Chapter 1: The Depth and Extent
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter.
Her whole body trembled as she cradled her baby, her precious little Harry, against her chest and kissed his sweet head. She could hear James screaming spells downstairs and things breaking as all the while that evil bastard laughed. She laid her child in his crib and ran her finger down his face. Quickly, she wiped away her tears and took a steadying breath.
She could no longer hear her husband and she knew the charms on the nursery door would not last for long. Turning away from the crib she lifted her wand and began the incantation, drawing the appropriate symbols in the air as it's tip glowed white. The strange figures remained in the air like an after-image before they faded and a small creature stood in front of her.
It was the size of a five year old and had white hair almost as long as the creature was tall. It could almost could have been mistaken as a little girl except that it's ears, teeth and nails were all a little too long, too pointed and sharp. It's irises were the wrong shape and too purple to be human.
"Please," said the woman falling to her knees "You have to help me."
The thing crouched and looked around the room warily.
"What have you summoned me here for woman?!" it hissed "This place reeks of death and danger!"
"You must save my child!" the woman said tears flowing freely now.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to make deals with the fae child!" it sneered. "We are not a kind people in our exchanges. Now release me from the bind of your summon!"
The mother reached out and grasped the faerie's small arm.
"Please, you are my last chance!"
There was a loud thud on the door and the two froze as they stared at it in horror. A second thud shook the entire room. The creature hissed and ripped her arm away.
"Release me woman! I cannot save you from the evil that has come!"
A third thud and the child began to cry. Green eyes looked worriedly at her child for a second and then changed and burned with fierce determination as they looked at the creature again.
"Not me." She said, voice hard as stone. "Just Harry. Just my baby. Please," her voice began to shake "use your power and protect him."
Another thud and they heard something creak, close to breaking. The fae glared at the woman.
"Fae magic does not work like that you red haired woman. My power can only be used in exchange for whatever you are willing to pay. Tell me, child" she said cocking her head to the side "What can you give me?"
She knew that she was being cruel; she was a small faerie because she had no patience for humans and their petty requests. She did not spend her time making uneven bargains like most of her brethren in order to gain power.
But this was the way of things. She could only use what was given to her.
The poor mother looked around her and held out her arms in futility and desperation; distress evident in every line of her face. What could she give?
"Anything." She said thickly "Everything."
The fae breathed in sharply through her teeth. Other faeries only ever dreamed of a human foolish enough to agree to those kind of terms.
The nursery door burst open with explosive sound, raining wooden splinters into the room and revealing a vicious and malevolent man holding out his wand.
The fae hid under the crib in a flash as the woman put herself between the man and her now screaming son.
"No." she said.
"Move aside woman." Said the cold voice of the terror that had come to murder her baby.
"Please, not Harry." Her voice shook.
"I said move!" he hissed.
"NO!" came her resounding cry, the strength and feral defiance of it filling the room.
The fae gasped as the warmth of ancient magic filled the room and a green light flashed and the woman screamed. Her body hit the ground and the faerie was now staring at the woman's wide open and empty eyes. She had been beautiful. Her eyes like gems and her hair falling in heavy tresses the color of a scarlet rose.
These were all things that any fae would have accepted as payment. Now the woman had given them and so much more.
Anything. She had said.
Everything.
The evil one was now standing over the child and laughing as the creature under the bed shook.
She shook with the raw power of a mother's love that she knew that she was only a conduit of. She felt the extreme will to kill build in the man and she cried out as her body dissolved to accomplish what had been commissioned of her.
The blackness stood and cast death and she became an excruciating brightness that rose up to protect the child.
But this wasn't the passive protection that simply accepted the pain unto itself. This power snarled like a mother tiger with bright emerald eyes that batted the death back at it's castor and watched it destroy itself.
It roared at the shadow of what remained and dared it to try and come back.