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"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

James was shouting over his shoulder as he forced Lily off and away from him. He managed to catch her eye for a second, and he hoped--James felt such pain as he looked in Lily's eyes for what he knew to be the last time. He'd loved her for as long as he could remember and for a fleeting second the thought of his life with Lily brought a quick, half smile to his face before he completely sprinted down the hallway to face Voldemort. He skidded to a halt when his hand reached into his back pocket and his wand was nowhere to be found. James' mind flew back to the couch, and he looked up to stare straight into Lord Voldemort's eyes. He hated this man, this creature, he hated him more than anything, and now he was going to take everything from him. James knew he was going to die, and he started to turn as Voldemort's wand whipped up.

It was amazing how time seemed to slow in life or death (or in certain death) situations. James had experienced it a few times before, but right now it was almost as if every last breath lasted a week, a blink took a month----James' mind went to Lily and Harry, hoping that they made it out of the house, that Lily's wand was nearby----Sirius, Sirius---James wished he'd had time to tell Dumbledore about the switch, Sirius was going to take the blame for--for Peter's betrayal. They were so stupid, so stupid---how could they think for a second that Remus had---Remus would help Sirius, they were the Marauders, they'd-----

James saw the green flash of light before he heard the spell, "Avada Kedavra!!"

His thoughts flew to his father, his mother, how the Potters had lived and died in Godric's Hollow for generations. They'd be buried in the same cemetery he morbidly (ha!) mused. Lily and Harry would escape and go deep undercover, and James would have given them an extra second for their flight. He was glad for that. They could go to---Frank's, they'd head to the Longbottoms', and they'd be fine. James took the last second of his life to square his shoulders to face Voldemort's spell, and he hoped everything he'd done for the war would be for something. He hoped that his life hadn't been a waste, he hoped that Lily knew how much he'd always love her. There was a gasp as his soul rushed out of him and James' body fell to the ground of the cramped hallway like a marionette whose strings were cut...