Disclaimer: The characters within my story are not mine. Unfortunately, JK thought of them before me.
A/N: This is my first fic ever, so please be nice! Beginning may be a bit boring for some of you, but it gets better as it evolves, I promise.
Moments of His Life
Godric’s Hollow. Halloween night. 1981.
“Man, poor kid having to stay inside ‘in hiding’ on Halloween and not go trick-or-treating,” sighed James Potter as he tossed his one-year old son up in the air. Baby Harry just gurgled happily, while his mother Lily looked on.
He’s the spitting image of his father, she thought, only with my green eyes, I know James loves that. Aloud she said, “Well, he’ll have plenty other Halloweens, and he doesn’t even know what he’s missing.”
“Yeah, but I know what I’m missing!” James chuckled. “Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I used to be a master prankster of sorts.”
“Still are,” Lily teased.
“How could you say such a thing? You think I, a noble, mature, brave Potter would still be a prankster at my age?” James said in a mock hurt voice.
“Yup. And at the moment, swinging Harry in circles around my living room is not exactly the definition of a very responsible parent. And I don’t think you’re making Harry happy by making him dizzy.”
“Au contraire, mademoiselle. Ickle Harrykins is having the time of his life!”
Indeed, little one year old Harry bounced around happily, albeit slightly cross-eyed, as James plopped down with him onto the couch next to Lily.
“Ah, do you remember my Halloween prank in sixth year when I transfigured your head into a talking pumpkin?” James asked of his Lily.
“Yes, I never figured out how you did that!” she said as she laughed merrily. “And I seem to remember that I proceeded to pull out all of my seeds and smash them on your head before transfiguring your arms into bat wings. And you thought I was such an innocent little angel!”
“Well that’s because you are,” and he planted a quick kiss on her lips, “I love you Lily,”
“I lo”“
BOOM!
Something crashed and maniacal laughter filled the foyer of their house.
“Oh God…James…Harry…Pettigrew, he…what are we…”sputtered Lily, completely taken aback by the sudden attack.
James paled as he heard the subsequent bangs of Lord Voldemort searching the front room of their small cottage. The living room was in the very back, but it would take mere moments to get there. James grabbed her shoulders, looked her in the eye, and whispered, “Remember our plan. I will come meet you when I’m through with him.” Lily handed him Harry for James to hug.
“No James!” Lily whispered fiercely. “Now that it’s happening I can’t leave you here alone with him!”
CRASH.
The big oak French doors to the living room burst open, and there he stood, Lord Voldemort.
Panicking for a moment, James shouted as he shoved Harry back in Lily’s arms, “Lily, take Harry and go! It’s him! Go! Run! I’ll hold him off!”*
Lily, sobbing, grasped Harry tightly and ran from the room screaming, “I love you James!”
Up the stairs and into Harry’s bedroom, Lily had never gotten there faster, not even when Harry had had a fever, or the first night back from the hospital when she heard him cry in the night.
Calm down Lily, she ordered herself. Follow the plan.
The plan was simply this: while James dueled with Voldemort, Lily and Harry would grab a prearranged Portkey that would take them to Hogwarts, where they would take refuge. James would join them if, no when, he made it through the battle with Voldemort.
Shh Lily, it’s okay, we’ll get through this… Lily thought to herself, using the same soothing voice she always used to calm her Harry.
They had made a beautiful snow globe of Hogwarts that really snowed into the Portkey. It had no prearranged departure time, but would take her and Harry to Hogwarts whenever she touched it.
“But where is it?!” thought Lily desperately, knocking things off Harry’s dresser as she searched.
Just then, a green light, a rushing sound, a thud, and then a silence, a silence more terrible than any of the sounds before filled Lily’s ears. Then, maniacal laughter rang through the house and Lily knew that could only mean that James…
“NOOOOOO!” she screamed, and then cursed to herself, realizing she’d given away where she was hiding.
Footsteps were thudding up the stairs.
“Where is that blasted thing?”
BAM!
Voldemort had found her.
He was tall, with deathly white skin. Wand in hand. Pointing…behind her? At Harry. With one stride, Lily placed herself between her husband’s murderer and her son.
“Stand aside girl!” hissed Lord Voldemort.
“No, NEVER!” Lily screamed, past all reason, even forgetting the wand in her pocket.
“Imperio.”
Words were pounding through Lily’s brain.
Stand aside, get out of the way, you will live long and happily if you do as I say, Stand aside…
“Life?” a voice far away inside her head argued. “Would it really be life if James and Harry were both dead? But if Harry lived…”
“NO! Take me instead!” she cried as she broke free of the curse.
** “Stand aside you silly girl…stand aside now…”
“Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead--”
“Stand aside. Stand aside girl!”
“Not Harry! Not Harry! Please”I’ll do anything--”**
“AVADA KEDAVRA!”
And the world went white for Lily Potter as she heard her baby scream.
*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban pg 240 (US edition)
**Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban pg 179/239 (US edition)