All characters and places belong to JK Rowling, I only (sadly) own the plot.
31 October 1981
Godric's Hollow
"James,supper is read- JAMES POTTER, WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME HAPPENED HERE!"
Lily Potter, a 21 year old,muggle born witch with blazing red hair and emerald,green eyes stood at the entrance to the living room it was in a complete mess of a husband James Potter 21 year old was it messy black hair and his eyes sitting in the centre looking fearfully in the direction of the one year old son Harry on his lap giggling away like there was no tomorrow with his toy broomstick lying at his feet.
"Harry stole my glasses," complained James from the midst of broken paintings and upturned furniture, " and I couldn't see anything and Harry was on his broom an…" as he saw Lily looking like she was not sure whether to laugh,sigh or get mad.
At last she asked in a perfectly calm voice, making James gulp at the tone, "and where exactly was your wand?"
James suddenly looked sheepish as he said, pointing towards the upturned table with one hand and fending off Harry- who seemed to think that taking his father's glasses was fun- with the other "My wand is, well was now on the table there."
Now Lily's expression was quite readable, she was about to burst out laughing at her husband's misfortune.
James picked up Harry in his arms and began to rock him slightly,smiling gently down at him as he began to go to sleep.
"What I am surprised at is the fact that you didn't come sooner because of the noise," James said placing Harry down on the one couch that was not upturned.
"I put up a silencing charm on the room so I wouldn't here you."
James turned to her and was about to speak when he caught someone out of the corner of his eye running at full speed straight towards the house, someone very familiar to James.
"Um, Lily did we invite Sirius for supper tonight?" he asked tensely.
Lily turned towards the front door,wand suddenly in hand, " accio James's wand," she said and James,s wand shot into her hand and she tossed it to James who caught it, "um Lily."
"What James?" she answered.
"Won't dinner burn?" he asked remembering the last time he had tried to cook, it , had a burning result so to speak.
"No," was her response as the figure drew closer and closer.
Despite only Sirius (Harry's godfather), Peter ( their secret keeper), Alice ( Harry's godmother), Frank ( Alice's husband) and Albus ( leader of the Order of Phoenix and of the fight against Voldemort) knew of their location, they were not taking any chances with Harry's and their safety.
The door suddenly burst open and the person (who looked like Sirius, but could easily be impersonating him) ran in shouting, " Harry,James,Lily, Prong woah!"
He suddenly tripped over a chair and landed face first among the rubble.
James and Lily had their wands pointing at the person.
James asked the first question, " what did Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and I work on between our second year when we found out Remus's secret till our fifth year?"
"Becoming animagus, you are a stag, I am dog, Peter is a rat and Remus found out when he walked in on us meditating," the person replied.
"supper can wait long enough for you to clean up the mess that you and Harry have made," said Lily as James drew the now confirmed Sirus into a hug which he tensely returned for half a second before drawing back and said "youneedtogorightnowPeterbetrayedusHeishere."
"What?" said James confused but he realised that something was wrong at Sirius's expression.
Sirius took a deep breath and said, "Peter betrayed us, Moldevort is coming."
Horror dawned on James and Lily's face just as they felt the wards began to fall…
James whirled around, wand in his hand, and furiously told Lily, "get Harry and get out of here now."
Lily nodded, picked up Harry and raced to the floo just as the front door was blasted open.
James and Sirius stood side by side as they prepared to face down the dark lord, hands clenched around their wands, eyes blazing with hatred and determination but at the same time fear and acceptance knowing that they might not make it through the night.
Lord Voldemort stood in front of them, a thin, cruel smile danced on his lips, glowing red eyes shined with pleasure against his deathly pale, snake like face underneath his pitch black hood.
"James Potter," he said in a mocking voice as his hood dropped behind him, "Sirius Black."
Sirius glared at him definitely, "if you want Harry you have to go through us asshole."
Voldemort laughed, a cruel laugh that shivered the bones inside them, " You would have been a fine add to my ranks Black but no matter, by this nights end everything you have known and loved, the longbottoms, the last of the potters,the ministry all of it would have fallen, only Hogwarts and the blumbering old crackpot would remain but even that would soon fall and Lord Voldemort will be victorious, it was stupid to think you and your precious order would stop Lord Voldemort who has gone past all Wizards and Witches alike and achieved immortality!" and then as if to emphasize his point thunder suddenly boomed.
James looked at him,looked at Sirius, looked back at Voldemort and merely asked, "is that it?"
Voldemort's nostrils flared as Sirius began to mockingly applauded saying, "nice speech, which one of your feet kissing followers wrote it for you?"
That drove Voldemort over the edge and he sent a cutting curse towards James who ducked and responded with a blasting curse but Voldemort merely deflected it towards Sirius who dived behind a couch.
Soon the room-which was already a mess thanks to James and Harry- was unrecognizable now as the three wizards battled back and forth, James and Sirius in an attempt to give lily enough time to set up some kind of protection to wherever she was going, Voldemort in an attempt to finally get rid of two of his worst enemies and get to Harry whom he still believed to be upstairs with Lily and prevent the prophecy.
James ducked an unknown curse which had a purple tinge to it, he was getting tired and getting tired fast, Sirius was not faring much better, the two of them barely enough to keep him at a stalemate... for now,but they were tiring fast.
"Avada Kedavra," shouted Voldemort, sweat too running from his brow, annoyance flashing in his red eyes as the dreaded green curse sped to James who jumped behind a fallen couch but the killing curse was immediately followed by a blasting one, annihilating the couch and sent James flying as he sent another killing curse towards James who had collapsed onto a heap on the ground watching helplessly as the dreaded curse raced towards him.
Sirius stood up from the wall which he had been chucked against, " NO!" he screamed as he watched the curse race towards his best friend, with one final leap he jumped straight into the curse.
"NOOOOOO!" James's scream split the silent night, a cry of pure anguish as his brother in everything but blood collapsed dead front of him, his face going deathly pale in the matter of seconds, his dark eyes, normally so full of mischief, unseeing.
Hot fury spread through him and in quick succession he sent two blasting curses, one at a stunned Voldemort (he was so surprised that someone had willingly jumped in front of a killing curse ) and one directly above his head.
Voldemort blocked the one sent at him as a small evil smile began to play on his lips as he knew that Potter was about to lose as he was now fighting in desperation, but he didn't see the one going directly above his head…
With a crack the roof collapsed on the dark lord burying him under tons of rubble, but it did little to delay him because even as James began to apparate he could see him start to rise out the rubble his face a perfect picture of fury was the last sight James saw before he went to the one place he could think of: Hogwarts.
With a crack he disappeared and reappeared before the gates of hogwarts, with a glance up to the castle a place he called home for seven years, he slipped inside, a trick which he and the rest of the marauders had found out during one of their adventures.
Coming to the front door, he was stunned when he found the door open, but he then realized it was still early only around half past 7, most of the school would still be eating dinner or walking around somewhere (including-James knew from personal experience-the grounds).
James began to walk towards the headmasters office, when , "James,what are you doing here?"
Turning around he saw his ex head of house and transfiguration teacher Minerva Mcgonagall walking towards him, a confused look until she saw his face, his eyes red, pieces of plaster and rubble in his hair,his clothes torn and filthy.
Professor Mcgonagall immediately feared the worst, "James where is Lily and Harry?" she asked her voice normally calm was trembling slightly.
James admitted, "I don't know, when he attacked, they went through the floo to somewhere I have no idea where."
Mcgonagall realising that that was not the main problem asked, "what happened?"
"He -You Know Who- turned up, somehow Sirius found out out and warned us, Lily and harry left to somewhere while S,Sirius an,and I held him off bu,but," James's voice trailed off as more tears came to his eyes, Mcgonagall was stunned as she too fought back tears.
"I came to speak to Dumbledore about… what happened," James stated, Minerva nodded and was about to let him go when a thought suddenly occurred to her, 'wasn't Sirius the Potter's secret keeper?"
"James, Sirius was the secret keeper, why did he warn you, what?" Minerva was more confused now than she was when she found all the tables,chairs and everything stuck to the roof of the great hall and no one could get them down (she was even more confused when Remus admitted they got the prank from a muggle arthur's story (Ronald Dale or something) 'The Twits' and was even more confused when the Marauders finally got them down because no one could eat (except them, it was only later that all the teachers had mysteriously forgotten about the house elves.)
"Sirius was never our secret keeper," James's voice snapped her out her thoughts.
"What?" she asked.
"He was a ploy, the actual secret keeper was Peter," he said spitting the name out as if it was poison.
If the situation wasn't so serious James probably would have laughed at Minerva's expression.
"W what," she sputtered feeling the blood drain from her face, "but that means that Peter was," she left the sentence hanging in the air as the reality of Peter's betrayal set down on them.
They were shaken out of their thoughts by running footsteps and a Hufflepuff prefect came into view panting slightly.
"Professor, the Slytherins and Gryffindors are fighting again, a couple of fifth years this time," he said, he had dark brown hair which was cut back neatly with brown eyes.
Minerva nodded, said, "Thank you Oliver," and turned to James having seemly regained control of her thoughts, " you know the way to Albus's office James?" She asked.
" unless it has moved since I was last here yes," said James with an outwardly calm expression.
Minerva nodded, turned and gestured to Oliver to show her where the squabble was taking place.
James smiled and exited down the one passage.
"Who was that?" asked Oliver, " a new defence teacher?"
Minerva had to allow a small smile, which most people would have thought they imagined it, to come to her lips very briefly as she shook her head.
James hurried to the Headmaster's office and only then realised Minerva hadn't told him the password, he groaned and started to play guessing games with the gargoyle,
" fizzy whizzbees, fudge flies, ice mice, Liquorice wand, Pumpkin Pasty, Sugar mice, ice pop, honeydukes Mix," and so it went on for another couple minutes before, " Chocolate Frogs?" and the Gargoyle moved, James inwardly cursed himself for not thinking of that earlier as he went up to the headmasters office.
"James," said Dumbledore shocked at seeing him there quickly masking an expression , "what are you doing here?"
Just as James opened his mouth to talk, everything came crashing down on him for a second time.
His expression told Dumbledore the brief idea of what had happened, the Potters had been sold and someone or more than one person had died, "No not Lily and ," his voice cracked for a second, " Harry?"
He was relieved when James shook his head before he spoke very softly, " Sir- Sirius," he croaked out.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and lowered his head for a second also wondering how he was going to explain the other news that had come in a couple of minutes if that before James had come in.
Just than the floo erupted into emerald green flames, Dumbledore and James instinctively grabbed their wands and pointed it at the roaring fireplace as a person came through.
"Lily!" said James as he ran to his wife, the sound of high pitch crying told him his son was still alive.
"Ja, James," she sobbed, rising unsteadily to her feet, her son in her arms as she was pulled up and into s hug by her husband, the two of them holding each other tightly but carefully as not to squash Harry.
"What happened to you?" asked James worriedly.
Lily took a deep breath and began to say, " after Moldewarts arrived,"- James snorted at the nickname despite himself- "I went to the longbottoms," gazing around she wondered where Sirius was.
"But barley ten minutes after I got there the wards fell an, and," she couldn't finish her sentence as she lay sobbing in James's arms.
James was about to say something when he heard Voldemort's voice in his head, something he had said, 'by this nights end everything you have known and loved, the longbottoms, the last of the potters,the ministry all of it would have fallen'
After what felt like eternity to James, Lily suddenly asked, "James, where is Sirius?"
James couldn't meet her eyes and slowly started to back away, already feeling the tears (there were a lot of tears in him tonight wasn't there) come to his eyes.
"James," Lily's voice began to grow panicked as the truth began to settle down on her, "No he can't be…" she couldn't say the word dead, she collapsed on the floor then and there and held Harry close.
"There is more bad news," said Dumbledore finally deciding that the only way to do this was to be blunt, "the ministry was taken, Remus went to help and with whoever was left."
He was cut short by James saying, softly at first then growing louder, "no, not," he couldn't finish the sentence Voldemort's words ringing louder in his head, the fire didn't seem as warm as before.
"What can we do?" asked Lily, tears flowing freely, she couldn't see a way out of this.
Dumbledore seemed to age before their very eyes by a couple of centuries, "Hogwarts is the last Wizarding place in Britain free of Voldemort's reign and the teachers and you two, it's last defenders, we have lost," a thought suddenly occurred to him, "unless…"
"Unless what?" asked James all forms of joy and mischief gone from his eyes for the first time in his life, he suddenly looked like an old man, Lily could barely bare to look at him like this.
Dumbledore sighed, "unless we stop him before he becomes this powerful."
"What?" asked James totally confused by this, " what do you mean?"
Lily however knew what Dumbledore was talking about and she could only gape at him like he was from another planet, "but but that's against the natural law!" she shrieked.
"It is the only way," said Dumbledore calmly.
"What are you talking about?" Said James, still totally confused even more so now with all his other emotions running wildly.
Lily took a shaky breath and said, " time travel."
"What," said Jame in complete surprise, this was not what he was expecting.
" You can see your friends again," pointed out Dumbledore knowing that would sway James and he was not disappointed.
"Fine, let's do it," said James eyes determined, ' I am not going to let my friends die this time' he thought fiercely.
Lily sighed and said, "fine," in an angry voice indicating she was not happy with this, "when are we going back to?"
Dumbledore smiled and said, "your first year, 1971 and fortunately I have the device that can do just that."
"Since when," said an annoyed James who was changing emotions every five minutes.
"Around a year ago," said Dumbledore with a familiar yet annoying twinkle in his blue eyes.
"But," Lily considered her words but then thought better of it, "you know what I give up, because I know this idiot is going and someone needs to keep him in check," she said pointing at her husband.
"Ooi," James complained.
Dumbledore opened a drawer on his desk, pulled out a device and handed it to Lily, "you will end up where you were on 1 September 1971 ,call it six o'clock in the morning,"
James nodded and was about to say something, when the entire castle shuddered.
"What was that?" asked James after he had regained his balance.
Dumbledore rose, all sense of humor gone, "death eaters, " he said turning to them, "they will probably take until tomorrow night to take down the wards," he said grimly.
"We need to leave now," said James putting a lot of emphasis on the now.
Lily nodded in agreement and they grabbed the device and began setting it, (James had no idea how Lily figured it out that fast).
"Ready?" she asked, James nodded.
"Good luck," said Dumbledore.
"Take care of Harry, please?" said Lily her eyes brimming with tears, Dumbledore nodded.
James and Lily looked at each other as another rumble shook the castle, no words were needed.
"Has this thing been tested before?" James asked suddenly just as Lily pressed the button.
Dumbledore smiled as he said, "no."
"What!" said James as he felt himself get dizzy and then he was flung into the past.
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