Part 1

Chapter 1

The Life Before

Most stories start 'once upon a time.' Some start 'long ago.' But this story starts with a boy, who was given birth to in St. Healer's hospital, July 31, 1988.

Young Lily Potter, who had just given birth to her first son, was lying in bed exhausted. Her husband had went to go send messages to their friends to announce the birth of their pride and glory.

St. Healer's hospital was a private hospital located five miles from the village, Godric Hollow. Only a few people knew that it existed, for it was only for certain people.

The hospital was owned by a old friend of the Potter's, a woman named Aspirina Healer.

Lily lay in her small bed waiting for the doctor to return with her baby boy. Or her husband. Which ever came first.

While she was waiting, she was thinking of a list of names for boys.

Howard?

Junior?

Steve?

She just didn't want any old name. She wanted a name that best suited him. A name that when people say, it will bring a smile to the face and kindness in their heart.

Lily and her husband, James, had both agreed that their son would have James first name as a middle name. And of course his last name was Potter.

Something James Potter? Harold James Potter? No.

"Here he is." said a soft voice, causing Lily to jump.

Lily looked towards the door and saw a woman with light brown hair and chestnut eyes. She had a soft sweet voice and she sounded as if she was the daughter of an angel. The doctor Asprina Healer. She was holding a small boy in her arms.

"I'm sorry." she said with a voice sounding as it belonged to an angel. "Did I startle you?"

"Oh, no. I was thinking about a name for my son."

"Well, here he is." she said stepping closer to the bed. "He's such a sweet boy."

The boy was fast asleep in the doctor's arms. He looked exactly like his father. He had untidy black hair, but when the doctor handed over the baby, he opened his eyes and he had bright green eyes. Lily's eyes.

Lily held the baby closed to her. He was her son. Her first son. And no one, no one was going to take him away from her.

Lily silently began to cry at the touch of her son's soft skin. She suddenly felt the doctor's hand on her shoulder.

"Have you decided on a name yet?"

Just as Lily was about to answer, the ward's door burst open and there stood a man with hazel eyes, and untidy black hair. Lily's husband.

"I contacted everyone who was close to us. Dumbledore, Sirius, Moony, Hagrid, McGonagall, and Peter." he said as he walked over to the bed. "Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine." Lily answered. "I was just thinking of a first name."

"How about Stewart?"

"James, will you get serious?"

"Alright. How about Harry? Harry James Potter."

"I like it." said Aspirina.

"Yes." Lily said quietly, looking down fondly at her baby. "It's perfect. Harry James Potter."

"A perfect name for a perfect boy."

Six hours later, James and Lily returned to their small house in the village of Godric Hollow. They had a small house, with two floors. On the first floor was a large living room which held a television, two brown chairs, two tables, a computer, and a large brown couch. There were nine windows in this room. There was also a medium size kitchen, which held a stove, refridgerator, sink, a table, three counters, three cabniets, and a pantry. On the second floor was a small bathroom with a sink, mirrior, and tub. The second floor also held two closets, and two bed rooms.

Lily, who was carrying Harry, went to go take a seat in one of the brown chairs. She had decided to sit down for five minuets, then would go to cook dinner for her friends who would be arriving to see Harry.

James entered the room and spotted his wife sitting down. She still looked exhausted and the last thing he wanted was for her to wear herself out.

"Lil, why don't you go upstairs and sleep?" he said. "I'll cook the dinner."

"That's alright." she answered. "I can do it."

"It's all under control."

"I'm sure our friends wouldn't want peanut butter and jelly for dinner. With Koolaid."

"Red Koolaid, to be exact." James joked, but when he saw how exhausted she looked he said,

"I'll cook something fancy, like a ham. Just go put Harry to bed."

Lily looked at her husband. James might not be the greatest cook in the world, but to tell the truth she was exhasted and needed a good night rest.

"Alright, James." she said finally. "Try not to set the house on fire."

The minuet Lily made her way up the stairs and he heard a door close he walked over to the phone and dialed a few chosen numbers.

Lily was having a strange dream. She was watching her son grow up, only she wasn't there with him. Neither was James. He was with a man with long black hair and smooth skin. He was very young and good looking. Harry had grew up looking more like her husband.

Harry and this man had been playing in a nearby park, when a very dark cloud was cast above them. A man had dropped from the cloud. He was a tall thin man with an unusual face. He had red cat slit eyes, snake like nostroils, and a very hungry look on his face.

Lily watched as this man came charging at her son with a wand. She watched with horror as the older man killed the younger man. He then turned his attention on Harry and began to torture him.

Lily screamed and yelled. She did her best to protect her son, but some magical force was keeping her away.

When the man spoke he had a high pitch cold voice. "It's time for you to die Harry Potter."

As the man raised the wand in his hand, Lily was awaken by the sound of a voice.

"So you decided to 'cook' McDonald's for dinner." said a man with long black hair, when James had led them to the kitchen.

Lily had just came downstairs, when James was ushering his guest into the kitchen. The man who had spoken turned to face Lily.

"Hello, Lily." he said. "How're you?"

"I'm fine. Hello, everyone."

After everyone greeted Lily and James, they all sat down to a wonderful supper. They all passed around the food and drinks.

"This is all very nice." said the oldest out of the bunch.

"Thank you, Dumbledore." said James. "I always say when there's company have someone else cook for you."

"Hear, hear." said the man with long black hair. "Why kill you're friends, when you can have someone else do it for you."

"Oh, be quiet, Sirius."

They all enjoyed the meal. Dumbledore was talking to a man with light brown hair about how people should see other people.

"So what if you are a werewolf, Remus." he was saying. "It's the inside that counts. You're still a nice intelligent young man. We know you as Remus Lupin, not a werewolf."

"Thanks." Lupin said gloomily. "I just wish that everyone saw me as Remus Lupin."

Lily was talking to a man the size of a giant, a stern looking woman, and a man that looked kind of like a rat.

"Parenting should be a snap." Hagrid said, as he took a bit out of his cheeseburger. "Kids are so easy."

"Some kids are." said McGonagall. "It's the teenage ones you want to look out for."

"So Lily." spoke up Peter Pettigrew. "Would you say Harry is a sweet harmless child?"

"Oh, yeah." she answered. "Harry wouldn't hurt a fly."

James and Sirius were talking about old classmates.

"Remember how much trouble we used to get Bertha Jorkins in?" Sirius was saying.

"Yeah. She was in detention more than us."

After dinner, they went to the Living room to discuss a few important topics.

"Okay. Our first order of business is making future plans for Harry." said Dumbledore.

Lily had already discuss these plans for Harry, before he was born. Sirius was going to be Harry's godfather. If anything happened Lily and James, Sirius was going to take care of Harry. Lupin was the uncle, if something happen to Sirius, Lupin would take care of Harry. Lily didn't like the fact that Peter was looking after her son, so they left him out of it.

After James and Lily discuss what was going to happen to Harry they went to the second order of business.

"There is a spy within the order." said Dumbledore. "It can be any of us. All I can give, is a word of caution. And I hope the culprit would be caught before anyone gets hurt."

"What about my family." said Lily. "You-know-who is bound to come after us."

"I have decided to issue a secret keeper." he answered. "You would have to choose someone loyal, strong, and trustworthy."

". . . how about Severus? He won't say anything." suggested Lily.

"Snape?" began James. "I'm not trusting him with my life. How about Sirius?"

Sirius, who's mind was drifting, jumped at the idea. He loved James like a brother. He felt as if the Potters were his families. He was even prepared to die for them.

"Sirius will you be our secret keeper?"

"I. . . of course I'll do it."

"That's that." said Dumbledore getting up to rise. "Sirius, I'll meet you back here two day's before Halloween."

As the months went by, Sirius kept a close watch on the Potters. He was going to make sure that nothing would happen to them. If something happen to them, he didn't know what he'd do. He might even kill himself.

He made frequent visits to their house. With each visit he grew attach to Harry. He spoiled Harry so much, that each time he visit, he brought Harry a new toy, or some clothes.

Harry had so many clothes and toys, Lily had to make room in their bedroom for some of his things.

This only stopped when James threaten to take Harry away.

Being the Potters' secret keeper kept coming to Sirius mind and he knew that if he was, he would be their down fall.

He decided to talk to James about this.

"Hello, Padfoot." James greeted, as Sirius walked into the kitchen.

Sirius visited so often that Lily gave him a key to the house.

"James we need to talk."

"Look, mate. You can bring Harry toys. I was only kidding about taking him away."

"No, not that." he took a deep breath. "I can't be your secret keeper."

"W-what? Why not?"

"Here me out. Everyone knows who your best friend is. Voldemort is bound to come after me. What if we made me a decoy. Use someone else."

"You mean I should use Moony?"

Sirius face suddenly grew dark. "No. I think Remus is the spy."

"Why would you say that."

"He's a werewolf."

"So?"

"So? He's probably working for Voldemort."

James frowned at this idea. His friend Remus Lupin, a spy? It didn't make any sense at all.

"Then who am I gonna use? And I'm not using Snape?"

"Use Peter. Voldemort would never see it coming."

After both Lily and Dumbledore agreed, Peter was contacted. He whole heartily agreed. Peter became the Potters' secret keeper. And little did they know, that a dark storm cloud was heading their way.