'Harry, dear, come down to the kitchen please.' Lily Potter called. She was sitting in the kitchen with her husband, James Potter. Both had grim expressions on their faces. They turned their attention to the door as they heard eight-year-old Harry Potter thud down the stairs.
'Yes mom?' he asked as he entered the kitchen.
'We need to talk to you Harry. Sit down please.' Harry sat down at the table across from his parents, curiosity getting the better of him.
'Harry, do you remember that time, when you were six, you were with me in Diagon Alley, and people kept coming up to you and shaking your hand, and you asked me why everyone knew you?' Harry thought.
'Not really…' he replied slowly.
'Okay, that's alright I'll be right back.' She stood up and left the kitchen and was back a few minutes later with a basin filled with a whitish silver substance.
'What is that?' Harry asked leaning forward, growing more curious by the second.
'That is a Pensieve, Harry. You can take a memory out of your mind and put it in there to clear your mind, or so that others can see it as well,' his father answered.
'Is it yours?' Harry asked looking at his dad.
'No this is, um, a… friend's.'
'Why do you have it?'
'We're going to show you a couple of memories. The first one is that day when you asked me why everyone knows us.' Lily said. 'Now hold my hand and come on.' With that she leaned forward and they fell into Diagon Alley. Moments later James appeared as well. 'Now, Harry, I want you to listen and watch carefully, okay?'
'Yes mom,' Harry replied,
Six-year-old Harry was holding his mother's hand, walking through Diagon Alley. His dad was at work and they were out shopping.
'Harry, honey, did you want to get some ice cream at Florean Fortescue's when I'm done at Flourish and Blotts?' his mother asked. Harry's face lit up.
'Yeah! When? Now?' Lily laughed.
'Right away dear. I just need to pick up a book and we'll be on our way.'
'Okay!' Harry said with delight. They walked down the street to Flourish and Blotts when a wizard in bright orange robes came up to them and said,
'Is it really Lily and Harry Potter? I can't believe I'm finally meeting you! My name is Caleb, Caleb Patrent! It is such a pleasure!' and he shook their hands and left beaming. Lily shook her head and started walking again when Harry looked up at her and asked,
'Mommy, why did that person know my name?' Lily sighed and looked down at her son as they entered Flourish and Blotts.
'It's nothing to worry about right now Harry, dear. I'll tell you when you're just a little older. For now just forget about it okay?'
'Okay mom,' and she watched him as he ran off towards the children's books. Lily gave another sigh as she went to get her book.
Harry felt his feet leave the ground and then hit the ground a few seconds later. He looked up to find himself back in his kitchen with his parents.
'Now, do you remember that day, Harry?' his father asked him. Harry nodded.
'Yeah, I remember it now.'
'Okay, well, now comes the tough part. We're going to show you the memory of why everyone knows us.' Lily said.
'You'll also find out why you don't have any grandparents…' James added. Harry nodded.
'Okay, well here we go.' Lily said and she grabbed Harry and James' hands and leaned forward into the Pensieve again.
'Mom, dad, we're going now. We should be back in two hours. Make sure Harry gets to bed at eight-thirty.' James called from his front door to his parents, who were sitting in his kitchen with baby Harry.
'Where exactly are you going again?' James' father asked.
'We're going to Sirius'. And yes, don't worry it's safe there. Bye! Love you.'
'Love you,' his parents chorused back. When they heard the front door shut, they turned to Harry.
'Well young man, I believe you have to get to bed in fifteen minutes. Let's go get your pajamas on,' James' mother and Harry's grandmother, Dorea said. She picked him up and carried him upstairs to his bedroom. Five minutes later she heard her husband yelling to her with panic in his voice.
'Dorea! Take Harry and run! He's here! I'll try to hold him off. Hurry!'
'Charlus! What are you talking about?' she asked putting Harry in his crib and running down the stairs as fast as possible.
'Dorea! He's here! Voldemort's here! You have to get Harry out of here! I love you, now go quickly!' she had tears in her eyes now. So did he.
'No Charlus! He'll kill you! Please no! I love you Charlus!' and she ran to him and gave him a kiss. A kiss full of passion and love.
'Go now Dorea! Hurry!' she nodded and ran back up the stairs. She went and kissed Harry on the forehead.
'I love you so much, Harry.' She muttered to him. All of a sudden she heard a loud bang. A loud high cruel laugh. A yell. And a thud. Tears were now rolling down her cheeks. She knew Charlus was dead. She heard another high cruel laugh and thuds as he came up the stairs. She frantically tried to think of some way to keep him from entering the room. Then the bedroom door flew open with a bang before she could act. Dorea ran to Harry's crib and put herself in front of it. 'Please leave Harry alone! Kill me instead! Please don't hurt Harry!'
'Stand aside you stupid girl.' He said in a bored voice.
'No! Please not Harry!'
'Avada Kedavra!' and Dorea dropped. Voldemort took a step forward as Harry began to cry. He carefully pointed his wand at the boy' s forehead where Dorea had kissed him just moments before. Voldemort whispered, 'Avada Kedavra,' and then he was in horrible pain and he fled, with baby Harry still crying...
Harry's feet left the ground again and they hit mere seconds later. He looked at his parents who both had tears running down their faces. His eyes were also filled with tears. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes until Harry spoke,
'I still don't understand why everyone knows our names.'
'Harry, dear, you know about the Unforgivable Curses, right?' Harry nodded to his mother's question.
'Well,' his father began. 'No one has ever survived Avada Kedavra. Until that night. You survived with only that scar on your forehead.' Harry touched his lightning bolt-shaped scar.
'But… how?' he asked. Lily looked at James and said,
'One of our… friends thinks that it was your grandmother's love for you.' James continued,
'He thinks that your grandmother's love for you was as strong as ours for each other. Since Voldemort does not love he did not think of this.'
'We know it's all very confusing right now for you, but you needed to know. You needed to know why everyone knows our name, and why you don't have any grandparents, and why you have that scar.' Lily got up and gave her son a hug.
'Do you have any questions, Harry?' his father asked. Harry thought for a moment.
'Why did Voldemort try to kill us?' His parents exchanged glances.
'Harry, would you understand if we didn't tell you that right now?' Lily asked. Harry looked at them and nodded. 'We just don't want to overload you right now. If you ever have any other questions you can come and ask us. Okay?'
'Okay,' he replied quietly. He left the kitchen and climbed the stairs to his bedroom. Those had always been his three biggest questions. Why does everyone know our name, why do I not have any grandparents, and why do I have a lightning bolt-shaped scar on my forehead. He now knew the answer to all three of them. He opened and closed his door and lay down on his bed. He closed his emerald green eyes and fell asleep, his mind buzzing with questions.
'Do you think he'll be okay?' Lily asked her husband as she sat down beside him on the couch in their sitting room ten minutes later.
'Once he gets over the shock he'll be fine, although nothing like that will ever leave him,' James answered. He yawned and looked at his watch. 'Merlin, we kept him up late. We should get to bed too.' Lily nodded and stood up.
'I'll go say goodnight to him,' she kissed him and headed up the stairs to Harry's room. James sighed and followed his wife up the stairs.
When Lily opened the door to her son's room, she saw Harry lying on his bed fully dressed, and sound asleep. She pulled out her wand and gave it a flick, which cause his clothing to turn to his pajamas. She picked him up easily as he was very light, and gave another flick of her wand to cause the covers to pull back. Lily placed him in his bed and pulled the covers over him.
'Goodnight Harry,' she whispered, kissing him on the cheek. She quietly made her way to the door. She turned around and took a glance at Harry as he turned over in his sleep, before she closed the door.
When Lily got to her room, she found James sitting up in bed waiting for her.
'Is he okay?' he asked, his voice full of concern.
'I don't know. He was asleep when I got there. He'll never have a normal life again will he?' Lily asked as she changed into her pajamas.
'I don't think so, but we had to tell him. He'll have it even worse at Hogwarts. He has a right to know.'
'Yes I know that, but what about the prophecy? When are we going to tell him?' Lily asked as she climbed into bed beside James.
'We'll tell him when we have to. We have to give him as normal a life as possible until he's ready for that,' he answered.
'You always know what to say don't you?' Lily said giving him a kiss on the cheek, grinning.
'Of course I do!' he said mocking looking hurt. Lily laughed and turned off the light.
'Well, goodnight James.'
'Goodnight Lily,' and they fell asleep just as fast as Harry had.