CHAPTER - 41

Lily did not have time to scream before Voldemort took her. Her wand flew out of her hand, and she found herself being pulled into the open air. Powerful blows hammered her chest, and she found herself sticking to the roof of the building. Down below, Voldemort watched, a reptilian smile on his face.

The scene was surreal, straight out of a nightmare yet too real to be a dream. The death eaters that should have been stunned rose to their feet, and behind her the walls exploded. Bodies poured out, mangled and rotten corpses sailing forward in a flood. They descended upon her new recruits, overwhelming them in seconds. Inferi, she realized. Voldemort's newly acquired army. Behind the Inferi, spells streaked past. Killing curses tearing through her ranks in seconds. Her gaze swung to Moody, at least, what used to be Moody.

He was changing, his skin becoming pale and grey hair becoming straw blonde. His once mangled face smoothed, and his olden features became young. That face, she knew it. It was Barty Crouch Jr! But that was impossible… unless. Polyjuice potion, she realized. The thief's downfall removed disguising spells, but not the potion. The potion had no spell.

They had been set up, Lily realized with a chill. This was all planned, by Voldemort himself, if she were to guess. But Moody… He was dead, there was no other explanation. Crouch had taken his place, but when? After Azkaban, he had been with Rufus to announce Volde- of course! He switched then! With no family to notice differences in his already erratic personality nobody would have suspected. Lily cursed herself.

The ambush was not her work. No. It was Voldemort's. She had thought herself the hunter, only to realize too late that she was the prey. And the fool, the greatest fool. She watched as the aurors were struck down, killed by flashes of green light as death eaters converged on the great hall from all sides. The walls began crumbling, the very roof of the building teetering on collapse. Inferi swarmed mindlessly, pushing wizards and zombies alike into the shadowy black flames surrounding Voldemort.

It was a slaughter. Wizards burned, screamed, and died. Some had corpses left behind, but not most. Most were killed, burned away or torn into thousands of pieces by the inferi. How had the creatures got in? Only the aurors knew- Lily cursed herself again. Of course Crouch knew, he was impersonating Moody this whole time. Floo powder, unguarded positions, Crouch had had them all. He had acted the part too, taking multiple Cruciatus curses! He had fooled them all, and she was witnessing the consequences.

Lily had to admit Voldemort far outplayed her. How long had he been setting up this trap? From the beginning? All the wizards against him in one place, and with a path cleared straight into the heart of the ministry. A chance to confirm who his allies were. He had outmaneuvered Lily, who sought to encircle him and was encircled in turn.

She opened her mouth to cry, to scream, but no sound came out. The aurors were all gathered here to take him down, and they were all going to die. She saw Rufus, valiantly casting jets of flame against the Inferi. Kingsley, watching his back with shield charms. But it was useless, killing curses were their fate.

Surrender. You do not have to die. Surrender, and my death eaters will not harm you. Surrender and submit, or you shall perish. Voldemort's voice. In her head, Lily realized. In everyone's head.

It wasn't too long before wands began dropping. It was just one at first, then another. The rest followed. With the aurors dead, morale had broken. Lily was pinned up against a wall, and all she could offer were tears. She had gotten them into this, and she had caused their loss. She wished she could do something, be strong. But she couldn't. Nobody else could either.

Voldemort laughed, cold and chilling. It was the sound of hopelessness, of despair. The bells of death ringing after the end of a plague. He waved his hand, and vanished into the air. The wizards beneath her looked up in terror as the death eaters faded. The roof trembled, and she heard wood cracking with a groan.

No, Lily thought. No!

But her thoughts were no use. The last thing she remembered before it all went black was the screaming, and the roar of the crumbling roof.