The presence of a spy among them got more than one subsequent confirmations.

One day in January, Moody sent everyone the message that Maple Square had been discovered by Death Eaters, too, though they hadn't harmed anyone. After that, the Order decided that it was impossible to have a single Headquarters.

A week later, James reported that two Death Eaters had attempted to kidnap him when he was on his way to a meeting of the Order in a makeshift shack. Apparently their idea was to hold James as hostage in return of Harry.

Dumbledore took a grim view of this. "Someone is keeping Voldemort informed of your movements, James. It is too risky for you to continue normal work as a member of the Order."

James' heart sank as he realized what was coming.

"You have to go into hiding with Lily and Harry. There is no other option."

James did not protest. He could see that if he did not do as their former Headmaster said, he was only putting Harry's life in danger.

Before he was leaving, Dumbledore took him aside and asked, "Could I borrow your Invisibility Cloak for a few days?"

"Sure, Headmaster," said James, wondering what on earth he wanted with it.

--------------------

In late January, the Order scheduled meeting in the "Coach and Horses" in Iping, in view of a new law passed by the Ministry that people would be handed over to Azkaban without a trial if suspected of Dark activities.

Marlene came out of her house in the evening. Her parents and Doris had decided to skip the meeting. She hadn't gone seven steps before she heard a terrible scream from inside her house.

Marlene turned and dashed into the house. The first scene that greeted her was her mother lying on the floor, her eyes open, an expression of horror on her face. As Marlene made her way upstairs shakily, she saw that her father and sister were dead too.

Struck with horror and grief, Marlene sank to her knees, too dazed to realize that their killers might still be in the house.

Moments later, two hands closed around her throat.

--------------------

When Marlene woke up, she found herself tied and lying on the floor of a bare room. A guard at the door looked at her and called, "She's awake, my Lord."

"Thank you, Travers. You may go now," said the familiar high, cold voice. Marlene's heart went cold.

Voldemort entered the room.

"Marlene McKinnon...close friends of the Potters, I believe."

Marlene kept quiet, hoping her instincts were wrong.

"Where are Potters hiding?"

"I—I don't know."

"You do know, girl. Tell me immediately!" said Voldemort. Marlene still kept quiet. "You are at my mercy now, as you very well know." He came closer, and produced a knife from his pocket.

Marlene's heart sank as she recognized her own knife.

Before he struck however, he raised his wand and said, "Crucio!"

As she screamed and shook on the floor, she heard Voldemort's cold voice, "Where are the Potters?"

"I won't tell you!" Marlene tried to shout, but her voice came out weakly.

"Crucio! Where are James and Lily Potter hiding their son?"

Tears of helplessness came to her eyes. "You won't hurt them," she sobbed, as Voldemort cast another torture curse on her.

"Travers!" called Voldemort. "Bring in the Verisaterum."

Marlene felt more frightened than she had in her entire life. Her will was useless against a Truth Potion.

She needed the knife in her hand.

"Hey, Voldy! Remember the time I cut off your stinking nose?" called Marlene tauntingly.

Voldemort glared at her, his eyes glowing red. "You like to play with knives, my dear?"

--------------------

Sirius felt slightly worried when Marlene did not attend the meeting. Remus was not there either; it was full moon. After the meeting, he called Peter.

"Wormy, will you come with me? I need to check if McKinnon's all right."

"Yes, sure, Padfoot."

In the McKinnon household, Sirius and Peter saw the Dark Mark hovering in the sky, and the bodies of Marlene's parents and sister.

A deep foreboding played in Sirius' mind.

"What have they done with her?" asked Sirius, his voice betraying the fear he felt.

Peter hesitated. "They might be in Dudgeon Villa. We discovered it months ago, remember?"

Sirius frowned slightly. "I don't exactly remember," he admitted. "But let's go there anyway."

As they reached the villa, they scanned it from all sides. Though there were security guards on all sides, one angle seemed a little weakly protected.

"Come on, Wormtail." Sirius approached the villa from that side. He had walked a few feet when he realized that Peter was not with him. He turned and saw Peter stuffing something in his pocket.

"Peter!" called Sirius in a low voice. Peter hurried up to him, saying, "Dropped my watch."

As they reached near that side of the villa, however, Sirius frowned. "How did the security here get so thick? Have they spotted us?"

"I don't think so," said Peter.

"Then why—unless they knew..."

Voldemort's cold laughter echoed from a window.

"Now, we distract them," said Sirius decidedly. He took out a few Dungbombs from his pocket.

--------------------

"Imperio!" said Voldemort, handing Marlene her own knife. Controlled by the Dark Lord, Marlene bought the knife to her palm and traced by a deep line all over it.

Marlene gasped with pain. Voldemort laughed cruelly, evilly. "There you are, Travers. Well, the Veritaserum has to wait. Let's see her play with her knife first."

"The Veritaserum has arrived," thought Marlene at the back of her mind as, still under the Imperius Curse, she cut her own cheek.

In a few minutes, she would be forced to give up James and Lily's hiding place.

She couldn't do that. Harry was their best hope for winning this war.

Harry had to live. Lily was her best friend. She couldn't give them away...she couldn't give them away...

Her desperation made her will strengthen. As Voldemort's voice told her to cut off her nose, she managed to break the curse for a moment.

Marlene bought the knife to her throat instead and before anyone could realize, she pressed the knife to it.

Voldemort screamed in rage, "She can't be allowed to die yet! Call a Healer, Travers!"

Travers scurrified off, looking terrified.

"Davies is out, my Lord!" he called. Voldemort dashed out of the room too.

--------------------

Sirius climbed in through the window just as Voldemort left.

His heart stopped as he saw Marlene lying on the floor, holding her knife, a pool of blood around her.

"What did you do, Marlene?" he cried, rushing to her.

"Sirius..." whispered Marlene weakly. "He'll be back with the Healer. Go!"

"Why did you do this?" demanded Sirius, his head spinning.

"No...choice. We have to...win the...war..."

"Marlene—no, Marl—we'll take you to Mungo's..." Sirius lifted her limp body in his arms.

"No good...Sirius..." Marlene spoke with extreme difficulty. "Stay safe...I love you," she whispered.

Her eyes closed.

"No," cried Sirius, taking a shuddering breath. "Marlene..."

But Marlene did not respond.

Sirius stood up, still holding her. His eyes blazed. He jumped out of the window, miraculously landing on his feet. Guards shouted and started to run towards him. Sirius took out his wand, his heart pounding, anger overwhelming him.

Anger had always been Sirius' best partner in battle. He single-handedly defeated every single guard. He shot more than one killing curse, and killed more than once. He aimed only to kill, hurt and cause pain. Within a few minutes, the only conscious people in the place were Sirius, and Peter, who had shot a few stunners; and before Voldemort could come out, Sirius and Peter left the place.

Sirius held Marlene's body close to him till he had to give it up at St. Mungo's. That night, he found it difficult to sleep.

His heart felt as if a heavy weight was constantly pressing down upon it. He couldn't stop thinking about what a dreadful idiot he had been, to hurt Marlene without any fault of hers, to not tell her that he loved her, to let her die.

Marlene had killed herself for the cause of the war. Maybe she had been braver than all the people who had previously sacrificed their lives for the Order.

Marlene's blonde hair, deep blue eyes, awkward way of walking and talking kept flashing in front of her eyes. At last he gave in to the pain that was overwhelming him, and he let himself cry.

"It's all right," he mumbled to himself. "James is safe—James is all right...can't ask for more..." But this did nothing to stop the tears.

"I'm sorry, Marlene..."