Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter...believe if I did he would be with Draco! Screw Ginny!

Preface: The Effects of the Prophecy

3rd Person POV - October 30th 1981

The Hog's Head Bar in Hogsmeade

"My dear, I am sorely disappointed in your performance tonight. As a Trelawney, I expected much more talent in the art of Divination." said Albus

Dumbledore. Sybil Trelawney was strangely silent. "Ms. Trelawney?" Albus questioned, concerned. Then she started speaking in a strange voice.

"A child of a follower most loyal to the Dark Lord will be the key to his destruction. For he has the power the Dark Lord knows not and even

surrounded by evil and malicious intent the power lives on. One must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives and

this child must stop the Dark Lord from completing his quest. For if the Dark Lord completes his quest it will be the destruction of us all." Peter

'Wormtail' Pettigrew, was in the bar at the same time and he heard bits and pieces of what they were saying,

"A child of a follower most loyal to the Dark Lord-"

"key to the his destruction-"

"One must die at the hand of the other-"

"Hey!" a shout from the bartender, Aberforth, pulled Wormtail out of his trance.

"Get out of my bar! You don't listen to other peoples conversations here!" Wormtail shuffled out of the bar slowly and heard the very last words,

"If the Dark Lord completes his quest it will be the destruction of us all." He left the bar, touched the Dark Mark on his arm and Disapparated with

a crack.

1/2 hour later - Riddle Mansion

"Milord, I have important news for you."

"Yes please...do share Wormtail." Lord Voldemort said sarcastically, while stroking the head of his snake Nagini.

"There is a prophecy Milord, about you." This seemed to interest Voldemort and he said,

"Yessss, Wormtail, what about me?"

"There is a child, my lord, a child of one of your loyal followers that is the key to your destruction." "My destruction!" Voldemort raged. "I cannot be

destroyed! I am Lord Voldemort, I am invincible! CRUCIO!" Wormtail writhed and screamed under the pain of the curse. Voldemort lifted the curse

after a minute. "Please...continue." Gasping for breath, Wormtail continued his tale,

"You must kill him, or when he grows older he will kill you. And there is a quest you need to complete and if you do it will be the destruction of the

Light."

"Wormtail, this is news for celebration, if you are correct of course."

"One more thing milord?"

"Yesss Wormtail?"

"I know where the Potter's are hiding."

The Next Evening – Malfoy Manor

"You wished to see us milord?" asked Lucius Malfoy, next to his wife Narcissa, who were both bowing before Voldemort.

"Yessss, Lucius, the raid at the Potter's went off well, but I'm afraid I have a rather grim piece of news to share with you." They nodded. "Rise

Lucius, Narcissa," They stood. "First, how is your son, Draco?" They both shared a puzzled look.

"He is fine, my lord, sleeping upstairs in the nursery." answered Narcissa.

"Shall we see him?" Voldemort asked. Another puzzled look was shared between the two Malfoys but they led Voldemort upstairs to the nursery

where Draco was sleeping, unaware of what their Lord had planned. Narcissa opened the door quietly as not to disturb the sleeping baby inside.

"Here he is my Lord."

"He looks very much like you Lucius, but he has your mouth Narcissa.. You must be very proud of him."

"Yes my lord, very proud." answered Lucius.

"Too proud. This child will be my destruction!" Voldemort hissed.

"My lord, he is just a child!" exclaimed Narcissa.

"But not for long, Narcissa! He is the child of the prophecy. 'A child of a follower most loyal to the Dark Lord will be the key to his destruction.' Does

that sound like anyone to you, Lucius?" Lucius looked completely taken aback and Narcissa was slowly inching towards to crib with a wide-eyed

expression of fear, abandoning the Malfoy Mask completely.

"'One must die at the hand of the other'...It must happen Lucius! I understand that he is your only child and it is a shame to kill the heir of one of

the most prestigious pureblood families but it has to be done, surely you can see my reasoning, Lucius?" He nodded slowly, fearing for his families'

lives, just trying to buy them a little more time. "Bella, show yourself!"

"Revelio" A high-pitched voice said next to the crib, revealing Bellatrix Lestrange, carrying none other than Harry Potter in her arms.

"Good! Now put him in the crib next to Draco." She did so, Narcissa looking on in horror. "Now Narcissa, move out of the way, this needs to be

done."

"No! Draco is my son! And Harry is but an innocent child! I have condoned your heinous actions for long enough! You will not kill these

children...not without going through me!" exclaimed Narcissa in outrage.

"And me." said Lucius walking across the room to stand next to his wife, both of them drawing their wands.

"I don't have time for this! Bella?" She had her wand pointed at Lucius and the Dark Lord's was pointed towards Narcissa. Then they both

screamed at the same time, before they even had a chance to think, "Avada Kedavra!" and they both slumped down to the floor, dead. Then

Voldemort pointed his wand at the small Potter child that had vexed him for so long. "Avada Kedavra!" Then there was an explosion. When the

smoke cleared one could see Bellatrix on the floor, unconscious. Lucius and Narcissa dead, and Draco and Harry lying together in the crib glowing

with their newly formed magical bond. But Voldemort...was gone.

*Flashback* - The Previous Day - A random hilltop

Severus Snape was standing on the hilltop to which he had just apparated to, gripping his wand tightly in his hand, waiting for something, or for

someone...Then a blinding, jagged jet of white light flew through the air and Severus dropped to his knees and his wand had flown out of his

hand.

"Don't kill me!" he shouted.

"That was not my intention." Dumbledore responded. He stood before Severus with his robes whipping around him, and his face was illuminated

from below in the light cast by his wand. "Well Severus? What message does Lord Voldemort have for me?"

"No-no message - I'm here on my own account!" Severus was wringing his hands: He looked a little mad, with his straggling black hair flying

around him. "I come with a warning- no a request- please-" "What request could a Death Eater make of me?"

"The-the prophecy...the prediction...Trelawney.."

"Ah, yes," said Dumbledore. "How much did you hear from Lord Voldemort?"

"Everything Wormtail told him!" said Severus. "That is why- it is for that reason- he thinks it means Lily Evans and my godson Draco!"

"The prophecy did not refer to a woman," said Dumbledore. "It spoke of a Death Eater's child and a quest."

"Yes! The quest to kill the Potters! He is going to hunt them down- kill them all- and Draco..."

"If Lily and Draco mean so much to you," said Dumbledore, "surely Lord Voldemort will spare them? Could you not ask for mercy for Lily and Draco

in exchange for James and Harry?"

"I have- I have asked him-"

"You disgust me," said Dumbledore. Severus seemed to shrink a little. "You do not care, then, about the deaths of Lily's husband and child? They

can die as long as you have Lily and Draco?" Severus said nothing, but merely looked up at Dumbledore.

"Hide them all, then, keep them safe...please."

"There isn't much I can do about young Draco. You need to warn the Malfoys and if they come to me seeking refuge my door shall be open to

them."

"And-and Lily?"

"She, her husband, and her son are rather protected by the Fidelius Charm. But Severus, what will you give me in return?"

"In-in return?" Severus gaped at Dumbledore, but after a long moment said, "Anything."

Present Day – Malfoy Manor

Almost immediately after leaving Dumbledore, Severus was called to a Death Eater meeting, planning the raid on the Potters, one that for once,

he wanted no part in. Then after that an Order Meeting, his first one as a Double Agent. Between all of that and sleep he wasn't able to warn the

Malfoys about Draco's impending demise until now. So when Severus flooed into to Lucius's study and found it strangely quiet in the Manor, he

called a house-elf to find out what was going on.

"What is Master Severus need from Dobby sir?"

"Did anything...unusual occur here some time recently?"

"Oh yes sir! There was a big explosion, all of the elves felt it sir!"

"Where was it coming from?"

"The nursery sir. We was trying to get to Master Draco, Master Lucius, and Mistress Narcissa, but we couldn't sir! We couldn't! Dobby will go iron hands now sir."

"Dobby wait! Show me to the nursery." Dobby ran off, Severus following quickly behind him, his robes billowing out in his usual manner.

"We are here now sir." Dobby said stopping in front of an ajar door with pieces of rubble lying about blocking the entrance.

"Wingardium Levosia" Severus said and the rubble levitated itself out of the way. Severus ran into the room, either not caring about or not seeing

the danger of the ceiling looking about ready to collapse. "Lucius! Narcissa! Draco!" He looked around but could see nothing and no one in the

oppressive darkness. "Lumos" Severus said and his wand tip lit up displaying the room. Straight ahead of him was the crib and tears nearly

escaped Severus's eyes at the sight before him, seeing Lucius and his wife slumped on the floor, dead, and knowing that his godson, Draco was

most likely dead inside the crib. He had to look, had to confront one of his worst fears. He stepped up to the crib and looked down inside of it and

what he saw shocked him to his very core. Draco was lying in the crib, very much alive sleeping curled up next to an equally alive, but also

sleeping...Harry Potter. He looked around the room. The Dark Lord was no where to be seen and his Dark Mark was fading rapidly. Was it really

happening? Had the prophecy been true, and the Dark Lord defeated by two mere infants? It was astounding to Severus and his mind was

boggled. Then he heard soft breathing from the corner and turned around as fast as lightening. Bellatrix Lestrange lay there, unconscious.

Severus bound her and portkeyed her right to the Ministry. They would deal with that insane murderous woman. He picked up Draco from the crib

and let him settle into his arms. He sighed his face contorting into a slight smile, an expression so rare that it looked like a grimace. Then looking

down at the other sleeping boy in the crib Severus saw Harry's eyes pop open. He stared at Severus in an eerie way with those green eyes, so

much like his mother, Lily's. Then he reached out and unsure what to do Severus placed Draco back in the crib and made to pick up Harry, but now

he had gone back to sleep and Draco was curled around him, both of them glowing. 'They-they are bonded...but that can't be...' Severus thought.

But it was, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter were magically bonded. Severus, knowing that the boys couldn't be separated now at this crucial stage

of the bonding, transfigured Draco's carrier big enough to fit two children, strapped the two sleeping babies inside, and carried them out of the

destroyed nursery to Lucius's study. He had some bad news to tell Dumbledore.

The Next Evening - Hogwarts - The Headmaster's Office

Draco Malfoy was not a happy baby. He was crying, and crying, and crying, and no matter what Severus did to soothe him he just wouldn't be

quiet! Severus didn't understand what was wrong, they had waited the custom waiting period of a day before Draco and his bonded were

separated. He shouldn't be crying like this. He paced around the room, tempted to pull his hair out. 'What on earth is wrong?' Severus wondered.

Then the fireplace flared and Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the Floo. "Ah, Severus. Draco is making quite a racket I see?"

"Yes! And I have no idea what is wrong with him. Not in the slightest! Maybe you can shed some of your...expertise in the matter?" Severus

snarled at him, irritated, and tired from lack of sleep.

"There is nothing we can do Severus except hope he calms down, he is feeling the loss through the bond very keenly as far as I can tell."

"When can we go home?" He asked, desperate for his warm bed at Spinners End.

"Severus...you can't take Draco." Severus was startled out of his stupor.

"What? I am his godfather, his legal guardian! Why can't I take him?"

"I'll explain, for I know many things about Voldemort that I doubt even Bellatrix, his closest follower, knows."

"What? What do you know?" Severus asked.

"Voldemort...will return."

A Few Hours Later - Ted and Andromeda Tonks's House

A few sharp raps echoed on the front door of Ted and Andromeda Tonks's house. They were in their room sleeping and down the hall was their

eight-year-old daughter, Nymphadora. Andromeda blearily stirred at the sound and when she heard it again she fully woke up. Shaking her

husband Ted, awake in case it was a threat they made their way towards the front door, wands drawn and raised.

"Who's there?" called out Andromeda.

"It's Severus Snape. Don't curse me! I've switched sides." Andromeda opened the door a crack, despite her husbands protests.

"What is your purpose for being here?" she asked him testily, still not trusting him.

"As the bearer of news, both good and bad."

"Well, get on with it."

"The bad news is that your sister, Narcissa, and her husband were both killed last night by the Dark Lord and your other sister Bellatrix." She

gasped in horror. "Leaving their son, Draco, an orphan." "Oh...my..god.."

"The good news being...The Dark Lord is defeated. The light has won." She opened the door wider, inviting Severus in, her expression a mixture

of joy and sorrow. Then in the light she saw the baby in Severus's arms.

"Is that..?"

"Yes this is Draco...you being the only living relative not incarcerated you are his official guardian." "Oh..my..god..." She backed up and leaned on

the wall for support. "This is really happening?" She asked Severus. He nodded. "Oh Ted!" She exclaimed, hugging him and sobbing into the mans

arms. When she calmed down she asked Severus, "Can I hold him?" He handed over Draco with a slight reluctance. He was sleeping now, but

there were tear tracks on his face, and red puffy eyelids from crying over the loss of his bonded, Harry. "Just a baby...and already an orphan..."

Andromeda whispered, rocking Draco in her arms. Severus put his hand on her shoulder in support.

"You will raise him well."