Author's Note:

Challenge: As the summary says, this was written for the 'Repeat' challenge by jeweltheif500 (which, if anyone cares, I just spent ten minutes trying to find, only to discover it on the second page of the HPFC). The challenge was to have someone kill Harry and Ginny, leaving James to the same fate as Harry.

Beta: Are you offering? ;) I wrote this as quickly as I could (two days total), and didn't have much time left to get it beta'd before the deadline. That being said, I would really appreciate some help in that area. I usually don't use betas because a good one is so hard to find, but I never turn down an offer.

Main Charries/Ships: James, obviously. For the first few chapters, his family and the Potters' friends will be making appearances. After that, I'm not sure. So far, all I can picture are canon couples.

Other Notes: I'm sorry it's so short. The next chappy will be longer, I promise. Enjoy!

Same Beginning, Different End

-prologue-

The window panes rattled in their frames in the cold January air. Ginny was close to shutting them up with her wand, but that kind of magic was sure to show up on tracking devices. Things were so much easier when she was a teenager, she thought. Back then you could keep yourself warm and headache-free without having to worry about being found by the psycho trying to kill you.

She sighed and looked across the room at the fireplace, the only source of warmth they were getting here, in the middle of nowhere. She should just be thankful that Harry had come prepared with muggle matches and lighters to start the fire, otherwise the whole family would have frozen to death weeks ago.

The sound of a quill scratching at parchment made her look across the room at where her husband sat by the window. He seemed so calm and determined as he wrote, as if he was trying to finish an already late essay to hand in, not... Ginny couldn't bear to think the word, even though it was printed neatly at the top of the parchment in front of her. The thought that they even needed to go through with this was insane.

As if sensing her worries, Harry came over and wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly, already knowing the answer.

"We don't need these," she whispered. "We should be doing something else - preparing for-"

"Gin, it's just a precaution. Just in case."

"In case of what? Ron wouldn't betray us."

"There are other ways they can find us without bringing Ron into it. Ginny." He forced her to look into his eyes. "Keep writing. Or else the kids'll be sent to live with that muggle cousin of your mother's."

They both laughed and Ginny nodded.

"All right. But have you decided who you would want them to live with?"

"I thought of your mother."

"Yeah, so did I. Ron and Hermione, though... they are the Godparents."

Harry frowned. "They'll always be our first choice, but we need back-ups. Just-"

"I know. Just in case." She sighed.

An hour later, when the documents were signed and dated, Harry folded them carefully and put them in an envelope that he'd put charms on before bringing his family to the cabin. It couldn't be seen by anyone who wanted to harm them, but the aurors who would come later wouldn't have any trouble finding it. They decided the best place to put it was right out in the open, on the mantel.

As they cuddled on the couch in front of the fireplace afterward, they heard creaking floorboards coming from down the hall and turned to see their almost-three year old son walk into the room.

"Jamie, what are you doing up?" Harry said, picking the boy up and sitting him on his lap.

"Have nightmare. Scary." He buried his face in his father's shirt.

"It's okay, honey," Ginny said, patting the his back. "Daddy and I were just going to sleep. You can come into our bed, if you want."

James nodded sleepily and the little family got up from the couch and started down the hall. It was just as they'd reach the master bedroom that several things happened very quickly at once.

First, the intercom system Harry had installed turned on and his voice came over it, stating calmly, "Intruders. Save the children. Get the wands." on an endless loop.

Next, Harry wordlessly passed off his eldest son to Ginny, who took the boy and ran into the nursery. And while Harry went to get the wands from their hiding place, Ginny carefully brought each of the three children down into the hidden basement. Albus, the one-and-a-half year old, and the infant Lily were thankfully still asleep, but James was even more awake now and didn't want Ginny to leave him.

"It's going to be all right, sweetie," she assured him. "Just stay in here and look after your brother and sister, okay? Draw Mummy a picture. I'll be right back with Daddy."

She closed the secret door behind her and it automatically blended in to the flooring. The only way someone could find it now would be if the read the wills. Ginny rushed back to the living room to join Harry and he handed her a wand.

"I've already sent off a patronus. They should be here in a few minutes."

"Will the make it in time?"

Harry didn't answer,

The intercom had been shut off, so the cabin was in complete silence save for the rattling of the windows. Neither adult dared move, or breathe, or think about the fate that awaited them and their children now. They knew what they had to do. Their sole responsibility was to save the children. When the door was blasted away and the five unfamiliar people swarmed in, firing curses at them, Harry and Ginny Potter fought back with everything they had.

But it just wasn't enough.

Author's Note:

No idea when I'll be able to update next because I'm kind of busy this month, but I will try to update fast.

Review, pretty please?

-Lizzy