Chapter 1; The Unfortunate Event

I don't own Harry Potter, seriously, I don't

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A dark night loomed over Godric's Hollow, ensnaring the light and brought in the bitter cold. It was October 31st, the day that was destined for a life, a life of the prophecy child to be determined either to live or die. Anything can happen, for better or for worse.

The Potter cottage stood silently in its place as it was being stained by the grimy shades, with only the milky white moon casting an eerie glow.

The dark lord announced his attack on the Potters to his followers, giving each individual their posts to watch and dispose those who try to interfere. The former death-eater, Severus Snape, abandoned those posts without a second thought as he concealed himself behind a tree nearby, hidden like a dull shadow.

No matter how much Dumbledore assured him about the Potters safety, he couldn't ignore his instincts that were dwelling inside of him, saying bad things were to come. That very sense that warned him through his dangerous days from ambushes and attacks. It saved his life many times and it was something he couldn't ignore.

And to make matters worse, he received numerous death omens throughout his home before nightfall. All of his enchanted clocks suddenly stopped ticking and wild owls circled around his house three times. Exactly three times.

He sighed as he hoped that the instinct and all of the bad omens were wrong.

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A single crow perched itself onto the stone cottage as Severus muttered "Great, another bad omen." A heavily cloaked figure scuffed to the house. The figure's face was shrouded from the cloak and he couldn't identify the mysterious man. Severus began to ponder the possibilities "Is it Black, Pettigrew? The moon isn't full so it could be Lupin." It made its way to the door as he whispered "Alohomora"

That voice, it belonged to Voldemort. But that was impossible; he shouldn't have been able to pass through the wards so easily. Where in Merlin name was Black? Did he finally cut his ties with them and join the dark side?

Voldemort snaked his way through the door as a series of cries echoed through the doorway.

"Lily, take Harry and run!"

"I can't leave you here!"

"Go, I'll hold him off!"

Voldemort rasped "Avada Kedavra"

A bolt of green glinted for a few moments followed by a large thud. Severus dashed to the house. Lily and Voldemort disappeared as James was lying onto the floor, life-less. The cowardly James he knew, who wouldn`t join in on fights unless it was four against one, actually sacrificed himself. For his son and for Lily. Maybe he had matured into an individual, worthy of the Gryffindor name. As much as Snape didn`t want to admit it; he died being a brave man, and he admired him for that…only a little.

Another beam of green, followed by a high-pitched cry boomed down the staircase. Lily, it was Lily. He scampered up the steps, into the nursery where the source came from. He darted his gaze around to room as he saw Lily on the ground, completely mortified.

He stood paralyzed as he slowly lowered himself beside her. He held her in his arms. Her warmth, her heart-melting smiles, and her rosy cheeks were gone. Even her fiery red hair started to dull. She was gone and would never come back, not in this lifetime.

He wanted to cry, from his regrets, his failures, and his loss. But he couldn't, tears were a weakness and from his experience on the battle field; if you show any emotion from anything, even the deaths of loved ones, you die on the spot.

Small movements outside caught his attention. He gently placed Lily down and averted his gaze towards the window. It was crowds of thousands of death-eaters, heading this way. Why were they all coming? Then he snapped with realization, Voldemort disappeared, completely. As if he vanished from this world.

Strongly produced sobs started to erupt from the small, wooden crib. Severus walked over, only to see a baby who looked a little over a year. He picked the sorrowing toddler up and attempted to stifle his cries.

"So this is young Harry. Hush now, be quiet…how am I supposed to save you if you can't cooperate?"

Little Harry whimpered as he lulled in Snape's slender yet comforting arms.

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Severus had the small bundle, tucked safe in his arms. The followers would come soon, to burn down the house and destroy all evidence. He had to get out of this place and bring the child to safety. The young death eater stridden towards the entrance where Potter's corpse was blocking the doorway. His onyx gaze examined the breath-less figure as a slight movement occurred at the tips of the body's fingertips.

A twitch.

A twitch had to mean something, was he alive and if so, will he be able to save the messy haired-individual?

He approached James, hoping that he could save a life, even if it was a rotten git such as Potter. Severus scuffed up Potter's left sleeve, to find that his forearm was cold, in a pitch-dark hue as it inked slowly up his arm.

He had to remove the arm, before the curse spreads, and infects the other areas of James's body and kills him. He paused for a moment "Should I really save him? No, but I have to…for Lily. She would never forgive me and the child needs a parent, even if that parent is James Bloody Potter!"

Snape took a deep breath, placing his wand onto the point between deceased flesh and the rest of the body.

"Spodium Scalpere."

A bright orange spark ignited at the tip, with scorching-hot cinders spewing out. The tip soon ripped its way into the dead limb as a strong, overpowering scent of smoke and mortified tissue, started to fill and violate his lungs. Potter unconsciously screamed from the pain as Snape continued to cut through the smouldering flesh.

The inanimate limb was detached from its owner, lying limply on the blood-caked wooden floor. The torrid flame died out as Severus urgently stopped the bleeding with a high-level blood clotting charm and the small bottles of blood replenishing potions he tucked in his robe.

A barrage of raps occurred at the door, indicating that the dark followers have arrived to the front doorstep.

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James started to stir as he tried to grope around for his glasses. But he couldn`t, for an odd reason he felt as if his whole arm was gone. He forced his eyelids open as he gazed at an empty space, where his left arm should`ve been.

"Does Potter need his glasses?

James gasped as he saw an old, pruned house elf, placing his glasses on guardedly.

"Who are you?

"Drusa, the house elf for the Prince Manor and servant to master Snape."

"Snivelly?!"

"No, master Snape, he brought you here."

"Brought me here…Hey! What the bloody hell happened to my arm?!"

"Master says he had to remove it in order to save you from the curse. He wasn`t able to save Mrs. Potter but saved the little Potter."

"Remove it?! Alright tell me where he is so I can kill him!"

A sudden deep voice interrupted the twosome "Kill whom, Potter?"

James turned his focus in the direction of the voice to find Snape, cradling Harry in his steady hold. James growled "Why on Merlin`s earth did you bring me here, how did you manage to bring me here?!"

Snape tartly replied "After I amputated you, you were in no shape for any transportation; not for Apparition, the floo, or even riding on a Thestral, which left me to use the vanishing cabinet."

"What vanishing cabinet? No one uses those anymore."

"Well Lily did, it was the single oak door, underneath the sink. We both had one; connecting from my home to hers. I often used to check up on her and the child. Obviously, I had to destroy the cabinet in my pantry to disconnect our homes. I couldn't risk the dark lord's followers to use it."

James snarled "I don't believe you, since when have you ever been supportive of Lily?"

"Never been supportive? I was the one who made the fertility potion for her as a wedding present."

"That was you?!"

"Yes, I specifically made it so the child would mostly look, even act like her, and a lot less like you."

James gaped for minutes upon minutes, completely confused, did Snivellus just insult him?

He growled "Did you just say that you tried to make my son resemble me as less as possible?!"

Snape sneered "Apparently, it's not just your sight that's knocked up but your hearing as well since you want me to repeat myself. And to answer your point-less question; yes, because I personally think having one of you on this earth is plenty for my taste."

James grinded his teeth, seething with anger. He had to get out of here, away from Snivelllus, his cursed home, and take Harry with him. He attempted to move as he rolled himself from the couch, landed on the floor with a loud thud. His wound sluggishly started to bleed through the thick layers of ivory white bandages. A sharp pain travelled through his body. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Snape sighed irritably as Harry started to bawl once more after being startled from his father's "soft" landing. He handed wailing infant to the old house elf "Drusa, care the child while I see to Potter."

"Very well, Master Snape." Drusa replied as she scampered to the crib [that was transfigured from one of his cauldrons], trying to get him to sleep.

Severus pulled his wand from his sleeve and levitated James back onto the couch. This was going to be a long night. He summoned his vials of various, strongly formulated healing potions, ready to tend to the enflamed wound once more. He stepped towards the shuddering figure.

James screeched "STAY AWAY FROM ME! DON'T COME NEAR ME, YOU MURDERED LILY! TRAITOR! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LOOSE SOMEONE!"

Snape blandly replied "I didn't-"

"YES YOU DID! YOU TOLD THE BLOODY DARK LORD ABOUT THE DAMN PROFECY!"

"That wasn't my intention to-"

"LILY! OH, MERLIN! LILY!"

Severus sighed irritably as he leapt onto the couch, pinned James down by clamping his wrist of his remaining arm and shoulder. Potter struggled "MURDER! MURDER! MURDER!"

"KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT, POTTER!"

"YOU COWARD! YOU DON'T EVEN MISS HER!"

"DON'T CALL ME A COWARD!"

"SHE DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU!"

"SHE WAS MY ONLY FRIEND! SHE MEANT THE WORLD TO ME!"

"LIAR!"

James continued his attempt to move but was futile for the dark arts user had the advantage. "GO JUMP OFF A BROOM, SNIVELLUS!"

Snape loomed over him, with a frozen glare as he positioned his wand in-between James's spectacled eyes "Where do you think we are, Hogwarts? You think I'm going to let you push me around in my own home? I'm no longer the frail boy you taunted anymore. Unlike you and your bloody so-called "friends", I have grown up."

James stood uncharacteristically silent as Severus continued with his cold, glassy glare "I swore upon my life to Lily that I would protect her child, even from you! I merely saved you on a whim; I could have easily given you a bloodroot potion and have you pushing up daises by morning. But instead I helped you live. You don't want me as your enemy, Potter."

James leered "Like you aren't my enemy now, Snivellus?"

Snape snapped "Don't call me that, Potter! If I really wanted you to die; I would've left you and let the curse in your arm spread slowly through your body, making you die in a slow, painful death."

A loud wail of pure agony, roared from the crib. Snape muttered "Merlin, what is it now?" He climbed off and peered his dark gaze into the crib as he saw Harry, tossing side to side, clutching his tiny head. He picked up the struggling infant as he placed him onto the table to have a better look. A monstrously large lump was on his forehead, wildly pulsing as if it had its own heartbeat.

Snape felt a sudden burning sensation struck through his forearm. He rolled up his sleeve as he gazed at his mark, it was active. "There's a lot of dark magic in this child…more than I expected. I'll have to take drastic measures."

James paled "D-Drastic measures?!"

"Accio, scalpel knife; no.3."

The summoned scalpel flew down the three flights of stairs, into Snape's desperate clutch. He struggled to keep Harry still "Drusa, I need you to pin him down!" She hesitated then complied "Master, Drusa hopes that you know what you're doing."

Snape cautiously placed the sharp blade in the throbbing bulge. He pieced it as blood flowed out of the jagged cut, shaped much like a lightning bolt. A bright green flash beamed through the fresh gash as a floating dark mass emerged. It was like smoke as it morphed into a slithering smoke snake. The smoke serpent burrowed itself into Snape's mark, away from the child. The snake continued to twist and turn while the pale light from Harry's graze died down.

Snape hissed from the fresh pain as the dark mass slowly spreading throughout his scarred body. He gasped as he hoisted himself up, walking to one of his cabinets. He scrummaged until he stumbled upon a star-shaped jar and a square-based vial.

Drusa rushed to assist the afflicted cloaked figure "Master, you're in no shape to walk, please rest, Drusa will take care of the young Potter."

Snape sighed as he handed the vial to the elf "Do you remember how to apply Murtlap Essence?"

"Yes, Master; Drusa dabs it on the wound, no pouring."

Snape sighed once more as he limply treaded to the vacant arm chair, across from James. He silently observed Drusa apply the sickly yellow liquid onto a clean towel as she lightly applied to Harry's stricken cut. He smeared the moss green substance from the star-shaped tin onto the black mark that was burning white-hot. The substance dissolved, returning the cursed mark to its normal inky shade.

James roared "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON?!"

"I merely saved his life, Potter."

James coldly replied in a cold, sarcastic tone "Right, slicing through his head helps, thanks for trying to kill him, I am truly grateful."

"I had to do it; he had too much dark magic inside of him and could've died. I'm actually surprised he lasted that long with the amount of the force supressed in his small body. I had to remove and absorb it from him before it was too late."

"Y-You absorbed all it?"

"It's not surprising for me to have the ability to absorb that type of magic since I am able to use the dark arts. However, I wasn't able to take it all, meaning that there will be some side effects. I don't know what they are for no one was able to survive the curse when directly hit in the head."

"Wait, does that mean I will have dark magic inside myself as well?!"

"No, I was able to remove it completely from cutting off your arm where you were hit from the curse. For some odd reason, the dark lord missed you and hit you in a less vital area."

"If you were able to save me, then why couldn't you save Lily?!"

Severus titled his frozen gaze to the floor, a grim emotion washed over his pale face. He raised himself up and headed to the creaky, old staircases, turning a cold shoulder to his ill-tempered ex-rival.

James bellowed "HEY! GET BACK HERE! I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!"

Snape snapped "I AM DONE WITH YOU! I HAVE BEEN SINCE DAY ONE! YOU MAY HAVE LOST YOUR WIFE, BUT I HAVE LOST THE ONLY PERSON WHO ACCEPTED ME FOR WHO I AM! SHE BLOODY ACCEPTED ME! YOU STILL HAVE YOUR FRIENDS WHERE I'VE LOST MY ONLY ONE!"

James's bronze orbs widened as Snape continued,

"I constantly have asked myself why I wasn't able to save her, that very same question, Potter. I wasn't able to save her, the curse pierced her heart and died the moment it hit her. Now leave me alone. Goodnight, Potter."

That moment Snape finished his sentence, he clambered up the steps with his dusky robes billowing behind him, emphasizing his bitter aura. James watched him walk up as he caught a small glace of a small tear, glistening down Snape's shallow cheeks.

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AWWWWWWWWWW The feels :[

Lol, I enjoyed writing this! Still working on The Stag and the Magpie, but I'll see how this goes.

BTW, For those who don't know, it is considered bad luck when a crow perches itself on a house, when clocks stops moving, and when an owl circles around a house 3 times.