Chapter One – The Beginning of the Beginning
The magical world had been holding its breath for the past three years, and now everyone had the chance to let that breath out.
After a year of traversing the globe, facing unknown dangers and permanently under attack from Death Eaters, Harry, Ron and Hermione had found and destroyed six of Voldemort's seven Horcruxes. His snake, Nagini, had been by far the most difficult; requiring her to be lured far enough from her masters side to be 'disposed of' as Ron so eloquently put it.
Once the six 'rogue' parts of Voldemort's shattered soul had been destroyed, the three of them, (much to Harry's displeasure, though it was not for lack of trying on his part) along with the Order and a double handful of valuable allies they had gathered on their journey, finally stood face to face with the man who had turned their world upside down. A mere man Voldemort then was, left with only one seventh of his broken soul. No longer virtually invincible, but as vulnerable as Harry himself.
Vulnerable to any attack that passed his powers that was.
Voldemort had also gathered followers, calling his Death Eaters to his side, pitching their powers into a battle of good versus evil. True to the cliché, good did triumph over evil, but at a terrible cost.
Harry was, of course, the one to finish Voldemort off for good, but not before he had been hit by several dark curses and the tail end of a 'sectusempra' on his shoulder, losing copious amounts of blood before the battle was over and he had at last saved the world from the evil reign of Lord Voldemort.
Ron, Hermione and the others had gathered among the casualties to console Harry as he stood over Voldemort's body, swaying with exhaustion. Ron and Hermione gathered him up in a bear hug, hearing Harry croak, "Funny. It wasn't Voldemort who killed me in the end, it was those bloody Death Eaters!"
Harry dropped to the ground, the pallor of Death spreading over his face.
Harry was not one to believe in 'out of body experiences', but now he had no choice. He finally felt relaxed and at peace for the first time in over three years. Floating above his body, he thought he looked as if he was just asleep. 'So peaceful' he thought to himself. "But so young." Whispered a voice behind him.
Harry whirled around to face the speaker as the voice began ringing bells of familiarity in his brain. He looked down a little and into the emerald green eyes that his own mirrored.
"Mum" Harry breathed, and stood gaping as the beautiful scarlet haired woman before him.
"Oh, Harry darling!" sobbed Lily Potter as she wrapped her arms around he son, squeezing him reassuringly. As Harry got a hold of himself and his hands around the waist of his long dead mother, he jumped when another familiar voice spoke out from behind him.
"Stop that Lily! You couldn't help yourself could you?" The voice was deep, warm and filled with surpressed laughter, Harry turned to face his father. James stood a little over two inches taller than Harry, and reached out to shake his son's hand, pulling him into a brief bear hug before releasing him.
"Dad, Mum, what are you doing here? What happened to me? Am I dead or something?" asked a baffled and scratchy voiced Harry.
Lily looked at him with unshed tears glistening in her eyes, and nodded. James, in turn, patted him on the back and told him, "But not for long by the looks of things." He pointed at the scene below, indicating the busy group working crazily over and around Harry's body. "But before you go, you are allowed to ask one question of each of us." He said, wrapping an arm around Lily's shoulders as he spoke.
Harry looked at his parents and thought carefully. This was going to be the only chance he would get for the rest of his life to obtain any sort of advice from either of his parents. Advice … what sort of advice would every guy in any world want to ask his father!
"Dad, how did you propose to Mum?" Harry asked quietly. James looked shocked, and Lily's eyes finally overflowed as she began weeping. "Umm, OK. Not quite the question I was expecting but there you go." He thought for a moment, took a breath, and began.
Your mother and I had been together since the beginning of our seventh year at Hogwarts, and I had known for nearly two years that she was the One. (at this point Lily looked at James and smiled a watery eyed smile) Even though I knew she was the one for me, I waited until nearly a year and a half after we graduated from Hogwarts. We had come back to Hogwarts to discuss some of the latest movements of Lord Voldemort. I had always known that Lily used to escape to the top of the Astronomy Tower to sit and think when she got too stressed or emotional. After meeting with Dumbledore, I told Lily to go up and wait for me, because I had to ask one of the professors who was in the Order a question. Once she had left, I went out to the grounds and took my broom out my pocket and flew up to meet her. I had organized with Dumbledore earlier to have it turned into a romantic retreat, complete with picnic basket, champagne and strawberries. She came out onto the roof of the tower and I was sitting, or should I say, kneeling in the middle of the floor with a ring box in my hand and told her that I had never, in my entire life, met someone who fitted me so perfectly. She was the only person who had complete control over my mind, body and soul. She was my everything and she was all that I needed for the rest of my life. I asked her to be my wife.
His story finished, James sighed happily and drew Lily close to his chest and kissed her. Lily allowed it for a moment, before pushing him away and looking at Harry expectantly. "Go on Harry, you are still allowed to as me a question."
Harry thought carefully again, and came up with an idea. "What song did you sing to put me to sleep when I was a baby?"
Both Lily and James looked at Harry and smiled. Lily took a step towards Harry, took his hands and began to sing. The song had no words, but was hauntingly familiar to Harry, raising goosebumps on his skin. Then James joined in, his soft deep voice complimenting Lily's sweet tone perfectly. They sang the song together until the end of the song, and looked from each other to Harry, who had a single tear of happiness trailing down his cheek.
"Thank You so much." Said Harry, wiping the tear away.
"It was our pleasure Harry, but if I may ask, why those questions?" enquired Lily.
Harry blushed and looked down at his feet. Looking up again, he answered softly, "I wanted to know how Dad proposed so I can propose to a girl the same way someday. And I wanted to know what song Mum sang to me so I can sing it to my own children." Lily and James bath felt their hearts swell with pride. Lily's eyes filled with tears again, as James looked down and nodded to her.
"It's time to go now Harry." Said James, hugging Harry again, this time lingering a bit longer, filling Harry with warmth. Lily too lingered longer than before, almost suffocating Harry with her hair. As she pulled back, she place two soft kisses on his cheeks, pulled his head down and planted another one on his forehead, before stepping back into James' arms and sobbing out loud into his chest.
"Goodbye Harry, we will always be watching over you. Never forget that will you?" James said softly and Lily nodded. "G – goodbye Harry. We love you darling." And she blew him a kiss.
"Goodbye Mum, Dad. I love you too." Harry whispered. His parents smiled and waved gently as they faded from view. Realising what their disappearance must mean, Harry looked down to see a healer leaning over his body with his wand pointed at his chest. There was a flash of light, Harry felt a slash of pain through his chest and brain, and then everything went black.