such a petty thing like that old bat," James replied, though his voice didn't portray his words.

"James," I said. "You know that was different than normal. After five years, I've learned that different than the usual is not a good thing. We have to tell Dumbledore."

"I know." James sighed. "I'm just afraid of why. I mean, what's the reasoning? There's no reason for Voldemort to come after me. And he's coming after my heir."

"Heir?" Sirius said. "Is there something you and Lily ought to tell us?"

I smiled and playfully hit him. Trust Sirius to joke at a time like this.

"No, there's not," James said. "When I have a child, I will have an heir. So that means that Voldemort won't come after my heir and me until I have an heir. That means I have a while before he comes."

"Unless an accident happens," Sirius teased.

James ignored him and continued.

"But, what I want to know is why Voldemort wants to come after me in the first place."

"I don't think we'll ever know," I said. "But until you have your heir, he won't want you. Why's that?"

"That's another thing I don't understand either. What's the heir got to do with it?" James replied. "And Professor Trelawney never said anything about my heir's mother. What happens to her?"

"That's another thing we'll never figure out," Sirius said. "But, in the meantime, we're going to Dumbledore."

* * *

"So, Professor Trelawney said that she was going to sleep to, er - catch clairvoyant vibes?" I nodded. "And she was asleep for half an hour, more or less?"

"That's right," James said.

"And tell me again what she said in her - er - unusual state."

James and I were in Dumbledore's office. Sirius and Peter went to visit Remus in the Shrieking Shack and tell him about the prediction before he "officially" transformed into his wolf state.

"She said that the Dark Lord would come after my heir and me," James said. "She said that I would not survive, but my heir would. My heir would become The Boy Who Lived."

"The Boy Who Lived?" Dumbledore mused. "I'm not exactly sure what that means, but there has been a whisper from many Seers about a Boy Who Lived, but they never say much. Tell me, what do you know about the Dark Lord?"

"Not much," James replied. "I know he's gaining a name for himself. And I do mean that literally - people now call him 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. I also know that he tries to get followers wherever he can. He doesn't like Muggle-borns and finds it amusing to torture Muggles. That's about all."

Dumbledore turned his twinkling, light-blue gaze on me.

"I don't know much about him either," I said. "I know that he's suspected to have about a hundred followers and that he uses the Imperius Curse on some of them. A lot of them he threatens with the life of loved-ones and things like that."

"You both couldn't be more right," Dumbledore said. "He's in his right mind and yet, he's gone quite mad. No one really knows why he does this at all. All I can say for sure is that he wants power. More and more power."

"I still don't understand why he would come after me, though," James said, frustrated. He placed his head in his hands.

"There must be something that happens within the future that will cause him to want your life. But, James, don't blame yourself for whatever happens. Always remember that."

"I know I mustn't," James said, looking back up at Dumbledore. "Why did Professor Trelawney predict something so far into the future? Does she usually predict things with that much advance?"

"Actually," said Dumbledore smiling benignly, "this has been the first real-sounding prediction she has had since she's been here."

"I knew she was an old bat," James said. He then noticed the look on Dumbledore's face: Disagreeing and yet agreeing. "Oh, sorry, Professor."

"Well, if anything more happens, let me know at once," Dumbledore said, smiling again. I knew that this meant the conference was over.

James and I stood up and quietly left Dumbledore's office.

"That was the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me," James said after we were back in the hallway traveling to Gryffindor tower. "We've certainly seemed to have a lot of premonitions and predictions coming our way."

"Tell me about it," I said. "But, I don't think a lot of them mean anything. I mean, the one I had was probably a fluke. Sometimes people get lucky or cursed enough to have a premonition once in a while. The thing with Remus was probably just a nightmare."

"I'm not so sure, Lily," James said, putting his arm around my shoulder. "You are still thinking in Muggle-mode - that there's a logical explanation for everything. There's not, Lily. Not everything that happens is going to be because of accidents. There is a reason for everything. A specific reason for everything that happens."

I stopped and looked deeply into James' dark eyes.

"Whatever happens, James, I'm here for you. That will never change. And I'm grateful to know that you're here for me too." We kissed and continued walking.

When we reached the Gryffindor common room, Sirius and Peter were talking animatedly about the next Quidditch match, in which Gryffindor would play Ravenclaw.

"What did Dumbledore say?" Sirius asked once he noticed that we had entered Gryffindor tower.

"Not much," James replied glumly. "I just don't know what to do. I mean, it will be a while before I am planning to even think of having an heir, but still. What if that's in ten years? What if it's in three years? I just don't know. For now, I shouldn't worry about it - you can't change the future."

"That's not always true. Maybe in this case it is," Sirius relied. "But, James, I know that it will be a while before something happens to you."

"What about Lily?" James asked.

"I'm right here," I said.

"No, I mean, what happens to you? Are we still an issue. Would we be married by then? Will you survive with my son, The Boy Who Lived?"

"James, we don't even know if I am going to be a part of your life when that happens," I said. "But, like I said, I will always be there for you. There will be nothing that I wouldn't do for you."

"Same here," said Sirius.

"And here," squeaked Peter in his nasally voice.

"And I'm absolutely positive that Remus would too," I said.

"Thanks you guys, you really know how to make me feel better."

"That's what we're here for, mate," said Sirius.

* * *

That night (after a long nap), I was sitting in the common room by the fire reading the book Remus had given me. I was reading MacBeth for the fifth time when I heard a tapping noise on the window.

I looked out the window and saw a large gray owl that I recognized to be a school owl. The owl fluttered in when I opened the window, dropped a letter and flew right back out. The letter had my name written on it in a cramped scrawl that I knew was James'.

It was the night of a full moon and the Marauders were out having their adventure. But why did James want to see me while he was with his friends?

I opened the letter.

Dearest Lily,

What would you say to a midnight snog in the Charms classroom? I would certainly love to meet you there. Please say you'll come and meet me there at a quarter to one.

Love always,

James

That was peculiar. James didn't even mention anything about Remus or the adventure. There was something weird about his letter. I couldn't put my finger on it, but all the same, James wrote me the letter. So what did I do? Naturally, I went up to my dorm, brushed my teeth, put on some lip-gloss and the perfume James liked, brushed my hair, and left Gryffindor tower, heading towards the Charms classroom.

When I arrived, the classroom was empty, so I thought James probably got caught up with the guys and was going to be late. I conjured some candles, lit them, and charmed them to float to create a romantic atmosphere as Sirius had done during Christmas hols.

I sat down and waited.

After ten minutes, I was nodding off on the desk when I felt a cold shiver go up and down my body. I looked up quickly to find no one there.

"James," I said. "Is that you?"

No answer.

"James, this isn't funny. I will be pissed off to no end if you are trying to play a trick on me."

Still no answer. I looked around more, but there was nothing in sight.

"You're losing it," I told myself aloud. I put my head back down on the desk.

"Oh no, Lily," I heard a low, familiar voice whisper. I abruptly sat back up. "You're not losing it. You were right when you thought someone was in here, but I'm not James Potter."

"Who - who are you?" I questioned.

The disembodied voice gave hollow laugh.

"My Master's not one to mess with, Lily," it said.

Out of the corner of my eye, two masked figures stepped out of the shadows and grabbed my arms. I screamed. A third one appeared, and before I could scream again, the third one pointed his wand at me and said, "Stupefy!"

Everything went black.

* * *

When I awoke, I didn't open my eyes right away. My head was pounding and I couldn't feel my arms, which must have meant they had fallen asleep.

What a strange dream, I thought. I decided to roll over and go back to sleep, only to find my arms wouldn't move.

I finally opened my eyes. I about screamed when I realized where I was. The funny thing was, though, that I didn't recognize where I was. I looked around me.

I was lying on a bed with thick, green, velvet hangings in a dimly lit room. There was a fire roaring gloomily in a fireplace to my left. I looked up to find my hands were bound to the posts of the bed with skillfully knotted rope. I looked down to find my feet were bound to the posts also.

There were several pictures of serpents on the walls that slithered and hissed ominously at me when I looked at them. And there was a person in a long, midnight cloak with a mask covering his face.

"Ah," the masked man said. "Miss Lily awakens."

I recognized the voice. It was the same voice that had spoken to me while I was in the Charms classroom. It was also a voice I recognized from my first four years at Hogwarts. The voice that had always sneered "Mudblood" when he saw me walking in the hall. The voice belonged to Lucius Malfoy, who was a former Slytherin and had graduated from Hogwarts the year before.

"The Dark Lord will certainly want to see you," Malfoy said.

He strode across the room to the door and stepped outside of it.

I looked around some more while incessantly thinking, I'm going to die. I'm going to die.

After a few minutes of panged silence, the door opened again and Lucius (or I suspected it to be him) came in, followed by none other than a tall, pleasant-looking wizard with dark hair and unwelcoming eyes that were in resemblance to a snake's.

He could be only one person. And that person was Voldemort.

He walked over to the bed and sat down by my side. He eerily looked me up and down and smiled maliciously when his eyes met the cords that fixed me to the oak posts.

"Leave us, Lucius," he said rather lazily.

"Yes, Master," Lucius said. He bowed, which Voldemort took no notice of, and left the room, shutting the door behind him, leaving me exceedingly frightened and alone with the Dark Lord.

"Lily, Lily, Lily," Voldemort drawled. I stared at him with hatred. "I do hate to see you look at me in such a way. This isn't any more fun for me than it is for you." He paused. "Actually, I'll be getting something out of this, so I guess it will be more fun for me."

"What do you want?" I snarled, pulling at the ties that bound my hands.

"Haven't you heard, Lily?" he drawled, his pale lips pulling into a smile. "There is a prophecy. A prophecy about you that I am rather interested in taking part of."

"What's that?"

"Well, I guess I should tell you - that would be the decent thing to do. Maybe I won't though, because I hate Muggles greatly."

"I'm not a Muggle," I growled.

"Yes, well, you're very close to," the Dark Lord said. "Oh, yes, that reminds me, did you receive the premonition? I had a true Seer psychically send it to you. I rather liked the part where I tortured that Squib. Born of wizarding parents and so defenseless - it's marvelous."

"You're heartless," I spat.

"Oh, Lily, what a terrible thing to say. You're going to hurt my feelings if you don't be more nice to me - and you don't want to get on my bad side."

"Did you bring me here to recruit me?" I asked with a shaking voice.

"Oh, no, no, no," he said with a chuckle. "Never would I dream of recruiting someone with so less stature. I mean, honestly, other than being a Mudblood, you take no pride in your abilities. You still have Muggle friends, care for others whom are like you. You just don't have the qualities I am looking for."

"Then why am I here?"

"Like I said, there was a prophecy. A very interesting prophecy that will help me and requires you. But first, let's get comfortable, shall we?"

The Dark Lord snapped his fingers and a bottle of champagne and two glasses appeared out of thin air. He poured one glass, forced my mouth open, and poured the champagne into it. The aftertaste was bitter and the little bubbles tickled my throat, causing me to cough.

"There," he said, pouring himself a glass and taking a sip. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes, the prophecy." He paused, took another sip with closed eyes, and then looked back down at me. "One of my faithful followers is also an extremely talented Seer. Now, he told me that if the Golden One with the purest heart were to bring into being an heir to the Darkest Being, that heir would rapidly gain a name for himself, following in his father's footsteps, and join him to rule all peoples." He paused. "Does that make sense to you?"

"Not exactly," I replied. I was very confused, not to mention sick of all the prophecies, predictions, and premonitions.

"You certainly are a thick one for being the smartest girl in your year. I bet you're destined to become Head Girl. You know, I was Head Boy in my time at Hogwarts. Ah, what a lovely experience that was."

The Dark Lord drained his champagne glass and threw it into the fire. The shattering of the glass was ear piercing. He then forced my mouth open again and poured more champagne into it. I swallowed and spluttered.

"Well, I am getting off of the subject," Voldemort said. "As I was saying: You, Lily, are the one with the purest heart. For four years I have searched for you. When I found you, you were quite young. Twelve I would say. Maybe thirteen. But I knew I couldn't pursue you yet, you were too young to bear children." He sighed, clenched and unclenched his fists. "But I have waited patiently for two years before taking action. Besides, you have grown into such a beautiful woman - for a Mudblood that is."

He reached over and pushed my auburn hair away from my face. Then his hand traced down my cheek, across my jaw line, and on my neck.

He's going to strangle me, I thought frantically. He's going to kill me right now.

"What are you going to do with me?" I asked, my voice was a little shaky, but I did my best to look confident.

"Well, you need to give birth to my heir. And in order to do that...I think you know what has to happen."

I felt disgusted. The Dark Lord wanting to do something like that with me? And he was about three times my age. That thought was very disturbing and my throat was tight, I could no longer speak.

"To get on with it," Voldemort said. "I'm sure you will have no picnic, and, trust me, a Mudblood is no way I'd like my heir to be given birth by. But what the prophecy says goes."

The Dark Lord got an assertive look in his eye and crawled onto the bed and over me.

"You actually are quite attractive, Lily," he whispered, he kissed my ear. I recoiled in disgust and, once again, tried pulling at the ropes. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Lily. Of course, you've never done this before, but that's one of the reason's why you're the purest at heart."

This time he kissed my jaw.

"Why don't you make it better for the both of us?" I asked. "Why don't you put me under the Imperius Curse? I hear you're good at that."

"No, I like the torturous route better," he said, in between kisses on my neck.

"Why did you want me in particular?" I asked. I had to keep him talking so he couldn't get on any farther. "Why didn't you take another who was a pureblood?"

"You're the only one with the purest heart. I thought you would realize that." He sat up and looked at me with his snakelike eyes. "There could have been others, but my personal tastes lead me to you."

"I'm honored," I said sarcastically.

"I love your fiery spirit. Now, excuse me for a moment. I fear I have other business to attend to at the moment."

The Dark Lord crawled off me again and slid off the bed. When he reached the door he turned and said, "Feel free to make yourself at home."

He pointed his finger in my direction and before my eyes, the skirt I was wearing disappeared. Voldemort eyed my red knickers.

"Tut, tut," he said. "I've always adored the green color."

He pointed his finger at my knickers and they instantly became an emerald color. He then left the room, shutting the door behind him.

I can't believe this. He kidnapped me to have sex with me? There has got to be some logical explanation.

That's the Muggle-mode voice talking, I heard James say in my mind. There's not always a logical explanation.

There has to be, I argued with myself. At least I know I'll get out of here alive. Wherever here is and wherever I will be able to go. What is he playing at, though? Why hasn't he killed me yet? Is there really a prophecy?

The door opened again.

I squeezed my eyes shut so I didn't have to look at the hideous creature known as Voldemort.

A minute passed. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around the room to find that no one was there. But I saw the door open. I knew I did.

"You're losing it," I said to myself for the second time that night.

The door opened again, and this time, Voldemort came in and sat back down on the bed.

"There seems to be a little problem with security," the Dark Lord said. "There was a break in on the house, but nobody can find any evidence of the people." My eyes widened. Someone was coming to get me. "Oh, no, Lily, nobody knows where you are; no one is coming to get you," he added, interpreting my look.

"Someone will come for me," I hissed, although I had no idea if that was the truth.

"Mm hmm," Voldemort said. "And I suppose you think I won't follow the prophecy. Well, I may be more than thrice your age, but I am merciless. You will do what I want you to do." He ran his cold fingers over my wrist and onto the cords that held me to the bed. "And you don't seem to have a choice, do you?"

"What happens if it is against my will?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing," he said with a smile. "Fertility has nothing to do with magic, therefore, the prophecy still operates. What did you expect?"

I ignored that comment, and instead asked, "Why don't you just get it over with? It would certainly be easier for the both of us."

"Like I said, I like the torturous route better." The Dark Lord smiled unpleasantly and leaned over me and kissed my lips. "Just make sure you hold still."

He was kissing my neck, his hands reaching for the buttons of my blouse.

He started unbuttoning my blouse, working his mouth down my throat and to my chest.

I pulled at the ropes again. Voldemort noticed and said, "Don't force it, Lily, it'll only make things worse." I could feel his hot breath on my neck when he talked. I tried to put my mind somewhere else, like back at Hogwarts with James.

James.

I had always imagined that my first time would be with James. Now Voldemort would steal my innocence. My eyes filled with tears.

I closed my eyes again, trying to ignore the tongue tracing my chest and the cold fingers working at the clasp of my bra.

This isn't happening, I tried to tell myself. This is just a nightmare. A horrible nightmare that you can't wake yourself up from. You're still at the castle where you'll be able to wake up and rush to James and he'll hold you tightly and tell you it's all right.

But whatever I tried, it couldn't take away the eerie feelings of lips moving across my breasts and down my sternum.

I opened my eyes only to squeeze them shut again when I saw the Dark Lord inching his way to my knickers. The tears were freely running down my cheeks. I could feel him grasp the sides of my underwear, about to pull them down, when a loud, rapid knock came at the door. My eyes flipped open again.

Voldemort made an angry, impatient noise, got up, strode across the room and wrenched the door open.

"What?" he spat maliciously. There were three people in hooded cloaks and masked faces outside of the door. They all bowed when they saw Voldemort.

"We realize you are busy, Master," I heard Lucius Malfoy's voice state, "but there has been another shred of evidence of a break in. I think you should take a look at it."

"Very well," the Dark Lord grumbled. He turned to me again. "Excuse me, Lily, but these imbeciles don't know how to take care of a problem without my supervision." He turned brusquely and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

I'm never going to get out of here, I thought miserably. I'll never see Mum or Dad or Petty again. I'll never see Sirius, Remus, Peter, or James again. I'll never be able to tell all of them how much I love them. I'll be dead and I'll make them all suffer wondering where I went. Why me?

I squeezed my eyes such and wept loudly and convulsively. Tears were running rivers out of my eyes. I turned my head to wipe one eye on my sleeve.

But before I could do anything, the sight I saw made me forget all about my streaming eyes. My eyes widened and I gasped.