But in the minds of witches and wizards everywhere, the date holds a much more powerful importance. It is the night the world was delivered from the cold white hands of Lord Voldemort. The night two young parents met a horrific end trying to save the child that would live to be the downfall of the most powerful Dark Lord the world had ever seen.
That night, Lily and James Potter died protecting their son. Their bravery, devotion, and undying love were qualities that heroes possessed. By dying courageously, they gave their people a great and marvelous gift.
At least we think that’s what happened.
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Chapter One:
And This Is How It Starts
By Mem_Marie
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Lily looked at the sleeping baby before her through blood-shot eyes.
“This is wrong, ” she whispered, turning to the man standing beside her, his eyes focused on the baby.
James’ hand rested on her shoulder and she felt it tremble. His hazel eyes, once so bright and merry, were clouded and empty.
“I know.”
Lily bit her lip and nodded, feeling the blankness that she had become echo in the empty cavern of her chest. That feeling “ that lack of feeling “ was the reason for her actions. Even though it was selfish, even though it was wrong, even though it was sick, and twisted and pathetic, she wasn’t willing to do this anymore. This living in fearful hiding was killing her, slowly grinding her into oblivion.
And she couldn’t do it anymore.
The doorbell rang and the couple started, spinning around in momentary panic.
That was what they were reduced to. Scared of a doorbell.
James caught Lily’s eye and nodded. “This is it.”
Lily felt her body begin to shake, wild and violent contractions beyond her control, as she looked back at the baby. Her baby. Their baby. The tears were beginning to fall, running in salty streams down her blotchy cheeks. James grabbed her arm. “Lily, look at me.”
So she did. James looked horrible, his face inches from his wife’s. His eyes were dull and glassy, his skin papery and thin, revealing deep, bruise-like circles beneath his eyes. Lily almost flinched away from his corpse’s stare.
“Lily.” He was begging her, she knew. Begging her to let go. Begging her to be as strong as he was being. Not for herself, but for him. “Lily, stop crying.”
She took a deep breath. The doorbell rang again. James let her go, giving her one last glance before turning his eyes to Harry. She saw the way his eyes widened slightly, a look of terror scrawled across his features as he looked into the face of his infant son.
Before she followed him, her husband, the man she loved, the one she would follow to the ends of the earth, she looked once more at Harry, her baby. She took him in her arms, one last time, and held the fragile body to her bosom in something like agony.
“Harry,” she moaned, gently kissing her forehead. “I love you. Oh, God, I love you so much. Please, please, dear heart. Don’t hate your mummy and daddy. We love you. Oh, God, we love you. Forgive me, forgive me.”
She lay the child back on the soft blankets of his crib before walking away, backwards, in the direction her husband had went. Even as her small frame ducked around the doorframe her gaze stayed on the dozing child.
“I love you Harry.”
~*~
Susan and William Peters were simple people.
The only thing even slightly interesting tidbit about the two was the small detail that they were, in fact, wizards. Now, eighteen years old and freshly graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they were ready for their lives to begin.
You see, Susan and William were siblings, and, more importantly, orphans. Their whole life all they had had was each other, but now the world was their playground. Finally, it was time to spread their wings, leap into the wide world and test the air.
Both young people were good students, and good people. However, they both had a tendency to be shy and introverted - not at all helped by the fact that they had each other to latch onto. To the world they were nobodies. Put in the harshest tones: If they were to disappear off the face of the planet, no one would notice.
But all that was going to change.
~*~
The ginger-haired man walk rapidly down the cobblestone street. His blood-shot eyes swiveled to take in the surroundings, noting the bareness of the once-crowded street. Boarded up shops slid by as he approached his goal, unseen by his one-track mind.
He had been watching the couple ahead of him for quite some time, observing as they walked from shop to shop, inquiring for job openings. Times were hard, and they were yet to find an offer. All the better for Mundungus.
In a sweeping of his tattered and stained cloak, he entered the pub.
There, in the far corner, huddled as if frightened by the rooms other occupants, sat the boy and girl. Getting a drink, he cautiously moved to a booth near theirs. Watching them from beneath his hood, he decided he was wrong about them being a couple; they looked too much the same. Siblings, surely, maybe even twins.
Soon, he heard their conversation turn to work and Mundungus decided the time was right to make his move.
Both looked at him through startled eyes as he approached, but he just smiled.
“The name’s Dung, and I’ve got a proposition for the two of you.”
The kids “ whose names he had discovered to be Will and Susan “ had taken an excessive amount of persuasion to be convinced he wasn’t a dark Wizard. But he had convinced them. He always could.
So it was a whistling Mundungus Fletcher that stepped out onto a crowded sidewalk in Muggle London. He had done what he was told and was looking foreword to a substantial paycheck from one James Potter. And it had been so easy.
~*~
Susan looked over Will’s shoulder, her face a picture of nervous apprehension.
“Oh, Will, I just don’t know.”
Will turned his head towards her, the parchment he clutched in spread before him.
“I don’t either, Susan,” he muttered before once again surveying the simple message. “But, really, if we just owl… What could happen?”
Susan shrugged, eyes still dark with worry. With a sigh, she picked up the letter that had, as promised by Dung, arrived that afternoon.
One Male and One Female
To care for a year-old boy for one week (or more), whilst parents vacation.
Will be asked to drink Polyjuice Potion, to calm child
Substantial Wages
If interested, send reply owl
Placing once again on the table, she looked at Will.
“You can owl them, if you like.”
He smiled and reached up to ruffle his sister’s hair.
“Ok. I will.”
~*~
Three days later Will got his reply. And when he did he read it with his sister, both siblings wearing a look of extreme confusion bordering on skepticism.
It seemed a bit odd to both siblings that “J & L ” would be concerned with seemingly trivial facts like:
”How old are you?”
”Where do you live?”
”Where is your family?”
The parents said they wanted to be sure their son - Harry- was left only in the best of hands. That made sense, and the Peters really did try not to be judgmental.
Over the course of a week, the two pairs exchanged a fair deal of letters, each outlining exactly what the job would be. Eventually, William and Susan were given a date to come over and start their job; October 24th.
The only strange thing was the address that had been provided, if you could even call it an address, for the job site.
Please come to Godrick’s Hallow, and direct yourselves to the public park. At 11:45pm, you will see man walking in the park. He will be tall, with black hair and grey eyes, and good-looking. Ask him where the Potters live and, after that, say, “Oh wise and noble Dog-Star.” He will give you directions to the house.
Susan and Peter and stared at the letter for a fair time after it arrived, cynical looks on their faces. But in the end, they decided it was not their business, and simply prepared to leave on the 24th.
While Susan gathered up all their worldly possessions and little money they had, Will went and told the house matron of the orphanage they still called home that they would be absent for a week or more, and not to worry if they didn’t return promptly. As always, the Peters handled everything as efficiently as possible.
Then the Apparated to Godrick’s Hallow.
When they arrived at the park they looked for the man that had been described. He wasn’t there, so they sat down at a bench and talked - per usual - about the future. Their voices rose and fell joyously as the leaves “ in every color you could imagine “ swirled to the ground around them.
Not to long afterwards, a young man fitting the description they had been given arrived. They went to him, and did as they had been instructed. His face was serious as they confronted him, but when they intoned, “Oh wise and noble Dog-Star” in unison, a smile cracked his face. He chuckled and told them where to go.
Five minutes later, the Peter’s were standing on the front porch of a small and cutesy cottage-like house. As Will rang the doorbell, Susan turned to him and smiled, “I’ve always wanted a house like this.”
Will smiled back.
“I know what you mean.” He rang the doorbell once more.” I have as well.”
For a second nothing happened, and then, quite suddenly, the door swung inwards. The man in the doorway was tall, slim, and good-looking. But as Susan peered into his eyes “ a tawny hazel color “ she felt a chill. This man was badly hurt; the gloomy light positively radiated from his cloudy orbs.
But he smiled kindly, and beckoned them inside.
“You must be the Peters. Come in, come in.” He quickly looked over his shoulder. “I’m James, by the way, James Potter.”
He offered a hand to each in turn.
“Now, where is my wife?” he questioned, turning to look behind his shoulder. “There she is!”
A woman had just walked through a door behind James. Like him, she was young and good-looking. Her dark red hair fell in loose curls down her back, and her shockingly green eyes peered at the couple in front of her. She came to a stop at her husband’s side.
“Hello.”
Her voice was little more than a whisper, and it trembled as she spoke. At that moment Susan noticed just how thin and pale she was, and how bloodshot her eyes were. Alarm grew in her chest as she pondered what had gone wrong for the couple.
“Hello ma’m,” she replied, as did Will.
“Well,” said James, picking up the bags placed by the door, “we best be going.”
Susan was shocked. “Uh, you’re leaving already?” she stuttered out.
“Why yes, yes we are,” replied James, a forced smile upon his face.
“Don’t we need instructions?” asked Will, eyebrows raised.
“Just what we discussed in our letters: No matter what, you are us. And remember, when the man you met in the park comes in three days; just go with what he says. You are us.”
Will nodded, looking dumbstruck.
“Where is Harry?” questioned Susan, just realizing she had no idea.
James looked at her, and she saw something she didn’t understand in his face.
“In the nursery.”
He cleared his throat and tossed his head back.
“Yes, in the nursery. Anyway, all the other instructions “ rooms, food, ect. “ are written down on a note in the kitchen.”
He looked at them, and Susan once again saw that look settle on his face. Again, she pondered what was so horrible.
“We must be going now. But… Thank you, thank you so much.” He turned to Lily and nodded. “Come dear.”
She nodded, and he pulled open the door. As she followed her husband into the sunlight, she turned to face Susan. The look on her face; the horrible mixture of sadness, regret, fear, and disbelief she saw there was something Susan knew she could never forget.
“Susan,” Lily whispered. “Please, please take care of Harry. Protect him, no matter what. Please?”
As Susan looked back into Lily’s green eyes, she nodded. She would do as Lily asked, because she couldn’t imagine letting her down on something so important to her. At that moment she promised not only Lily but also herself, that she would protect Harry.
“I promise.”
And so their fate was sealed.