11 Chapter 11

Lily and Harry finished their desserts and butterbeers with high spirits, laughing and telling silly jokes to distract from Lily's worries. As Lily gazed out the window, she noticed some Order members on guard duty. An uneasy night air surrounded her as they prepared to leave. Turning back to Harry, who busily rummaged through his cloak, Lily softly said, "Harry, I love you."

"Oh, I love you too," Harry smiled absently, focused on straightening his cloak.

"I want to tell you why I love you. You need to hear this," Lily insisted over the background music. Harry stopped and looked at her attentively.

Lily trembled slightly, but tried to steady herself despite the fear slowly rising within her. "I've loved you since the day you were born... even after your father died... but I wouldn't let myself fully feel it until today. I was always thinking ahead, making choices out of fear." She looked into Harry's emerald eyes with pure love and sadness.

"Today, because of what I learned from you... every choice I made was different. My life has completely changed. I've learned that if you live like that—fully in each moment—it doesn't matter if you have five minutes or fifty years left," she said, her voice gaining strength even as tears streamed down her face, her gaze never leaving her son's.

"Harry, if not for today... if not for you... I would never have known love again. So thank you for being the one who taught me to love... and to be loved." She finished quietly, her voice shaking with emotion.

Harry held Lily's gaze as tears silently rolled down his cheeks. "I don't know what to say..."

She kissed his forehead tenderly. "You needn't say a word, sweetheart. I only wished to tell you."

"Thank you, Mum." Harry embraced her briefly, wiping away his tears. "Let's go home."

He began to walk away but stopped abruptly, turning back to see Lily rooted in place.

"Mum..." he called gently. "Are you coming?"

Lily forced a pained smile as she gazed at her son, though her eyes brimmed with sadness. "Yes."

The air turned frigid as dozens of Death Eaters materialized from the darkness the moment Harry and Lily exited the Three Broomsticks. Eyes glinted menacingly through slits in their hoods as they surrounded the pair, blocking any chance of escape.

Lily gasped in horror just before a jet of red light blasted one Death Eater off its feet, smashing it through a nearby window.

The sound of rapid footsteps signaled the advance of the Order members, wands raised and fury etched on their faces. The Death Eaters halted, seemingly surprised by the swift retaliation. In response, multicolored spells lit up the night as a fierce battle commenced.

Sensing the unnatural cold permeating the street, Lily raised her wand, steeling herself to fight.

"We've got this, Lily!" Arthur yelled, his voice barely audible over the chaos a few feet away. Lily and Harry ducked as another jet of light whizzed over their heads. "Protect Harry and go!"

There was no time to lose. They darted down a side street, weaving through screaming people fleeing in all directions. The pounding footsteps of the Death Eaters grew louder, their anti-Disapparition jinx sealing off any escape. Lily cursed under her breath.

Up ahead, Order members dueled fiercely. Lily looked around wildly, trying to decide their next move.

"Mum, look out!" Harry shouted. Lily whirled, narrowly dodging another spell. She took a deep breath, focusing on shielding her son. They caught a glimpse of Arthur sprinting past a corner, his face set in a grim expression, before he vanished from view.

The ground trembled violently beneath their feet, shards of glass raining down like shrapnel just behind them. Lily's gaze shot worriedly to where Arthur had gone, realizing the explosion must have originated there.

Seizing Harry's arm, they fled in the opposite direction as debris littered the ground. Rounding a corner, they slowed on a nearly deserted street.

A chilling, mirthless cackle echoed around them. Lily froze; she recognized that laugh. Bellatrix!

Urgently casting the protective charm Dumbledore had taught, a bubble-like barrier materialized, enveloping them.

Lily frantically scanned the street as she tried to shield Harry, a chilling realization dawning on her: this was the exact spot where Harry had been stabbed that fateful night.

Her heart pounding, Lily saw a glint of metal flash out of the darkness. To her horror, it passed through the barrier unimpeded.

"Down!" Lily yelled, pulling Harry to the pavement just as the blade whizzed above his head. An eerie silence fell, as if all sound had been suddenly muted. After a tense moment, Lily and Harry cautiously stood, scanning for more attacks. But the Death Eaters seemed to have Disapparated.

"Are they gone?" Harry whispered.

Lily whispered "I-I think so..." but a moment later she collapsed, gripping Harry's shoulders.

"Mum—" Harry stumbled back in surprise as he caught her by the arms. He was shocked to find blood seeping through her dress. Gently laying her on the ground, he slowly checked her back and saw a silver dagger embedded in her lower side.

"No..." Stunned, Harry was suffocated by silent screams as he pleaded for his mother's life. Fear and numbness consumed him as his heart shattered at the sight of Lily lying there with the dagger.

He grabbed the wand on the floor, desperate to heal her, but Lily shook her head and croaked his name through the blood rushing from her mouth.

"Harry—"

Harry knelt next to Lily and gently slid his hands under her back to lift her off the ground. "I must get you to Hogwarts, Mum," he said, straining to carry her. Lily groaned in pain, and Harry immediately set her down again.

"Harry, sweetheart," Lily said firmly, stopping his attempts to move her. He looked into her eyes as she spoke between coughs that brought up blood. "It's alright."

"No, it's not," Harry replied, eyes filling with tears. "I'll take you to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey can heal you quickly." But Lily just shook her head.

Tears rolled down Harry's cheeks as he held his mother's hand. Slowly, her grip weakened, though she tried to wipe away his tears and cupped his face.

Lily wept silently as life drained from her eyes. She gazed at Harry until her hand fell limply. Her chest stilled.

Tears streamed down Harry's face as he clutched Lily's limp hand, unable to look at her lifeless face and empty gaze.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Harry looked up at him and broke down sobbing.

"I'm so sorry," Mr. Weasley whispered, closing his eyes against the heartbreaking image of Harry pleading with his mother's body to come back.

To be continued…