Chapter 14

Jude couldn't hear anything over his pounding heart. Lazarus was staring at him, and he was going to kill him since Professor Lamb didn't finish the job. He was breathing harshly, sweating through his shirt while Emma was clutching his sleeve, sobbing silently.

James gripped his shoulder tightly, "We have to go. We have to go now." They broke out into a run, holding the cloak desperately between their fingers.

Lazarus chuckled sinisterly, lashing his wand out, "Bombarda Maxima!"

Jude felt the floor disappear from under him as the three of them flew into the air and slammed down on the floor. The blaring sound of silence deafened him. Jude cursed, his head pounding harshly behind his eyes.

His shaking hand moved towards his wand that was attached to his leg. He screamed to the heavens when he felt pain flare through his hand. He turned his gaze down, seeing an arrow puncturing through his hand.

Lazarus tsked as he walked up with his fellow dark wizards. "Jude, Jude, Jude. You'd think you'd learn after seeing one of your professors die by my hands."

"What the hell are you doing?" Jude spat, holding onto his injured hand. "Why are you doing this?" He glanced to the side, seeing Emma and James unconscious next to him. Emma was bleeding from her head while James' leg was bent at an odd angle.

Lazarus tilted his head thoughtfully, "I guess I have to tell since I am going to kill you."

"You don't have to tell him a thing, boss," One of the death eaters said.

Lazarus held out his arm, placating his fellow dark wizard. "Hold on a bit. He's the boy we've been waiting for." He smiled and Jude felt shudders fly down his spine at the hollowness of it. "You see, Jude, while you may not know a lot about the wizarding world, we know about you and your parents."

"My parents?" Jude breathed harshly, making a discreet grab for his wand.

Lazarus nodded slowly, "Yes, yes, Jude. We also know about your heritage, and that is why we need you. Well, your blood more specifically."

"For what?" The sweating boy demanded fiercely.

"For the rebirth of the Dark Lord Voldemort of course," Lazarus chuckled manically. "He will bring this world to its knees once more. But first, to bring him back, we need you, Ju-"

"Mucus ad Nauseam!" A green shot out, smacking one of the death eaters in the face, causing him to sneeze uncontrollably.

Jude turned to see James standing painfully on his broken leg, holding out his wand determinedly. He pointed it at the next death eater, "Depulso!" The next flew away before he could even bring out his wand.

"Crucio," Lazarus hissed, casting the dark curse on the Potter boy.

James grunted, trying to hold in his screams as he fell to the floor, convulsing from the pain overflowing in him. "James!" Jude called hoarsely, tears falling with his sweat and spit. "What are you doing? Stop it!"

Lazarus kept his wand pointed at the convulsing boy as he addressed the younger, blue eyed boy, "Just watch, Jude. If you don't surrender yourself to me, you'll find every person you've ever cared about dead."

"Stop it!" Jude sobbed, grabbing his wand tightly. "Stop it." He felt something in his chest roar and his body heat up. "I said enough!"

Flames shot from his wand and hands, attacking Lazarus head on, causing him to stop the spell on James. The blond growled, trying to dodge the flames, "Incendio!"

Jude shouted, fighting back with the same flame power. His arms soon caught fire as he shot them towards the Slytherin wizard.

"I warn you, Porter," Lazarus yelled over the heat of the flames. "You won't get out of here alive."

"I'd like to see you try and stop me now." Jude pushed the flames on. Though he could see the flames licking at his hands, he felt no pain on him.

"Incendio Duo!" The flames from Lazarus' wand became stronger, but only so much. Jude was able to keep them away from his friends. "Incendio Tria!"

Jude struggled to push on, "I said, leave us alone!"

The flames fought at each other, like brothers fighting brothers; no one would win. Jude blinked in surprise when he heard over the pounding of blood in his ears, "Protego Totalum!"

He glanced to the side and watched as Emma struggled to keep the shield up. She held onto James' hand tightly and kept her wand leveled next to Jude. Jude turned his attention back to Lazarus and noticed his flames were an inch away from him, not touching him anymore. He could see Lazarus' lips moving, screaming at him. His flames stopped as he tried to punch through the shield.

The flames on Jude's arms diminished as he dropped them to his sides. Lazarus growled, holding up his wand to break down the shield. The blond glanced up, his face contorting horribly as he stared past Jude. He shouted a spell causing smoke to billow around him.

Jude stared at the smoke dancing in front of the shield. Emma dropped her wand with a gasp, sobbing as she gripped James' hand tighter.

"James!"

"Jude!"

"Children!"

Jude turned his head tiredly, watching the blurry figures of Hagrid, Neville, and the Headmaster running up to them. He laughed hollowly, dropping his wand. He fell to the floor next to Emma, feeling the cool air around them washing over him.

Neville appeared above him, blurry and his face full of worry from what the blue eyed boy could make out. "You're gonna be alright, Jude."

He could barely hear them now. "James, Emma," He whispered through his chapped lips. "James needs help. Help James."

"We've got James," Neville tried to reassure him, wiping his face with a handkerchief. "He's gonna be alright. Emma's fine too. We just need to get you all to the infirmary."

"My fault," Jude mumbled, his head falling to the side. "S'all my fault. I'm sorry. So sorry."

"Jude," Neville called, but the boy was too far gone. "Jude, stay with me."

"My fault. I'm sorry."