30 The First Death

"Can't believe you missed out James," Sirius said, as usually exaggerating everything. "You should have seen the cave we found. There were old pieces of Goblin Silver from the rebellion."

James raised his eyebrows. Goblins had a very different version of ownership compared to Humans. In goblin culture you couldn't own something that was made by someone else. The creator had the primary ownership. Followed by the creators family members, followed by the creators clan, followed by the creators race.

Some wizards would pay for Goblin Silver trinkets or weapons, but the contract they sign when they do so states that once the wizard dies then the item must be returned.

Very very few items of Goblin Silver were truly gifted fully to Wizards. Both James's and Sirius's families had plates, cups and silverware made of Goblin Silver that they paid the goblins regularly to extend their "lease."

Each of the Four Founders legendary items, well Slytherin's Locket wasn't really considered legendary, were made of Goblin Silver, and were of the few items truly gifted to the wizards. Of course the Sword of Godric Gryffindor was contested in true ownership.

"Really!" James said. "What'd you guys find?"

Sirius looked up and down the hallway as they took the long way to the Great Hall, then he pulled out a long dagger from inside his robes. It was beautiful with wavy patterns and a red ruby in the hilt.

"Awesome! And its real Goblin Silver?"

"Yup! And that's not all, Peter? Remus?"

Peter pulled out a ring that had the pattern of twisted roots with small amethysts on it and Remus took out… a bar of silver.

"Really Remmy? Just a bar?" James said.

Remus shrugged.

"I can put it in a sock and hit someone with it."

"Remus… you're a wizard."

His quiet friend's smile widened.

"Which means they won't expect the sock."

Peter chortled and James shook his head in exacerbation.

"Did you guys get me anything?" James asked.

Peter raised his eyebrows.

"Of course not. Why should you get the spoils of our effort?"

"Just like a Pureblood Heir to think they are owed something just because of who they are," Remus said, shaking his head sadly.

"How the Light have fallen," Sirius agreed somberly. "We should… put him out of his misery."

Suddenly Sirius raised his dagger, the blade glinting in the light and let out a very very silly war cry.

James barked out a laugh, but then Sirius stabbed downward and James yelped in surprise.

A Goblin Silver buckler moved in the way stopping Sirius's attack.

"What the fuck!" James yelled.

Remus had his wand out, and was levitating the shield.

Sirius's head tilted around the shield, an evil grin on his face.

"Gotcha!"

"I- Really! You- you almost stabbed me!" James said, voice high.

Sirius rolled his eyes, glancing at his daggers edge before putting it away.

"We planned it before hand, you weren't in danger."

James gaped at Remus. Sirius he could believe, but not Remus.

"Really Remus?"

A sheepish grin came over his friend's face.

"It sounded funny at the time."

"Peter?"

His small friend shuffled from foot to foot.

"I mean, we had it under control," Peter's high pitched voice said, showing his wand in his hand. "I was ready to disarm Sirius just in case."

James groaned. He was still mad, but also… he could see himself agreeing to such a plan while in the moment. Not that he was going to say so.

"Fuck you guys."

"Not my type," Sirius said offhandedly.

"More like out of your league."

"Yeah right," Sirius snorted. "You know the Black Family charm. We're basically Veela."

"True, your cousin Narcissa is one fit bird. Did you see her this weekend? No amount of robes could hide that arse," Peter said.

Sirius gaped at Peter, then ran at him, Peter laughed, running away, dodging sloppy stinging hexes and hitting Sirius with a Trick Lace Jinx.

"Peter!" Sirius yelled as he fell, cutting his tied shoe laces with a spell before getting to his feet and continuing after the boy who turned a corner.

"Cissy Black! The girl with a nice rack! I'd be lying if I said she didn't get my pants tightening!" Peter's singing voice called.

Remus shook his head.

"Someone's gonna hear that," he said, levitating the small shield over to James.

"I'm expecting at least three Jinxes from the snakes once that gets out," James agreed. "You chose the silver bar rather than this?"

"Eight jinxes. And Sirius practically ordered us to give it to you."

James rolled his eyes, examining the amazing piece of metal work. Like the dagger it had a glowing red ruby in the center and wavy pattern on it.

"Didn't need to listen to him. And I'll take that bet."

"You know what he's like when he doesn't get what he wants. The usual?"

"Sure," James agreed, awkwardly using a Sticking Charm to put the shield under his robes and on his back.

The two of them arrived at the Great Hall a few minutes later, only for the doors to burst open as a Gryffindor boy ran out, wailing as tears ran down his face.

"Malcolm?" Remus said panicking. "Whats wr-"

But the boy pushed past, almost tripping down the stairs as he ran away.

"What was-"

The door burst open again, this time it was Lily, tears in her eyes as she looked around, she didn't even seem to see the two of them and rushed past.

James grabbed her wrist.

"Lily what-"

"LET GO!" Lily yelled, and James did so, eyes wide.

Lily ran, following the direction of the sounds of crying.

James moved to follow, but Sirius's voice called him.

"James!"

Sirius grabbed his shoulder, turning him back around.

The Black Heir's face was no longer laughing, it was filled with barely concealed rage. He thrust the Daily Prophet into James's hand.

"An attack," Sirius growled, Peter gulping nervously behind him.

MUGGLEBORN STUDENTS HOUSE ATTACKED!

Late last night Aurors were called to the scene of the Mark we have witnessed too many times in the past few years, now being dubbed The Dark Mark. Only instead of a normal muggle attack it was one of Hogwarts's own students house, who I will not name out of respect for them.

Inside two adult muggles, and one nine year old girl who was confirmed to be a muggleborn herself, were found dead. While the lead Auror on scene said that they died quickly some evidence of past muggle attacks would say otherwise.

The Knights of Walpurgis, a group of anonymous radicals led by You-Know-Who have never claimed any of these attacks, the connections between their beliefs and these attacks have always been prevalent.

Was this just another Muggle Raid gone wrong? Did they know that they were attacking one of their own? Is this only the beginning?

The picture on the front showed a normal muggle two story home, but the skull and snake overhead told James all he needed to know.

Malcolm… James believed he was a third-year.

James looked up, seeing the fury in Sirius. The worry in Peter, and the dull grim eyes of Remus as he finished reading the paper. Behind them the door was still open. Several teachers were standing, moving around the staff table and toward where the boy had fled. Whispers filled with fear rebounded around the large room, sounding like dozens of snakes slithering around.

He saw Frank, Alice, Marlene, Mary and Dorcas, as well as a few others standing, walking toward them.

His eyes went to the Slytherin table. Many of them were shocked, grim looks and barely hidden fear on their faces. But not all of them. Graves Mulciber hid a smile behind his hand, Hector Avery was showing Regulus black some of the words, excitement bubbling off the boy. Regulus looked at the paper with a glint in his eyes, a slight smirk on his lips. Narcissa had a raised eyebrow as she read, as if the paper was something mildly interesting rather than cold blooded murder.

Snape was not looking at the paper or his fellow Slytherins, he was staring out the door Lily had run through. His cold black eyes met James's, and an odd pang of fear went through James as he realized he couldn't read any emotion on the boy. No fear, no anger, no happiness. As if nothing of note had happened outside of Lily leaving.

James left, the others following in his wake. They called to him, wondering where he was going, what he thought. Remus asked worridly if he was going to do something stupid. Peter said he should give Malcolm and Lily space, and that he would be intruding on them. Sirius asked what they were going to do in response.

On the seventh floor James paced in front of the tapestry three times, a door appearing in front of them.

"What the bloody hell!" Sirius yelled.

"James what is-"

James yanked open the door to show The Room of Hidden Things. He sifted through the memories Harry had implanted into his mind, of about where the Diadem was. There was a twenty something year difference from when Harry found it and now, but he believed it would be in a similar place.

"Depulso!" James yelled at a stack of books, chairs and other trinkets in the way.

He overpowered the spell, his emotions not in check enough, and a large swath of the area was cleared as the pile went flying.

"Holy shit," Remus muttered, at what James did or the room James didn't care.

Banishing Charms, Levitation Charms, Vanishing Spells, James tore a path through the room until he got to where the Horcrux was. Sitting on the head of a marble statue of a woman was the Diadem.

Remus gasped.

"Is that- That- That's Ravenclaw's Diadem!" Remus said in wonder.

James pointed his wand at the ancient object.

"Avada Kedavra!" He roared.

Nothing. Nothing except the protests and screams of the other Marauders.

"Avada Kedavra!"

No green light.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

James threw down his wand.

"FUCK!" he screamed, his wand clattering on the ground.

He dropped to his knees, heels of his palms pressing against his eyes as his fingers yanked on his hair. Warm tears spilled from beneath his palms and dripped onto the floor.

He remembered everything Harry pushed into his mind. Sirius falling through the Veil. Remus dead on his back, dead wife's hand in his. Dorcas killed by Voldemort. Marlene and her entire family dying. Frank and Alice driven to insanity. Peter betraying them.

James growled, barely forcing himself from turning around and beating the small boy with his fists.

Lily dead. Mum dead. Dad dead. Sirius dead. Remus dead. Peter dead. Snape dead. Marlene dead. Dorcas dead. Dumbledore dead. Hagrid dead. McGonagall dead. Flitwick dead. Uncle Charlus dead. Aunt Dorea dead. Harry dead.

Images of those not yet born dying in front of James's eyes. Of countries burning, of bombs dropping. All the things Harry showed him to help him get ready tore through James's fifteen year old mind.

After an unknown amount of time James ragged breathing slowed, and he realized that three paris of arms were wrapped around him, each of them whispering gently to him.

One of them was responsible for his death.

James felt trapped. Trapped in his mission and trapped in his friendship with Peter. Trapped in giving someone he didn't like a chance, and trapped in his desire to see his son born again.

Trapped in waiting for the right moment rather than going out and burning his way to every Horcrux.

He looked up between Peters and Remus's arms to the Diadem.

The Killing Curse required Hate, the unrepentant desire to kill. To peel someone's soul off their body.

James was filled with hate, but it was drowned out by fear. He was scared of losing everyone he cared about, and scared of failing.

He let out a final ragged breath, realizing how close he came to messing everything up. If the Killing Curse had worked, and destroyed that part of Voldemort's soul, then the Dark Lord might have felt it. He might then change his plans for the Cup, Locket and Diary, and James would have to scramble blind to find them. He might double down on his attacks, pushing the timeline further ahead.

"Thank you…" James said softly.

The three were tense as they slowly let go of James. They looked at him with fear and worry, and James tried to give them a shaky smile.

"I- can we talk about it later?" he asks. "I'm not feeling up to it right now."

"Mate you just tried to cast the Killing Curse at a tiara," Sirius said blandly.

"That's Ravenclaw's Diadem… its been missing for a thousand years… James how did you."

"PETER!" James yelled.

Peter jumped from where he stood next to the statue, the slight glaze in his eyes fading slightly. He looked back to the diadem, fingers twitching.

"I-i-its supposed to increase intelligence right? I just want to try-"

"Peter!" James yelled again.

Each of the Horcruxes had their own defenses in the form of compulsions and curses.

The Diary siphoned power from the holder's soul and the compulsion to write in it, as it was the first of Tom's Horcruxes it had the largest piece of his soul, and if it was successful it would be able to resurrect him.

The ring, locket and diadem had compulsions to wear them. The ring would cause rapid decay of those who wore it. The locket would slowly infect the wearer's mind, turning them suspicious and erratic. James didn't know what the Diadem's curse was, but Harry hypothesized that it did the opposite of what the Diadem was supposed to do and eroded the wearer's mind eventually turning them catatonic.

Lastly the Cup had the compulsion to drink from it, the cup being said to be able to cure any disease, instead would inflict hundreds upon the drinker.

Peter still raised his hand to reach for the Diadem, Sirius and Remus only just realizing how serious James was about Peter not touching it. They would be too slow to stop him. Peter would put it on, and could die.

James could let him.

Let the man who caused his and Lily's deaths to kill himself. It would be a tragic loss, but could stop so much pain.

James raised his hand, struggling to concentrate his magic without a wand. Thankfully he had enough magic power to overcome the typical struggles of wandless magic at his age.

"Accio Peter."

Peter's clothes yanked him back, making him fall on his rear.

"J-James sorry," Peter said, eyes still glazed. "But come on, I need it. It could help me so much-"

"Its cursed," James said through gritted teeth. "You're under a compulsion right now. If you put that on, you die."

That seemed to shock some sense into Peter, eyes gaining some focus. He looked at James blinking, whatever he saw in James's eyes brought some understanding to him and he nodded.

"O-okay."

Sirius looked from James's hand, to the Diadem to Peter, but Remus looked like he was struggling with himself as well. Remus and Peter had no Occlumency training, and were more easily subject to compulsions.

"Lets leave," James said, getting to his feet and picking up his wand.

He was tired, a weight on his shoulders that hadn't been there earlier.