Disclaimer: Not mine… wish it was… just playing with some one else's toys… please don't tell her… I forgot to ask first.
What if the Potters protected their son in such a way that no one even knew he was alive?
This is my first fanfic, please read and review!!!
The Phoenix Rises
By TexasJeanette
Chapter 1 - Happy Halloween
"It's getting darker Lily. we have to make a decision," James whispers in his young wife's ear. Lily pulls back and gazes into her husband's eyes. looking for something, anything that would give her hope. What she sees causes a sob to be wrenched from the center of her being.
Gruffly, holding back his own sob, James says, "Then it is decided. We do this to protect Harry, we do this to protect us all."
Numbly, Lily nods. "Say it, you must say it." James coaxes her.
"I-it is d-decided." James can barely hear the words that are torn from his wife, but he does hear them, and that is all that matters. The spell requires the words to be spoken; it says nothing about volume.
Using his wand James traces a complex design in the air above his son's crib. Baby Harry watches in fascination as ribbons of Gold, Silver, Red, and Green spin above his head. The incantation is a complex one and Harry is lulled to sleep by his father's voice and the pretty colors.
"It is finished," James says as his arm drops in exhaustion to his side. He is trembling with the amount of magical energy that he has just spent. the same magical energy that is slowly fading away like a distant fireworks display.
"Will it work, James" Lily whispers drawing close to her husband. She holds him tightly, both to give and take needed comfort.
"It has to Lily. It is our only hope."
"I can't believe it will be necessary, Wormtail would never give up his secret, and Voldemort can't possibly suspect him since we told everyone it was Sirius. Even Dumbledore is unaware of the switch."
"I know Lily, but we can take no chances. If we are discovered, this charm will save his life... and the lives of many others. If we fall, the charm will whisk him away. The arrangements have already been made. We have told no one; to the wizarding world he will be dead. We all will. this may even destroy Voldemort. Unfortunately, of that we can not be sure." James speaks steadily and softly, his voice lulling his son to sleep.
"James, why will they think him dead. I thought, I mean, he wouldn't be here. Won't they assume he's been taken?" Lily's voice cracks as she speaks.
"No, I added to the end of the charm, his wizard bear toy will be transfigured into… well... Lily, I am sorry but it will look like Harry and there will be no doubt he is dead." James instinctively tightens his arms around Lily as she reacts to this news.
"Oh, James. I know we have to protect him, but will he be safe? How will he learn of who he is? How will he be protected without magic? How, how, how." Lily breaks down and buries her head in James' chest.
James holds his wife and ponders all they have already been through. The love they discovered while still in school. The love they announced to the world on their wedding day. The love that found life in their beautiful son. The love they had nearly lost during these last dark days. His parents. Her parents. Entire families were being destroyed ripped apart by a war fought in secret. Anger wells up in James, anger that banishes the despair that had been filling his soul for days.
Gently James tilts his wife's chin as he locks gazes with her emerald eyes, bright with tears. Resolution fills his voice as he declares, "Lily, if all else fails, THIS WILL succeed. No one knows of this but the three of us. Ben is a kind and gentle man. He is not a muggle. You know this better than anyone. He loves you. He will adore Harry. His parents were pureblood wizards and they taught him all about the wizarding world. Your parents were good people and they taught him all about the rest of the world. He may not have magical abilities but he will teach Harry about our world, and about us. And when the time is right, he will send Harry back and he will be trained at Hogwarts as we once were."
James settles in the rocking chair next to the crib with his wife on his lap. Rocking her as he often did his son, James continues to give comfort and hope to this woman who had long ago stolen heart. "We may not have to ever rely on this, but if we do we can know that our deaths had a purpose beyond fodder for that self styled Lord. Our blood; seals the charm. The release of our magic; powers the spell. If either one of us alone dies it will work, but if we are both killed and he tries to harm Harry the effect will be so powerful it may very well kill him. It will at the very least injure him greatly. Then Harry's portkey will take him to safety and the toy will transfigure to look like him. And though we wish it could be different, it is the only way to guarantee his safety. We don't know if the next person to find him would be from the Order, or a Death Eater. and I'll be damned if we sacrifice our lives to save our son and then some low level Death Eater kills him out of spite."
They stay locked in each other's arms as they stand vigil over their child's bed. As the sun rises, it is Harry's laughter that wakes the young parents. They yawn and stretch, smiling at each other. Choosing to believe and hope in the bright sunlight of a new day what they had been too terrified to believe and hope for the night before… that all will be well for their small family.
"Boo! Boo!" Squeals Harry.
"Yes, my dear. You are right, today is Halloween," Lily says as she dresses Harry for the day. "You will have a grand time today my young ghost."
Joy fills the Potter household as the young family prepares for their party that evening. They were going to cancel it, but decided together that now more than ever they needed to celebrate life. They have invited all their neighbors to the event, since the Fidelus Charm prevented them from having their own friends over for the evening.
The small cottage is transformed from the normally bright and sunny home into a dark and spooky haunted house. Lily uses her wand with delight as the wallpaper changes to show spiders scurrying over every nook and cranny. Bats now float near the ceiling and the punch bowl is happily bubbling away with pink smoke drifting out over the floor.
James smiles at how happy she is as he watches his wife redecorate their home. Halloween has always been one of her favorite times of the year. Being muggle born, she has interesting creatures and monsters to share with the all children coming. Those of muggle birth will recognize and appreciate the make believe monsters and spooky music and those from the wizarding community will be pleasantly surprised.
As the sun sets their first guests arrive. For the next several hours the Potter household fills with laughter, squeals of delighted fright, and generally screams HAPPY HALLOWEEN.
As the moon rises to its zenith, the last of the guests depart. James turns from the door a smile still on his face when a scream of terror comes from down the street. Quickly turning around he sees the fading green light of the Avada Kedavra curse. And the very one they have been hiding from is not 50 yards from the house. Evil laughter fills the night as James screams, "Lily its him! Run, take Harry and get out now!"
James grabs his wand and prepares to defend his family. But the one standing in front of him sneers at the loyal and honorable intentions. "Did you really think you could hide from me?"
"How did you find us?"
"How indeed, normally I would let you die guessing, but I think the look of horror will be much more enjoyable. You see, you told me."
"What! What are you talking about, I have told no one."
"Tsk Tsk, that is not entirely true. You had to tell someone, didn't he Peter?"
And that's when James notices the smaller man standing behind the evil sorcerer looming before him. As the realization hits home, James loses his coloring. But his wand never wavers. "Expelliarmus!"
The tall figure uses a shield charm and prevents James from taking his wand. Before James can recover he hears, "Avada Kedavra" as green light fills his vision he screams, "No!"
"Such a shame really, I did so hope for more fun. well Peter show me to the nursery."
Outside is chaos. Mask wearing wizards have converged on the far side of the street. They are going house to house cursing and killing any who get in their way. Their evil laughter wafts back towards the quiet cottage and the figure of a cloaked man hurrying towards the sound of James scream.
As Severus gets closer to the home of the man who was once the bane of his school years and the woman who was once the girl of his dreams he sees the broken door hanging at an odd angle. Hurrying closer he can hear her scream. His breath catching in his throat he goes to confront the one he has called master for years, he swears he will kill him if necessary. Before Severus can enter the yard he sees a flash of green in the upstairs window and the scream is cut short. "No!" he gasps. He hears the laughter he has long since grown to hate and he realizes he may be too late to save the woman he had always secretly loved, but he could still save her son. As he nears the front door the green glow comes again, but before he can enter the cottage there is a huge explosion that blows Severus several feet away.
As Severus shakes the dust from his head the sounds from the way he came tells him the Auror's have arrived and are fighting their way closer to the rubble that was once a home. Severus picks himself up and holding his broken arm stumbles to the ruins. He nearly collapses when he sees her body, but he truly loses hope when he sees what was once her child lying next to her.
He apparates near a glorious castle. Running blindly to a set of large wooden doors he stumbles to the great hall of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry his voice echoing through the corridors, "Dumbledore!"
A tall white haired man rushes from a set of stairs and catches Severus as he collapses. "Severus, my boy, what is it? What has happened?"
"She's dead. He's dead. They are all dead." Severus gasps weakly his eyes losing focus.
"Who Severus? Who has died?"
"James. Lily. Harry." Severus' voice trails off as he loses consciousness.
A plump woman rushes down the corridor. "Dumbledore, what has happened?"
"Severus is wounded Poppy take him to the infirmary... as to what has happened... I am not sure Poppy, but it may be the end of us all." As the old man stood up from the floor she notices tears running silently down his face. She is shocked. In all the years she has known Dumbledore she has never seen him weep.
It scares her. It scares her very much.