A/N: Hey guys! I know I'm horrible about updating, but I just thought I'd redo an old story of mine. I ended up very dissapointed with the old story as I grew and matured. So, here's my next attempt. Let me know what you think! Of course, I don't own Harry Potter, and I never will unfortunately. That being said, here's Darkness to Dawn's preface! Enjoy! ;D
The young family sat in the sitting room. Two little girls, maybe 3 or 4, sat on the floor. One girl, with bright red hair and dark grey eyes, held several dolls. She smiled brightly as she played, clearly perfectly content with just being a child. The other, this one with black hair and green eyes, seemed concentrated on the book before her. The book was clearly advanced for the girl, and her eyes squinted at the words she didn't know. She was clearly very eager to grow up. The parents lounged on the couch, tiredly smiling at their young children. On each lap was a toddler. The mother had a little boy, and he bounced happily at his mother. She seemed quite amused by his antics, but seemed to melt at the sight of the bright green eyes he shared with her. The father had a little girl. She gave him a baby smile. She shared her father's eyes, but her mother's hair. Looking in, this family might have seemed normal. That was very far from the truth, however. This was the Potter family, and they had magic.
Lily Potter was a very powerful, muggleborn witch. She had a strength of character many wizards lacked. She had made mistakes in her life. The biggest of those resulted in her having children with Sirius Black. She had realized shortly after that she could trust James, though. and couldn't be happier.
James Potter, meanwhile, was a very determined pureblood 'blood traitor.' He'd fallen in love with Lily when they were eleven, and hadn't stopped since. He'd felt very betrayed when his best friend had slept with her, but eventually forgave him. In his seventh year, Lily had finally realized that he could be great for her. She'd agreed to one date, and never regretted it since. Shortly after their seventh year, they'd gotten married. He'd been a good father figure for her two daughters. Sirius acted as father to them mostly, though.
That night, there was a very big difference from the norm, however. It was halloween, and the young family had decided not to go trick-or-treating. Sirius had begged them to let him take the girls for the night, but they'd steadfastly refused. He'd huffed about it, but gave in to the parents. And on that night, disaster would strike.
"What's an Occlumens?" The black-haired girl asked suddenly, her eyes bright with curiosity, "It only says that it's a mind art."
"It's an advanced form of magic that you're way too young to understand, Skyler," her mother said gently. The girl pouted, but quickly returned to her book. James chuckled, shaking his head at his young step-daughter, "I don't know where she got it from. Honestly, she's only four, and barely that."
"She got it from you, love," James laughed. James scooted over, pulling his wife close and kissing the top of her head. She sighed and leaned into him, her eyes drifting back to the two babies cradled in their arms, "She's just like you."
"That might not be a good thing," she told him worriedly. She'd noticed the fervor her daughter put into studying. It had only started a few months ago, but it scared her a lot. She was reading very advanced books, and she kept getting more advanced. Lily didn't know what to do. She could tell Skyler was trying not to disappoint someone, and the implications of that scared her. Even so, she loved her daughter and tried her best to support her until she had confidence in herself.
"She's not doing it for him, Lils. It's not possible. He's not her father. Maybe in her mind, in some ways, but he is not. Anything she does is for her, and her alone," he told her. They were quiet for a moment, relaxing in each other's presence. They heard a bump outside, and the boy started, "I'll go check it out."
"Be careful," she whispered, her eyes betraying her absolute terror. James handed her his baby, and she got the girls ready in case they needed to run.
"Lily! It's him! Take the kids and go! I'll hold him off!" James shouted from the entryway. Lily took the babies and ushered them up the stairs, trying her best not to think about the fact that she would likely not see her husband again. They entered a little nursery, and Lily put the babies down in a crib.
"What's going on?" Skyler asked, eyes curious and burning. Her mother was crying by now, deep sobs wracking her entire body.
"We're going to play a game, okay? You're going to hide behind me, and I'm going to face off against an enemy. Sounds fun, right?" The woman said, seeming to gain strength suddenly. Her eyes were puffy from the crying, but she knew she had to do something. She and James had long since put up anti-apparition wards, which was now costing them their lives.
"That sounds fun! Let's play already, Mama!" The other girl giggled, excitement seeping through her. She was bouncing, her twin's polar opposite. It was strange, but they clearly would stand together no matter what. Lily was proud to know that she wasn't leaving her children alone. They would all have each other. The door blew open, and Voldemort strolled in happily. Michelle was still giggling and happy, but Skyler cowered and hid under the crib. She was terrified, and Lily couldn't blame her. She had a tight grasp on reality.
"Stand aside, little girl!" Voldemort roared, his eyes trained directly on the babies. He didn't even notice the two other children in the room. Lily stood her ground, determined to save her children.
"Not Harry! Please, not Harry!" She begged. It was to no avail, though. Voldemort knew of a threat, and he planned to exterminate it. The young mother was desperate to protect her children.
"Stand aside," he commanded once again. The mother only continued her begging, hoping her children would be spared, "Very well, then. Avada kedavra."
A bright green light lit up the room. It hit Lily Potter square in the chest, and she dropped to the ground. Her eyes were lifelessly pleading for mercy still. Michelle didn't understand what was going on, clearly thinking it was a game still. Skyler seemed to understand what was going on, though. She didn't cry, though she clearly knew what had happened. She knew her mother was gone, but she simply stared, stony-faced, at the man.
"Harry Potter," the man finally said, advancing to the crib. He seemed amused by the boy, "The boy destined to overthrow me one day. What a pity that you won't last that long. Avada Kedavra."
Once again, the green light hit it's mark. Unlike before, however, this particular light rebounded. The room was destroyed, and the man disappeared. All that was left of him was his robes, laid rumpled on the ground.
It seemed like forever before people arrived. A large man came, and they took off on a flying motorcycle. All her siblings fell asleep, but one Skyler Black remained awake. Hours later, the four year old would have a screaming match with a man with a beard over him wanting to separate her family. But in that moment, she was just a scared little girl who didn't know what to do with herself.