Prologue

It was a dark time with a dark purpose. Night was on the peak of day as the sky was pierced with light. Dawn leaked across the dusty-gray sky. The crisp feeling of October still lingered, even though months had passed since people had last felt her breath. The dawning of a new era was shortly at hand. A normal routine for some, but for others, it was a miracle. And this time, the miracle of life and fate chose to spin its web around a pair of two young lovers.

One was a young man with untidy black hair, rather tall, but with a perfect build. His deep brown eyes were rimed with silver glasses that sparkled in the moonlight. The other was a woman with dark red hair and bright green eyes. She was shorter than the man lying next to her, but it didn't matter now. Nothing mattered now, she thought to herself. Nothing. Now that she was married, settled, and happy. She had everything she had ever wanted, she mused, a house, a husband. Everything… except… A child. A child with her good looks and her husbands brains. One that would go to Hogwarts and be the best wizard ever. One that would be looked up to every where. Don't be silly, she told herself, that is what every parent dreams. Every parent wants their child to do their best and to be the best.

Reluctantly, she laid back down to force he self to sleep. Sleep, so I won't think any more thoughts of children, not yet, she told herself, not yet. She looked around the room, heaps of open spell books lie in intricate piles around her. She sighed, well there is no use in trying to sleep now. She carefully got up to clean the mess, as she tried not to wake her husband lying on the bed next to her.

Hearing the ruckus, the man woke to find his wife, busy cleaning, as usual.

"Lily, do you have to clean every mess you see?"

"Yes dear I do!" she responded as she stepped into the kitchen. She got out a long, skinny wand and pointed it at the kettle. Immediately the kettle filled itself, and was now in the extraordinary process of boiling water by itself.

But Lily took no notice of these things, and went back into the bedroom, only to find that her husband was fast asleep. She sighed, well I better get some sleep too.

Just as she had gotten cozy and was drifting off to sleep, there was an abrupt knock at the door. Lily flew to the door and cried in surprise when she realized who it was.

Albus Dumbledore stood in the doorway. As he looked at her, his half-moon glasses were like ice in the lamp light, and in his arms was a man of six feet, and apparently dead.

"Found him lying in a ditch, Mrs. Potter. I thought it best to deliver him personally."

"Thank you Albus, I'll go get James," she said as tears welled up in he eyes, "He'll want to know what happened." With that she left for the bedroom to wake her sleeping husband.

She entered the dimly lit room to find her husband, already awake, looking through the organized pile of spell books.

"Honey, where did you put the Hundred Magical Herbs…," seeing the distressed look on his wife's face, he immediately knew something was wrong.

"What is it?" he questioned.

Fighting to hold back her tears, she managed to say

"Albus is here, he's with John…"

"Why are you crying?" James interrupted.

"James, he's , he's dead!" She let herself cry this time, and when she did teardrops fell down like rain.

He raced out of the bedroom in disbelief. But when, he thought, had Lily ever lied to him?

In the kitchen, Albus was solemnly drinking tea and looking over the dead body that was lying on the kitchen floor. As soon as James walked in he said,

" I know this has to be the hardest for you, since he was your brother and all, but John is dead."

"What, what happened Albus," James stuttered out, barely able to keep his tears down. At this time Lily had come back into the kitchen, and she echoed his cry,

"Yes, Albus, what did happen?"

"Well, Lord Voldemort happened," he paused, noting the shocked look on their faces, then he continued,

"It was last light. John had just over seen the gathering of three groups to lead search and destroy parties to find Voldemort. Yes, your brother wanted to find Voldemort, to stop him and defeat him. Well, they were out in the woods when they found him. He came out like a flash and cornered John and his men. I was just riding over London, when I had the sudden urge to turn around. Luckily I did, for I saved a lot of good men, but I was too late for your brother.

Apparently Voldemort really hated your brother and had killed him right off. When I got there, he was chaining the rest up and forcing them to march. When I landed I ran over to the men. They rejoiced to see me, or at least someone with a wand. For their wands had been taken away and rested on a table just south of them, waiting to be picked up by the last death-eater in line. Well I quickly and quietly levitated their wands to them, one by one. Ten or so out of the twenty four had escaped when Voldemort knew something was up. He walked back to find me freeing the men and flew into a horrible rage. He did not recognize me at once, for he asked.

'Old man. Why are you freeing my slaves?'

'These are not your slaves, dear boy. You must not recognize me, for surely if you had, you would not have lied to me so.' I retorted

'Then, I pray, old man, tell me who you are so that I may be the judge if what I told was a lie,' his voice was like a snake, a snake ready to strike.

'Why Tom, you don't recognize your old teacher. I am Albus Dumbledore, former teacher, and recently residing as headmaster at Howarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!' I told him, my voice just as cold.

'Aldus Dumbledore!' he laughed, then seeing my face he asked,

"What's 'a 'matter, did you think I would be scared?'

'No' I was getting angry now,

'But I know you will free these men and leave!'

'Albus, old Albus, still talking to me like I was a fourteen year old boy,' he taunted,

'Well, I don't answer to you anymore!'

'You will leave!' I yelled, my voice like thunder, as I held out my wand.

'Albus, do you really think you would be able to defeat me, Lord Voldemort, in a battle!? I'll leave, only because it is not worth my time to argue. Free these men!' he yelled to the surrounding death-eaters.

'Oh, Albus you might want to check and see who's lying on the ground over there!' and with that he left, followed by his men. Then, I ran and found John in the ditch, and took him straight here."

So he finished. No one spoke, and through her tears, Lily felt a stir in her stomach, unlike any other she had felt before. And secretly she knew, she was pregnant.