It was Halloween, the night it happened.

Maybe that's why James Potter didn't register the hooded figure walking through the crowd of trick-or-treaters as the former looked out the window of the small cottage. It was the night that muggles dressed up as people from his world, and the person could easily be the grim reaper, or something like that.

James felt a tug in his stomach, like something was off, but he put the feeling down to nerves. The Dark Lord had no way of knowing where he and his family were. Shaking his head, he turned away from the window and back to the living room, where his wife was playing with their daughter.

"PETTIGREW!" The door to the small flat was blasted off its hinges, crashing down the hall. Through the door stormed a handsome man with shaggy dark hair, and stormy grey eyes that flashed with anger and betrayal. This man was followed by another; this one had a thin, wiry, but strong frame, sandy hair, and eeiry blue-grey eyes. Normally, these eyes were filled with compassion and wisdom; but that night, the compassion was gone, replaced with stone cold fury.

The second man looked around the messy apartment, taking in the chaos, the smell of moulding food, the silence. He glanced at his companion. "Find him. No matter what. We need to know what Wormtail told him. Think you could sniff him out with all this junk?"

The first one growled. "Remus, I could sniff him out in human form right now. He has hell to pay."

The two friends tore through the apartment like wolves looking for meat. Actually, one was like a wolf- the other was like a dog.

But then, Remus froze, his eyes on a work desk. "Sirius? I've found him. Or rather, what's left of him..."

Sirius bounded over and stopped short. There, next to a white Death Eater mask, on a piece of parchment, was a lump of flesh. And also on the parchment, was writing in a suspiciously deep red:

Hello, my dear foes,

Peter was very useful to me, telling me your every move, managing to make himself Secret Keeper, then telling me the actual secret. I will put the information to good use, and the world will have one less blood traitor, mudblood, and spawn to worry about, will they?

V

Remus and Sirius looked at each other in horror.

"James…" Sirius whispered.

"Lily…" Remus said at the same moment.

"Elizabeth!" they both seemed to wake up, and were quickly gone in a POP, leaving the index finger of Peter Pettigrew behind.

Halloween. The Eve of Hallows. Night of the Dead. Tom had always found that particular holiday... amusing. The muggles- filthy things- dressed in cloaks and purposefully shredded clothes, playing pretend, not knowing how close they are to the truth. In his dark cloak, Tom blended in with all the families laughing and throwing sweets at each other.

He knew exactly where to find them, thanks to Pettigrew; but after that, the pathetic excuse for a man was useless. No matter, it's not like anyone cared for him.

Tom walked up to the cottage, slowly lifting the latch on the gate. With a few non-verbal spells, the shields fell away at his touch, and suddenly the abandoned cottage had light in the windows. He could see a man with unkempt black hair, and Hazel eyes framed by round glasses. Next to him, was a beautiful red-head, laughing as she tickled a little infant. That infant. Tom bit back a snarl, and continued his walk down the path.

With a well-aimed jinx, the door burst open, and Tom could see the woman running up the stairs, infant in arms, husband steps behind her. The man was sending curses, body-binding charms, anything he could think of.

Tom lazily followed them up the stairs, blocking every spell, smiling at the mixture of fear, determination and 'courage' that was present on the man's face.

Suddenly, the woman made a downward motion with her wand, and the stairs beneath Tom disappeared. It was childish magic; he admitted it caught him off guard, and it gave the couple time to run ahead.

But Tom found them quickly enough. They were in the child's room, standing protectively in front of the cot. They were whispering to their spawn, but had stopped as soon as Tom was close to the door.

"Stay away from our daughter, Voldemort," Potter said, his wand level with Tom's heart. Tom sent a curse flying at the man's head. Potter ducked and so began a duel. But it didn't last very long, and the young man was sent flying into the wall.

"James!" screamed the mudblood.

"Crucio!" roared Tom as he pointed his wand at James Potter. He would kill them slowly, make each watch the other as their loved one was tortured. Then, he would deal with the child.

Sirius and Remus knew that they were too late as they ran up the stairs of the cottage. They turned the corner in time to see their best friend and his wife, lying motionless on the floor, and the Dark Lord point his wand at the baby's head.

"No!" Sirius yelled, leaping towards the nursery. But he was too far away.

"Avada Kedavra!" screamed Voldemort, and the room was filled with a brilliant white light, a deafening boom... Then nothing. There was a big crack in the opposite wall, and a slumped body dressed in black.

Sirius and Remus raced over to the cot. There, sitting there in a daze, was their 'niece' and Sirius' goddaughter, Elizabeth Potter- alive.

Sirius gasped and picked the little child up, holding her tightly. But then he heard something that almost made him swear he was dreaming.

"Padfoot. Moony..."

Sirius and Remus turned to James and Lily Potter staring at them, James' hand stretched towards the other two Marauders. There were gashes on their hands and face, burns and blistering sections of skin, but somehow, they found the strength to talk.

Remus rushed over, pulled out his wand, and started mending the cuts.

"Remus..." Lily protested. "It's too late."

"No. The two of you will live. You have a daughter to take care of."

"You can't heal us, Remus."

"No we can-"

"The Cruciatus Curse, Moony," James interrupted weakly. "Thirty times on each of us. The Cruciatus Curse."

Sirius stood there in shock, Elizabeth in his arms. They were dying. Two of his three best friends were dying.

Elizabeth wriggled and let out a cry, reaching towards her parents.

"Sirius," Lily breathed shallowly. "Let me see her."

Without a word, he knelt down in front of the beautiful redhead, and held the little one year old out to her.

Lily took her daughter and held her close. "My sweet baby girl," she whispered, tears pouring down her cheeks. James wrapped an arm around them, also silently crying. Their tears seemed silver in the moonlight. Silver...

"Padfoot," Remus spoke up. "Vials."

Sirius looked at his friend like he was mentally deranged, but conceded. Remus grabbed the two vials, and with them, caught the tears, James' in one, Lily's in the other. "Memory tears," Remus replied to Sirius' questioning look.

Suddenly, James' hand shot out and grabbed Sirius' arm. "You will take care of her," he said forcefully. "You will raise Elizabeth, and you'll protect her. Be the father that I will never have the chance to be."

"But don't let her forget us," Lily interjected. "And if any of this draws attention, don't let her ego swell like this one's." She feebly poked her husband. "Be her uncles, her godfather. Don't let her forget."

Sirius' and Remus' eyes became blurred. "We will. We promise."

James and Lily kissed their daughter's forehead, whispering comforting words and goodbyes. Then James clasped both their hands. "Remember- Marauders... forever..."

And his hand went slack. Lily's grip on Elizabeth loosened as her eyes fluttered closed. Sirius and Remus hung their heads as the child looked at her motionless parents, and started to cry.