Chapter One

Halloween 14 Years Ago

'Aren't you the most beautiful baby' crooned Lily to the baby that lay peacefully in his crib,

The baby had a shock of scruffy black hair and his large green eyes blinked up at Lily mirroring her own, he gurgled quietly and aimed a grab at Lily's long brown hair.

Lily laughed but couldn't help glancing up at the clock on the wall checking the time for a third time in as many minutes, her husband should have been back by now especially with the enforcement of the strict security measures that had now been placed on many of the light wizard's houses across the country.

'Of course he is' laughed James coming up behind Lily and hugging her, the young couple smiled at each other lovingly and they began to laugh,

'You worried me' lily gently scolded James 'I didn't expect you to be this late'

'Me neither' replied James 'Sorry, things got a little hectic at the ministry after the last attack and Sirius needed some help with a few of the files on the captured Death Eaters'

'I never expected to be so happy' whispered Lily 'Not in all the world did I ever imagine'

'I know what you mean, we have Harry we have good friends and we have each other, it's exactly how it should be' James smiled

'As long as you come home safe, I'll only shout at you slightly for worrying me' but it was with a smile she said it.

'Of course Lily and were safe here with the strength of the wards placed on the house' said James 'The only way a bad guy's getting in here is with the help of Peter, and he wouldn't betray us'

2 Hours later

The front door exploded with a deafening crash jerking Lily and James out of their sleep suddenly the sound up footsteps echoed through the house as if they had been magically enhanced

'I will kill you if you get in my way' Voldemort's voice coldly informed the two of them

James jumped out the mahogany four poster bed pausing only to grab his wand on the bedside table before wrenching open the bedroom door and dashing into the barely lit hallway, Lily was a few seconds slower than James having tripped over the cream rug on the bedroom floor that matched the décor of the bedroom

'James what are we going to do' asked he husband

'Lily take Harry and go! It's Him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off –'

Lily ran to the door of her sons room giving a fleeting look back to her husband she felt her heart constrict with horror, fear, pain and a deep sense of love to see him standing in between Voldemort and her and Harry, James drew his wand up and turning he met Lily's gaze

'I love you' she whispered

'I love you too' he whispered back the fear for his family evident in his eyes 'you have to leave Lily, I'll hold him off for as long as I can'

Lily tore into her son's nursery with its happy wallpaper and smiling children's characters, she swept her son up in a bundle of blankets, he winked up at her and as if sensing danger he stiffened, Lily tried to open the window blasting it with all her magic but the window stayed closed, she realised she would have to face Voldemort, Lily knew in that instant she was prepared to do anything to keep Harry safe

James stood at the top of the stairs wand at the ready a shadowy figure reached the base of the stairs and it suddenly looked up giving James the full focus of his glowing read eyes

'Your efforts are in vain I will have your son' Voldemort stated no emotion present in his voice

'You can try' replied James trying to sound confident but all the time he could feel his heart hammering away in his chest, James backed up slightly so his back was nearly against the landing wall so close he could feel the frame of the sash windows digging in.

'I assure you Potter I will have him' and with that Voldemort sent a curse at James who spared a glance for the bolt of light, for a second adjusting his gaze from Voldemort, but in the second it took for James to block the curse another hit him sending him crashing out of the old window, James screamed with the pain of the cruciatus curse before landing hard on the ground outside he saw Voldemort lean out of the window smiling a cruel smile at James he sent another curse at James which left him screaming in pain before sealing the window making it impenetrable from the outside, James desperately looked around for his wand on the ground outside he spotted it only just spotted it in the dim light of the moon he painfully pulled himself to his knees and grabbed it sending his stag out with a message for help but he knew even as he sent it would be to late by the time that anyone could reach them.

James tried to stand but found the act caused severe burning to rip through his entire body, James gasped and drawing his wand closer to him and his blood soaked robes. He fired spell after spell at the house but a ghostly barrier had contained the old house making it impossible for any person or spell to enter. James could only watch in horror as Voldemort blasted open the nursery door where Lily and Harry were hiding

'Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!'

James heard his wife plead

'Stand aside, you silly girl… stand aside, now…'

'Not Harry, please no, take me kill me instead –'

James heard a sound behind him and turning he saw Sirius's dog patronus arrive

'Hold on' the voice of Sirius ordered 'we're coming as fast as we can Moony and I and I alerted the other Aurors and Order members, Hang On! We're Coming!'

'There to late' moaned James as he heard a crash on the opposite side of the house following Lily's desperate plea's James began crawling where the crash had originated from, pain engulfed his body and his knees collapsed from under him unable to lift himself back up James resulted to using his hands to drag his body across the lawn littered with children's toys, after what felt like hours he saw Lily she was lying on the grass illuminated by the moon, The sight of Lily gave James a strength he didn't know he possessed, he struggled forward to Lily's side he reached for her. She lay silent on the ground blood seeped from her body.

James felt is breath catch 'Please God, don't be dead' he muttered taking her hand, but Lily opened he eyes and gasped

'Harry! What happened', she could see from her position James he was covered in blood and gasping as if in severe pain. Lily on the other hand felt numb like she had been bathed in ice, desperately she tried to move so she could help her son, but Lily found all her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive.

'We have to help Harry' screamed James desperately.

His pleas came too late for in that instant Voldemort blasted a whole in the wall to the house he had Harry clutched close to him, James and Lily screamed at him to have mercy on him, a shower of curses rained down on the house sent by the arriving Aurors but the spells didn't even reach Voldemort or Harry and he smiled a horrible smile at the Potters then apperated away from Godric's Hollow

The Order discovered James and Lily slumped together close to death, in the house's garden, Lupin and Sirius were the first to reach them, James could see in their eyes that Harry was definitely gone

'No' he whispered he could feel the darkness closing in on him, he felt Sirius grab him, James looked into Sirius's face 'Peter' he choked out 'He betrayed us' the shock was evident in Sirius's face,

'We will make him pay' promised Black and with that James slipped into unconsciousness.