Anything recognized from Harry Potter does not belong to me.
A Different Path
Chapter One
After hours spent in labour with her husband James by her side, twenty year old Lily Potter was finally able to hold her babies in her arms. James looks at Lily holding their children and asks "What should we name them?" knowing that the names that they previously came up with does not seem right to him.
"Our little boy looks like exactly like you" says Lily staring down at her son who seems to inherit James messy black hair and looks like his own baby pictures "This middle name should be James"
James starts to list off possible first names "Andrew, Charles, Richard, Henry" when Lily suddenly speaks up to say 'Harry"
"Harry James Potter" says James proudly as it seems to be a perfect name for his son "Welcome to the world".
then says "It's time to name our princess" as she stares down at the baby girl in her arms who already looks like her as a baby with same auburn hair "What do you think of Iris?" using her family's tradition of naming their daughters after flowers.
"Iris Potter" says James quietly as he thinks about the choice before adding "Iris Faith Potter"
Lily proudly states "It's perfect because it will always remind us to have faith that we will survive this war as a family" knowing that it will be important as their closet friends and themselves are part of the Order of the Phoenix which is an organization against Lord Voldemort commonly known as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or the Dark Lord to his followers the death eaters.
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Both babies are staying in Lily's hospital room at 's because of the dangerous and dark times that they were living in. After their friends left for the evening or in other words kick out of the hospital because visiting hours were over.
Instead of seeing another healer come into the room to check on the twins, it was Albus Dumbledore their former Headmaster and leader of Order of the Phoenix.
"What are their names?" asks Albus quietly as he does not want to disturb the sleeping babies to his former students turned friends.
"Harry James Potter and Iris Faith Potter" says James as a proud first time father before asking "Why did you come here?" knowing that it would be an important conversation.
Before opening his mouth to speak a word, Albus silently casts multiple of spells to ensure their privacy. Albus explains to them "Earlier this week, I was interviewing Sybill Trelawney for the position as the divination professor when she gave a prophecy"
"Why come to us about this prophecy?" asks Lily knowing in her heart that she will not like his answer.
"I believe that this prophecy concerns baby Harry" states Dumbledore before saying the prophecy given to him "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while he other survives... The one with power to vanquish the Dark Lord will born as the seventh months dies"
"Harry or Iris that will defeat Voldemort" asks a confuse and scared James and Albus adds to his previous statement "It will be either one of your children or Frank and Alice Longbottom's son Neville" naming two other order members that met the criteria of the prophecy.
"Both families need to go into hiding under the fidelius charm at a location of your choosing once arrangements have been made" states Albus sternly "It should be as soon as possible with someone that you trust completely as your secret keeper"
Albus leaves a stun James and Lily behind as he leaves the hospital room to speak with the Longbottom family. Lily immediately says "We need to come up with a list of things that need to be done" knowing that time is limited.
"Okay" says James still confused with what is happening to his family as they quickly made a list of things that need to be done. Chose a Potter property to live in, chose a secret keeper, create trust funds for the twins, baptism for the twins, select godparents, decorate the twins nurseries, pack up all necessary belongings, place heirlooms into the family vault along with duplicate pictures, exchange wizarding money for muggle money and place into a muggle bank, and create a will In case of their deaths. Both knew that they will have to rely on their friends to get everything completed quickly.
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Over two weeks have past since Lily and the twins were released from St. Mungo's. They are living at an unknown Potter cottage located in Godric's Hollow which is home to a mixture of magical and non-magical or commonly known as muggle families. The twins were also baptized in a local church with James selecting Harry's godparents and Lily selecting Iris's godparents. Harry's godparents are James's best friend Sirius Black and childhood friend Marlene McKinnon. Iris's godparents happens to be Lily's cousin Richard Evans who was a muggle-born and best friend Dorcas Meadowes.
Mere hours after the occasion, they completed the spell's required for the fidelius charm as they name their secret keeper to be their friend Dorcas Meadowes because she was not someone that anyone would expect.
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Time past by for the Potter family as they celebrated the twins first Christmas, Lily's birthday, Valentine's Day, James's birthday, and the twins first birthday. On one October afternoon, Albus sends his Phoenix patronus to the couple informing them that Dorcas Meadowes was murdered by Voldemort and leave immediately.
James and Lily along with their twins eventual return to their home the day before Easter. They have selected a new secret keeper to be James's friend Peter Pettigrew when they led everyone else to believe that it was Sirius. However, they told Minerva McGonagall who was their former transfiguration professor and the head of their former house Gryffidor and Albus himself.
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Seventeen days have past since they were forced to change their secret keeper. It was finally Halloween and even though they where not able to take the twins out treat or treating like Lily did when she was little. They still dressed them in costumes with both Harry and Iris dressed in lion costumes for their Hogwarts house animal was a lion.
When they were about to put the twins to bed for the night, their lives where about to change forever.
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It was Halloween night, when Lord Voldemort finally found the location of where James and Lily were hiding along with their two children. Lord Voldemort blasts open the front door of the Potter cottage and makes his way inside followed closely behind two loyal death eaters.
Lord Voldemort hears James shouting "Take Harry and Iris" to his wife and hears footsteps running up the stairs. One of the death eaters yells out "Bombarda" as it throws James into the bookshelf because he did not want to kill the last pure-blood of the Potter family.
Lord Voldemort walks into the nursery to find Lily standing in front of Harry's crib begging him "Please not my son" over and over again. When Lord Voldemort points his wand straight at Lily saying "Sectumsempra" which was a spell created by one of his death eaters. Lily falls to the floor in front of Harry's crib bleeding from various of wounds. Then Lord Voldemort has the chance to point his wand straight at Harry's head "Avada Kedavra" as the curse backfires.
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During a staff meeting, Albus was alerted that the Potter's needed immediate assistance as someone has been seriously injured. Albus along with Minerva, Severus Snape the newly appointed potions professor, and Madam Poppy Pomfrey the school's healer travels to Potter Cottage. He also sends word for specific order members to come immediately to the location including any healers inside of their ranks.
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Once they arrived at Potter Cottage, Madam Pomfrey went over to where James was lying on the floor all bloody to say "He's alive" as she says a series of spell's to stabilize him as individuals started to arrive outside of the property.
As Madam Pomfey is working on James, Albus and Severus walk upstairs to where the bedrooms are located. They search the first room which they identified as Iris's nursery and finds her in her crib unharmed. Immediately they went to Harry's nursery to find Lily laying on the floor bleeding heavily. Severus recognizes the curse used and works to heal the wounds with potions as other healers from the order starts to arrive.
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All four members of the Potter family were immediately taken to St. Mungo's with order members guarding them. When Albus informs the auror department that they need to find the traitor Peter Pettigrew immediately.
-A Different Path-
AN: Please review. Part of my November Madness Update.
