James Potter, who was bored stiff of being trapped in his own home, conjured circles of multi-coloured smoke from the tip of his wand, just to amuse his one year old son, Harry. Upon seeing the pretty colours appear in the cosy living room, Harry clapped his hands gleefully, in a way only a one year old can. He giggled, and attempted to catch the smoke, looking puzzled as his chubby fingers passed straight through it. James smiled to himself. If he was destined to be as bored as a plank of wood, he would take it as his duty to ensure it wouldn't happen to his son. He conjured more smoke colours and watched as Harry became more and more curious as to why he couldn't hold the colours. He pointed to the circles. ''Da? Pitty cuhwus. Hawee haw dem?'' His emerald eyes gleamed with wonder as James chuckled.
"No Harry, you can't hold them." When Harry's face drooped, he quickly added, "Nobody can, see?" Hurriedly, James made more swirls of colourful smoke and showed his son that he couldn't hold them either. This brightened Harry's mood up but just to be sure, James made the colours glitter like fireworks. Harry cried out, leaning towards the smoke, his baby face alight with enjoyment.
The door opened then, and in came Lily Potter. She shook her head ruefully at her husband and son, saying "You had to get him hyper just before bedtime didn't you James?" She scolded lightly, not really meaning it, but Lily couldn't help smiling when Harry spoke again.
"Mama, pitty cuwus! Nobee hawd dem!" He reached out for Lily, and she gladly took him in her arms, cradling him to her. She sighed happily as Harry tucked his head into the crook of her neck placing a small hand on her cheek. "Ub oo mama." He mumbled, melting Lily's heart.
She rubbed her chin against the tufts of his black hair. "I love you too Harry." She was so grateful to have Harry, her little boy, so that even in dark times such as these that the Potter's found themselves in, she could find small amounts of happiness every day. And that was what her son gave her. Happiness. And the hope that a brighter future lay ahead of them. She lifted her eyes to meet James, who was watching them fondly. "I'm going to put him to bed. I love you James."
He smiled sadly. "Ok. I love you too Lily."
Because they lived in the fear of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named destroying the world they so comfortably lived in, they had begun to say this to each other every time either of them had to leave a room, a little safe-guard, a reassurance, so that if something terrible were to happen, they would both know how each of them felt.
James watched Lily carry Harry out of the room, his son playing with Lily's long red hair, and he stood up and stretched, yawning. As he grabbed his wand, sticking it in his pocket, he decided he'd go and call Sirius using the pair's two-way mirrors. However all such thoughts were banished from his mind, as panic over-took everything else, just from a simple glance out of the window on a Halloween Night. James watched in horror as a hooded figure moved from watching through the sitting room window to towards the Potter's front gate.
Terror-stricken he charged through to the tiny hall way to stand at the bottom of stairs. He would not let The Dark Lord touch his family. "Lily take Harry and go! It's him! I'll hold him off!"
Lily spun on her heel, half way up the stairs, and cried out in panic. "My wand is in the kitchen!"
James, with a surprisingly calm mind, summoned it, tossing it to her. "Take Harry and go! Run!"
"But James, I won't leave you!"
"Just go Lily please! Run, take Harry and go!"
Harry whimpered, shrinking into his mother, not liking the loud voices. Lily stroked his hair, and made up her mind. "James I love you!"
"I love you too Lily, now run!" And run she did, racing into Harry's little nursery at the top of the stairs, hating leaving her husband, but wanting to protect her son, she swithered between trying to wait for him or just running now. She peeked out of the door to see the hallway light up as You-Know-Who unlocked their front door. She saw James, standing poised, wand pointed straight at the door. Thinking too quickly she yelled, "Come with us James! We can apparate!"
Hearing this he carefully stepped up the stairs backwards, until Voldemort forced their door open. Immediately curses were fired from both men, red, green and purple lights illuminating all the way up the stairs. Lily remained where she was, clutching Harry to her, watching her husband's effort's to waylay the Darkest Wizard known to the Wizarding World.
Furiously, James alternated between firing curses, to creating shields, to slowly climbing the stairs towards escaping. Losing his temper he yelled, "Bombarda Maxima!" causing the ceiling to cave in above Voldemort. He then sprinted the remaining few stairs, wrenched the nursery door open, grabbed his wife and child to him, turned, and at that very moment, The Potter's vanished, once again escaping from the clutches of Lord Voldemort.
-CRACK-
The sudden noise cut through the night air and a family of three apparated just outside a small pub in Hogsmede. James and Lily clung to each other and their son, relieved for now, that they'd managed to get away. With his arm around his small family, James quickly knocked on the door of The Three Broomsticks. Harry started crying, he'd never apparated before. He wailed, tears streaming down his face. There were footsteps and the door opened slowly. A blonde woman peered out, and upon seeing the Potter's, she opened it fully and ushered them inside.
"Oh Lily, James, what happened? I thought you were in hiding? Didn't Dumbledore place the Fidelius Charm on you?" She led them upstairs, into her small flat.
"He did Rosmerta, but we must have been betrayed." James came to this shocking conclusion, which made Lily stumble going up the stairs.
She stared at James in shock before saying, "But James, he wouldn't betray us would he? I mean, we've known him for years! He's one of three of your closest friends!"
James shrugged tiredly, and turned his attention to Rosmerta. "Do you have floo powder Rosmerta?"
Unlocking the door to her private rooms, she nodded, and then asked, "Did..." she faltered off, before swallowing roughly. "Was it You Know Who? Did he go after you?" She glanced fearfully at James, offering a seat on her sofa for Lily. James stayed standing, pacing back and forth before the fireplace.
"Yes Rosmerta. He did come after us. It's a miracle we're all alive." He glanced at Lily, meeting her eyes as she rocked Harry, trying to get him to go to sleep. She smiled gently, reminding him of why he'd just duelled with the world's Darkest Wizard and survived.
Then the bar owner spoke up, "You wanted to use floo powder James?" she sat down next to Lily, reaching out for Harry's tiny fist, she too trying to soothe him.
"Aah yes." he spun on his heel, and found the glittery powder in a small bejewelled box on the mantel piece. He seized a handful and threw it into the flames, then knelt down and stuck his head in, calling "Dumbledore's Office!" For several minutes he called the Headmaster's name, and watched as his slippered feet approached the grate.
"Mr Potter? But what is wrong? Is everything ok?"
"No, nothing is ok sir. He found us Professor, and came to our home. We barely escaped. Harry and Lily are with me in Rosmerta's chambers, if you could come, we'll gladly explain."
The elderly man looked shocked. "Oh James, I am so very sorry. Everybody is ok I trust? Nobody was hurt?"
"We're all fine sir. A bit shaken up, as I'm sure you'll understand. Although Harry didn't take too well to apparating. Lily and Rosmerta are having trouble getting him to nod off to sleep."
"Oh my dear boy. I'll be there momentarily. Do you wish me to bring a calming potion for Harry?"
"That would be perfect sir. See you soon." and with that James pulled his head out of the fire, standing up again, going back to pacing. Harry was still crying, but now it was more of an exhausted cry, rather than anything else. Minutes passed until finally Dumbledore appeared, closely followed by Minerva McGonagall, who, straight away, rushed over to Lily, and managed to feed Harry the calming potion.
Rosmerta bustled off to fetch everyone drinks, McGonagall stared sharply at James, "What happened exactly?" She asked worryingly, her gaze softening slightly as she glanced at Harry, who was dropping off to sleep on Lily's shoulder, Lily rocking him gently. Sinking into an armchair, feeling rather drained, James told the story of their Hallow's Eve night.
After an hour of talking, James and Lily were offered a room above The Three Broomsticks, which they took gratefully, sinking into bed immediately. Lily kept Harry cradled to her, not wanting to let him go. James gazed softly down at his wife, who had fallen asleep straight away, realising how close he'd come to losing her. His Lily. Lily who willingly went into hiding with him, who stuck by him through everything and who he couldn't bear losing. And Harry. The little boy was sleeping peacefully now, clutching a fistful of Lily's red hair. The little boy who was constantly the light to his dark. Little Harry James Potter. A baby boy James knew would grow up to be an amazingly powerful wizard no matter what. James sighed, kissed Lily's hair, placed a hand on Harry and promptly fell asleep, his cheek pressed against Lily's forehead.
A/N
I always wondered what would have happened if James and Lily had survived. Would Voldemort look completely human? Would he be killed before Harry starts school, or would it be a long war drawn out into one instead of two? Would the missing connection between Harry and Voldemort make a huge difference? How would Harry benefit from having his parents bring him up and not the Dursley's? I'll try and answer these questions the best I can. If you wonder anything about this, feel free to tell me, as I haven't written anymore. This is more or less being thought up as I go along, although I do have a pretty solid idea. I can change it though!
This is my first solo Harry Potter fanfic that I've published so have faith! If I get any details wrong, please tell me so I can fix it! I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to things that I love.
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GryffindorGirlForever