The Woman Who Lived
The night outside was humid and warm, like many nights in the middle of the Summer, the city of London was teeming with its unbridled masses.
But for a select few among those masses, there were places that contained a world hidden in plain sight, a world of the strange and the arcane.
A world of magic.
One of those places, a dilapidated red brick department store that was never open was very much open to those who had the gift.
So it was in this place that there was a rush of green flames from one of the fireplaces, a man stepped forth from the Floo Network, he was tall and slender with a massive white beard, his robes matched his piercing blue eyes and his pointed hat was decorated with shooting stars and crescent moons.
There were whispers from those in the reception area of what was in fact St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, but the man ignored them.
The bored reception witch glanced up and instant came to attention.
"Dumbledore!" she exclaimed as he approached.
"Yes," he said with a serenity that he didn't quite feel, even as he handed her a small envelope.
She took in the Ministry of Magic seal before breaking it and read the note.
She glanced up from the note back to Albus Dumbledore and said, "Of course, she's on the fourth floor in the secure wing, just head right on up."
The ancient wizard nodded and said, "Thank you Miranda."
He then went on his way, leaving the young girl stunned that he still remembered who she was from her days at Hogwarts.
She then glanced down at the open newspaper on her desk, the Headline proclaimed; You-Know-Who Defeated!
Underneath it was a picture of a beautiful woman with dark red hair, pale skin, and vivid emerald green eyes.
In room 432 on the Fourth Floor, the Healer in Charge, Teresa Laveau finish writing down the latest prognoses reports on her star patient, who was currently sleeping safely in her bed.
Next to the bed was a white cradle with a beautiful newborn baby boy fast asleep next to his mother.
Teresa gave them both another unseen smile of comfort, "Goodness knows they are going to need the support." She thought to herself once more.
A small sound then echoed in her ears, one that was keyed to her own person to ensure that none of her patients would be disturbed.
Teresa sighed and walked to the door and opened it, one of only a handful of people authorized to open the door at the moment.
"Oh hello Dumbledore," Teresa said as she stepped forward, shutting the door behind her with a glance at the two Aurors on guard duty, "I assume you want to talk to Mrs. Potter correct?"
"How'd you guess Teresa?" Dumbledore replied politely.
Teresa smirked, "It's all anyone wants to do right now, but they're sleeping at the moment so it will have to wait."
Dumbledore nodded even while handing Teresa an authorization note from the Ministry.
She read it with a look of concern before sighing and saying, "We should discuss this in my office."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled even as he replied, "Of course."
The office of the head of the Spell Damage department of St. Mungo's was comfortingly chaotic, which meant that she was the only person who could find anything at all.
"Make yourself at home Dumbledore." Teresa told him before offering him some coffee and cookies as he sat down and waved them off.
She then handed over the medical reports that he was being allowed to view, granted it was with reluctance, but Dumbledore had expected that.
"Teresa was always protective of her patients," he reminded himself as he read the details, his face an unreadable mask as he took the information in.
He looked up at the elderly witch after he finished reading and asked, "Did she speak of what happened?"
Teresa nodded, "A little to me, more to the Auror's, she was adamant that it was a 'Peter Pettigrew' who had betrayed them."
"So they chose another Secret Keeper without informing me." Dumbledore said cryptically, and ignored the questioning looking on Laveau's face.
Instead he asked, "Can you tell me what she told you?"
Teresa winced but was forced to acknowledge Dumbledore's unusual writ due to the current extreme circumstances.
"Well," Teresa began a bit fearfully, "After the delivery we gave her a mild Calming Draught, she spoke of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named entering their home and breaking their wands with a wave of his hand."
Teresa took in a deep breath, the mere thought of that monster shook her to the core, "He put her in a full body bind and forced James to watch him torture her a bit with the Cruciatus Curse."
Dumbledore winced in sympathy pain for her, Lily and James had been dear friends for many years.
Teresa took a drink of coffee, "Then he asked James to join with him, and killed him when he refused."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at this, "And then..?"
Teresa said in awe and wonder, "Then he fired the Killing Curse at her stomach, but… It bounced back and destroyed him instead."
Dumbledore nodded, having seen the ruins of the Potter's refuge in Godric's Hollow, and the pile of ashes in the Potter's living room.
He was brought back to reality by Teresa saying, "All it did was induce her labor and left a nasty scar on her belly."
"A scar?" Dumbledore asked with curiosity.
Teresa nodded, "A lightning bolt across and above her belly button."
Dumbledore fell silent and began to contemplate this, and Teresa added into the quiet, "We tried to remove it, but like most curse scars it proved to be impossible to remove or alter in any known manner."
Dumbledore sighed and replied, "Not surprising, even though this is the first instance of a person surviving the killing curse."
Teresa nodded at that, thinking that it was the understatement of the year.
Dumbledore then asked, "And what about the baby?"
"Perfectly healthy and normal," she answered without missing a beat, "Sirius Black and that half-giant of yours got her here in good time."
Dumbledore managed a genuine smile at the thought of Rubeus and Sirius together on that magnificence flying motorcycle, before reminding Teresa that 'the half-giant' had a name.
"Of course," Tersea said a bit crisply, "Is there anything else you require Dumbledore?"
"No, not at the moment Teresa," Albus Dumbledore replied as he rose from the chair, "I'll talk to the Auror's before departing."
She nodded and watched him show himself out.
As he began to walk down the corridors, the opening words from Trelawney's latest prophecy echoed in his mind.
"The Mother now bears the burden of the Son…"
Meanwhile all across Wizarding Britain, wizards and witches were still celebrating and giving toasts to Lily Potter.
The Woman Who Lived.
Author's Note and Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, nor am I making any money from this. The story and the characters are J.K Rowling's. With the exception of any OC that I create for this fanfic myself.