Prologue
October 31st 1981
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!" Laughter caught in the dark lord's throat at James Potter's words. What would running do? Nothing, but prolong the inevitable, he answered his own question. It took no effort to raise his arm and hold out his wand and utter the curse, he'd used so many times.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Flash of green. Thud. One down. Two to go. The sense of power rushing through the dark lord could not be explained. It was a sense of knowing. A sense of knowing that nothing would stand in his way. Not after tonight.
A scream. Lily. His lips curled into a dark smile. She needn't be frightened. She didn't need to die. She only needed to surrender the child. That was all he wanted. Severus would be pleased if that was the way this played out. But she was a mother. And he knew that it wouldn't play out that way. She'd most likely have to die. Pity.
He climbed the stairs, and as he climbed he heard the beautiful red head's futile attempts to barricade herself in the bedroom with her child. He forced the door open. It was nothing to maneuver through the boxes and chairs the talented witch, currently without a wand had put up.
And there she was. Holding against her chest the only thing in the world that had ever challenged Lord Voldemort. A Baby. Her Baby. Harry Potter.
She dropped the baby into the crib behind her. Shielding it. This, made the dark lord smile.
"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" She screamed, a mother's desperate plea.
Lord Voldemort laughed. High and Cold.
"Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside now."
The woman did not remove herself from the spot.
"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead!"
The Dark Lord didn't take replacements.
"This is my last warning…"
The redhead was crying now. Big great tears of desperation. Of fear. But not for herself. For the child.
"Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…Not Harry! Not Harry! Please, I'll do anything!"
Lord Voldemort became angry, frustrated. He'd given her two chances. She would have to die. Severus would be sad, but Severus was stupid for falling in love with a mudblood.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Two down. One to go. The power flowing through him was unstoppable. He stepped closer to the crib. The child had not cried. Not once. He looked up at the dark lord with interest. Curious to see who resided behind the hood.
He pointed the wand very carefully into the boys face. It was then that the child cried. He did not like the crying.
"Silence."
And the child was silent then, blinking up at him with that bright interest from before. It was then that Lord Voldemort realized something imperative. This child was obedient. This child was the son of power. Obedient, resilient and much more than any of his followers could ever imagine to be and he was not even two years old yet. Not every threat must die. Sometimes threats could be taught. Trained. Some threats could be converted. He picked up the child, who was still silent from his order and stole away into the night, casting an explosion charm in his wake. This boy would not remember this place. This boy would not remember Lily and James Potter as his parents. This boy, would be special, and this boy would be on the side of the dark lord.