A story born out of my curiosity about what exactly happened the night Voldemort came to Godric's Hollow with the intent of killing Harry, but instead left in pieces. The brief snapshot of James' and Lily's eleventh hour we're still waiting for JKR to provide us with.

All characters belong to the talented JKR. Any underlined bits represent wording or phrases borrowed from canon to help with continuity.


The sound of a child's cry awakened James Potter, and opening his eyes, he sat up in bed. Next to him his wife stirred.

"Harry's up, I'll go get him," Lily murmured sleepily.

In the dark, James' hand found Lily's shoulder. "No, you sleep, I'll go to him."

"Thanks, sweetie- 'preciate it…" Lily yawned and laid her head back on her pillow.

James reached towards his bedside table for his wand. With a "Lumos!", a soft glow illuminated the bedroom, and putting on his eye glasses, then slipping a night robe over his pajamas, James quietly left the room and crossed the hall into the bedroom directly across from his and Lily's. From the doorway he could see his son in the wand light, standing up in his crib, holding onto the bars, and whining softly.

As his father turned on a single gas lamp with the wave of his wand and approached, the little boy reached his hands up towards James' and puckered up his teary face, "Da-Da!"

James placed his wand in the pocket of his robe, reached into the crib and gently lifted the boy up into his arms, "What's the matter, Harry?" He bounced the baby as he turned from the crib, "Did my little guy have a bad dream?" Harry nuzzled his face into his father's shoulders and gave a small little sigh.

Stroking Harry's head full of messy black hair, James made his way downstairs and sat down in a rocking chair in front of the fireplace in the living room. The fire, which had been roaring less than two hours ago, was now reduced to a few burning embers that crackled and popped as James rocked back and forth in the chair, whispering soothing words to Harry.

A few minutes later, James heard a creaking on the stairs. Looking up from the child in his arms he saw Lily, night robed and red hair flowing over her shoulders, enter the living room.

"I told you to keep sleeping, Lils," James softly admonished his wife. "Harry'll be back to sleep soon, you don't have to worry."

"Nah, if you're up with him, I'll be up too," Lily responded. She turned towards the swinging door that lead to the kitchen. "Do you want some tea?"

James smiled at Lily, "Sure, if you're making some," Lily disappeared into the kitchen. In a few moments he heard the kettle whistling and the sounds of Lily rummaging through the cabinets for tea bags and cups. Soon she returned with a steaming cup of tea in her hand.

"Didn't you want any?" James asked.

Lily shook her head. "Nah, changed my mind." She held out the cup to James. "Trade ya."

Carefully James handed Harry over to Lily as he took the cup full of tea from her hands. Lily sat down on the rug in front of the fire with Harry in her arms as James sipped the tea from his rocking chair. Lily tried to cradle the little boy in her arms, but he resisted and clumsily tried to stand up.

"Look at him- we put him to bed less than three hours ago and he's wide awake again. He hasn't been sleeping through the night lately," Lily said, laughing softly and curling her knees up to her chest and placing Harry on top of them.

"Neither have you," James looked at his wife over the top of his tea cup.

Little Harry gurgled happily as Lily, holding his hands, bounced him on her knees. "Yeah," she sighed. "It's just that I've just been worried, that's all."

"About…?"

Lily gave James a piercing stare with her vibrant green eyes as if he should have known.

"About everything. Whether or not we made the right choice about going into hiding, about all of our friends out there unprotected, about how long it will take before the War is over, about whether or not Harry will have to grow up sequestered in this house for the rest of his life…"

James got up off the rocking chair and sat down next to Lily, putting his arm around her.

"Don't talk that way. I know it seems hopeless now, but sooner or later it will all be over. Voldemort will be defeated, the Death Eaters imprisoned, and life will return to normal. We won't have to hide forever; it's only for a short time."

Lily wiped a single tear that was running down her cheek with the back of her hand and tried to smile. "I know you're right, James. It's just that I miss our friends so much, and I feel so useless sitting here at home while the rest of the Order is out fighting. I feel like we took the easy way out."

"No," James shook his head, "We did what we had to do. Don't you remember what Dumbledore told us? A Prophesy was made about a little boy, a boy just about Harry's age, whose parents had stood up to Voldemort three times…"

"Oh, that Prophesy," Lily interrupted him, sighing skeptically, and waving her hand around. "James, you know I never put much faith in Divination. It's so hazy, so inconsistent. I just don't believe it is true."

"It doesn't matter what we believe, Lily. Only what Voldemort believes about this prophesy is what counts. And the Prophesy said that the boy, who ever he might be, has the power to defeat him; Dumbledore was certain that this was something Voldemort wouldn't take lightly. We had to hide Harry or Voldemort would have come for him for sure."

"Harry's just a baby, how can he possibly have the power to defeat Voldemort?"

James shrugged. "I don't know, Lils. All we know is what Dumbledore told us, and I trust his judgment completely."

"I do too, James, and it is comforting to know he believes we did the right thing…" Lily lapsed into a pensive silence. After a minute it looked as if she wanted to say something, but was hesitant to do so.

"I know that look, Lily, there's something else on your mind," James said knowingly, reading his wife's expression.

"The Prophesy isn't the only reason we're hiding…"

James' face turned uncharacteristically dark, "We said we weren't going to discuss that ever again,"

Lily didn't back down. "James, you can't tell me you haven't wondered who the spy could have been. I've laid awake nights trying to figure it out."

"I know exactly who the spy is, and no amount of convincing will sway my opinion." James said firmly.

"How long are you going to blame him for everything bad that happens?" Lily asked exasperatedly. "Besides, Dumbledore said he believed the spy was someone in the Order."

"I don't believe that," James said tightly. "None of our friends would ever betray us or the Order." He quickly changed his tone. "Please, let's not talk about this anymore; it will only cause an argument… and seeing as how you're my only adult company in the house, I'd rather that we remain on speaking terms with each other." He pulled Lily close to him, and wrapped his arms around her and Harry.

Lily laughed and agreed to drop the subject. "But don't think it won't cause me anymore sleepless nights, because it will."

"Put it out of your head, love, our Secret is safe with Peter, we're secure right where we are." James gave Lily a reassuring squeeze.

A few minutes passed as they sat in silence in front of the dying fire, James cradling Lily in his arms, and Lily in turn cradling Harry. None of them made a sound as they enjoyed the comfort of having each other close.

"What do you think the guys are up to at this very moment?" Lily broke the silence, sounding determined to be more upbeat.

"I wish I knew." James laughed and looked up at the clock above the mantle; it read fifteen minutes to midnight. "It's almost Halloween."

Lily yawned slightly and shifted in James' embrace. "Do you remember Halloween in seventh year when you and Sirius somehow snuck a whole bunch of imps in the girls' dormitory?"

"Oh yeah, that was funny!" James chuckled. "It took us weeks to collect 100 imps for that caper."

"They caused a horrible mess- overturned my bed, shattered an antique mirror, set fire to Suzie Merkoff's wardrobe, and plucked out all the feathers of two very unfortunate Hogwarts' owls that happened to be delivering Halloween packages from thoughtful parents."

"Hehehe," James laughed. "You came storming down the girl's staircase; imps tangled about in your hair, and immediately hit me with the Leg Binder hex."

It was Lily's turn to laugh. "Well, you deserved it."

"But funny how you just automatically assumed the culprit had been me..."

"Who else could it have been? Although, you have to admit, I attempted to be fair and impartial, because I did try to hex Sirius as well, if you recall…"

"Attempted being the word, because Remus stopped you," James reminded Lily.

"Poor Peter wouldn't make contact eye contact with me for a week after that- one look at him and he'd go tearing from the Common Room." Lily chuckled.

"Well, who can blame him, after such a nasty display of temper such as that?" James teased.

"Oh, please, any other self respecting person would have done the same after immature pranks."

"Immature pranks or not, that didn't stop you from finally going out with me two weeks later."

"Yeah, well, it was a pity date- Sirius told me you were going to throw yourself off Gryffindor Tower if I didn't finally go out with you, and I couldn't have lived with the guilt of being the cause of your demise on my conscience."

James grinned to himself and kissed the back of his wife's head. "Pity or no, I'm glad you accepted the date," he murmured softly.

"Me too," Lily reciprocated, leaning her head back onto James' shoulder. James leaned in closer and placed his cheek against the side of Lily's temple. Little Harry gurgled happily and continued to bounce up and down on his mother's knees.

"You're glad Mummy went out with Daddy too, aren't you, Harry?" James laughed, touching his son's cheek gently. Harry reached out and grabbed hold of James' index finger. "Woah, strong grip!" James teased Harry and pretended to try to wrestle his finger from Harry's grasp.

Lily ruffled Harry's hair and yawned, looking up at the clock. "It's just after midnight, James, we really should get him back to sleep."

"Yeah, I'm getting a sleepy myself," James stretched and taking Harry from Lily, stood up, helping Lily up from the floor as well. "I'll stay up and rock Harry to sleep, if you want to go right back to bed."

Another big yawn escaped from Lily's mouth. "I just might take you up on that offer, thanks, sweetie." Lily rocked up onto her toes to kiss James good night; James bent down to reciprocate.

As soon as their lips parted there was a sound like tinkling crystal that reverberated throughout the house.

"What's that?" James asked.

"The Doorbell Charm, I installed it just a few days before we Dumbledore told us to go into hiding. It is set to go off when someone passes through the front gate," Lily said, her brow crinkling slightly. "Could it be Peter coming to visit?"

James frowned. "I told him for his protection not to come anywhere near Godric's Hollow. He should be hiding in London under the guise of caring for his sick mother. It's probably a raccoon, or something like that."

"No," Lily shook her head. "The charm only detects humans," A note of panic crept into her voice as it dropped to a whisper. "James, what if someone's found us?"

"Impossible." James said steadfastly. "The Fidelis Charm is infallible as long as the Secret Keeper doesn't compromise the Secret. And Peter would never tell anyone where we are. It's probably just Muggle prowlers that think the house is deserted."

"Shouldn't we chase them away?"

"Nah, they won't be able to get past the Impenetrable Charm we set on the house."

Suddenly a sound like a clap of thunder exploded around them, and the house shook to its' very foundation as the very Impenetrable Charm James had just mentioned was destroyed. With widened eyes James and Lily looked at each other, then turned around to face the door just in time to see an eerie green light shine through the key hole.

Without a moment's hesitation James shoved Harry into Lily's arms. "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him!" The front door started to open slowly. Through the widening crack Lily could see the tall shape of a heavily cloaked man.

Lily's breath caught in her chest and she felt like a thousand tons of icy water was washing over her "Oh, my God, Peter… what have you done!" she whispered in despair, realizing she and her husband had been betrayed.

"Go! Run! I'll hold him off! Lily, run!" James shouted as he pulled his wand from his robe.

Lily stumbled blindly from the room, bursting through the swinging door and into the kitchen. As she went, James whipped around, threw his wand arm out in front of him and shouted "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A silver stag erupted from the end of his wand and charged at the dark figure moving slowly towards him. The Patronus attempted to bowl over the cloaked man, but with a slight flick of his wand, the Patronus hit an invisible barrier as it charged forward and dissolved into nothing.

The cackle of Lord Voldemort's high-pitched laughter filled the house.

"James Potter, you disappoint me. You should know a simple little Patronus can do no harm to me." Voldemort said mockingly, his voice cold and eerily even.

"Leave my house!" James shouted as he sent a hex forward towards the ever approaching Voldemort, who deflected it.

"I don't know why you bother fighting me, Potter, you won't win. No one can defeat me. And you are wasting my time; I have business to attend to. AVADA…"

James stood his ground and mustered all of the strength inside his soul. "PROTEGO!"

A small explosion burst from the tip of his wand, and a shimmery protective bubble formed around him.

"KEDAVRA!" A green jet of light shot out from Voldemort's wand as he finished the incantation. It sped quickly towards James, until it reached his protective shield, where it seemed to slow down a fraction. James felt a surge of triumph as it seemed that the charm might hold off the deadly curse, but realized too late that the green jet had not lost momentum. In a fraction of a second, it seemed that innumerous scenes flashed before his eyes: the first time he rode a broomstick, getting his Hogwarts letter, meeting Sirius, Remus, and Peter on the train in first year, sitting with the Sorting Hat on his head while it shouted out "Gryffindor!", his proposal to Lily, Harry's birth, Dumbledore telling him about the prophesy but trying to warn him that there may be a spy in the Order's midst, asking Peter to be his and Lily's Secret Keeper.

"Peter, why?" James thought. Confusion, anger, and full realization of Peter's treachery finally hit home as the green jet struck his chest. The Killing Curse took effect and James' body fell to the floor.

Without so much as a second look at his victim, Voldemort Disapparated.

Lily scrambled through the kitchen and up the back stairs as she heard Voldemort's evil cackle, holding onto Harry tightly, and her mind racing a mile a minute. She knew her wand was in her and James' bedroom and that if she could just get her hands on it she could Dissaparate away.

"Accio wand!" Lily cried as she burst through the bedroom door. Somewhere downstairs she heard the voice of her husband shout words she could not quite make out.

Lily's wand sped towards her and she caught it tightly in her fist. A wave of relief spread over her as she raised it to Dissaparate, but before she could perform the spell, a large crack filled the room, an evil voice lazily said "Expelliarmus!", and her wand flew out of her hand and across the room.

The force of the Disarming Charm knocked Lily forward. As she fell, she lost her grip on Harry and he went falling frontward with alarming velocity, landing- mercifully- unhurt on the bed. Lily fell hard next to him, and only had a split second to roll herself between her son and Voldemort, who approached the foot of the bed.

Voldemort pulled back the hood of his cloak, revealing his snakelike face and menacing red eyes. "Step aside, Lily Potter," he commanded in his cool and unnervingly steady voice. "Step aside, it's the child I came for."

"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please, I'll do anything!" Lily screamed in terror, pressing herself harder against the bed, trying to shield her son the best she could.

"Stand aside, you silly girl!" Voldemort's voice now had a hint of urgency in it. "ACCIO CHILD!"

Lily was pushed roughly forward as an invisible force whizzed Harry into the air. She recovered quickly and leapt up with out stretched arms and plucked her child out of the air, landing squarely on her feet beside the bed.

Voldemort hissed with rage. "Hand over the boy now!"

At that moment, Lily's heart was filled with sadness. She realized if Voldemort was standing right in front of her, that James was laying somewhere downstairs dead and that she and Harry would be dead in a few moments' time as well if she didn't do something.

Lily started backing away from Voldemort, thinking desperately.

For every step Lily took away from him, Voldemort took one step towards her. "It would be a shame to kill you, girl, I've heard you are a talented witch. Give me the boy, join me, and I will spare you. A measly child is no great sacrifice for the power and glory you could gain by following me."

Lily could hardly believe her ears; Voldemort actually believed that she as a mother would accept an offer like that? He didn't believe that there wasn't anything she wouldn't do to save her son? Lily looked down at the boy she was clutching so hard to herself that he was starting to whimper. Harry was her own flesh and blood, she had carried him inside of her for nine months, and there was not anything she would deny him, even if it meant giving her own life.

Immediately love flooded into her heart, flushing away all of the despair she had felt when Voldemort arrived at her and James' doorstep, and the sweeping away the crippling sadness she had felt moments before. Forgetting everything and everyone else she was overcome with her love for Harry. That love gave her the clarity of mind to remember a charm she had read about years ago in an ancient book, and the courage to do what was necessary.

Lily clutched Harry securely to her chest, stopped backing away from Voldemort, planted her feet firmly on the floor, and looked bravely up into the piercing red eyes of the wizard standing before her.

"Hand over the child, Potter," Voldemort commanded, a tone in his voice hinting that this was her last chance. "Give him to me and I will spare you,"

"You will have to kill me first, because I will never give my son to you," she said slowly and defiantly, her chin held high.

Voldemort sneered and raised his wand. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Lily's lifeless body slumped to the floor, with Harry still in her arms. Harry gave a startled cry as the impact from the fall jostled him out of his mother's embrace and he landed on his back, looking up at the ceiling.

"Foolish woman, what has your courage bought you but a grave? Only the weak are willing to die for something they believe in- dying grants you nothing; only the strong realize that staying alive at all costs is the only way to win against the wills of others." Voldemort thought triumphantly as he picked up Harry, making a face as if touching a baby was something distasteful, and sat Harry on the bed. For a full minute he looked down into the face of the boy who, according to the overheard Prophesy would have the power to defeat him, searching for a sign or a clue to the source of this young child's potential.

"I see nothing in this child that even hints him as having any special powers at all, alone powers enough to defeat me," Voldemort thought victoriously.

However, Harry was staring up at Voldemort with an unblinking stare uncharacteristic of a child so young. Accustomed to witches and wizards cowering before him where ever he went, Voldemort grew angry that even after the events of the past fifteen minutes the boy had not shown fear and was able to sit there on the bed unaffected by his probing gaze.

"Avada Kedavra," No exclamation, no heated words, no rushed incantation exited Voldemort's lips as he pointed his wand at Harry's forehead, and spoke the Killing Curse with a calm satisfaction.

Unexpectantly, there was the sound of a colossal explosion and a blinding flash of green light as the curse hit Harry, but somehow rebounded back onto Voldemort. Confusion and pain as he had never felt before engulfed Voldemort as his soul was torn from his body.

Every edifice in the village of Godric's Hollow shook as the Potter home was razed to the ground by the magical detonation. However, none of the neighbors- all of them being Muggles who assumed there had been a freak earthquake- bothered to look out their windows to investigate further, thus Harry Potter, who had miraculously survived the attack, was not found until a little more than an hour later when Rubeus Hagrid discovered little him amidst the rubble, fussing and whimpering, but otherwise unharmed and undamaged, save for the curious lightening bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

I do enjoy feedback, so please don't be shy!

And now for the post story comments I cannot help from posting: characters are supposed to coincide with my other fanfic "Summer Holiday" which has suffered somewhat of a holiday itself. I do have plans to finish that story though, and tie it all in with this one, thus making James' and Lily's argument about the spy a little more clear. Any guesses now who James thought the spy was? Also, the book Lily remembers in the end of this story is in Summer Holiday.

I had to flub James' Patronus as I had no clue as to what it was!