The Secret

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Just my ideas.

Summary:

What if James and Lily didn't die but were put into hiding until a certain time came? What will Harry think when it is reviled? Read and review. Thanks.

Chapter 1

Halloween

It was Halloween of 1981. James Potter was playing with his son, Harry. Lily was watching the two loves of her life and laughing at them. It was peaceful. She was about to put Harry to bed when she felt something wasn't right. Something was wrong.

"James do you feel that?" she asked.

"Yeah. Take Harry and go upstairs." said James.

"What are you going to do?" she asked clinging to Harry and crying.

"Keep him at bay til you get out. Now go!" he yelled.

"No. I won't leave you!" she cried.

"Go Lily. He's at the door. Save Harry. Go!" said James.

Lily ran up the stairs to the nursery. She put Harry in his crib and turned to see Voldemort standing in front of her.

"What do you want?" asked Lily.

"The boy." said Voldemort.

"No. Not Harry. I'll do anything. Not Harry!" she screamed.

"Out of the way girl. You don't need to die." Voldemort said.

"You can't kill a child. Have mercy not Harry." screamed Lily.

Voldemort laughed a high pitched laugh. He pointed his wand at Lily.

"Avada Kadavera."

Lily fell to the floor. She was presumed dead by Voldemort. He then pointed his wand at Harry.

"Avada Kadavera."

The curse bounced off Harry and connected with him. He fled. Harry was screaming and crying. A 15 month baby alone or so everyone thought.

Dumbledore came to the house. He stood in front of it. He could sense that something wasn't what it seemed. He walked into the house and checked on James first. James seemed to be dead by looking at him but Dumbledore wasn't sure. He cast a spell and found out the truth, James Potter was indeed alive, somehow. From there he went up the stairs. He could hear Harry screaming and went to nursery. He did the same spell on Lily which showed the same as James. He transported James and Lily to a different safe house as soon as Hagrid had Harry. He cast the charm to protect Harry at his aunt's and left Harry there so it would look as if James and Lily Potter were dead.

Dumbledore went to the new safe house. He revived James first. James automatically drew his wand before he realized who it was.

"Dumbledore?" James said in confusion. "Where's Lily and Harry? I remember Voldemort coming in but that's all."

"If you will lower your wand I will explain. First I need to revive Lily so that we can get the whole story." said Dumbledore.

Dumbledore stepped over to Lily and revived her. When sh e came to it was just like when James did.

"Dumbledore? What happened? Where's Harry? Where's my son?" she yelled.

"Lily! Calm down. I think Dumbledore knows but you have to listen first." said James trying to calm her.

"James! You're alive. I saw you fall. I thought I'd lost you." said Lily throwing herself in his arms.

James held her in his arms. He was so thankful to have her alive. He looked over her head at Dumbledore.

"What happened to Harry?" asked James.

"Harry is fine. He's at Lily's sister's house. He will have to live there. The charm that Lily left him with when she willingly gave her life for him will protect him." said Dumbledore.

"But we're alive. Why can't we have our son?" asked Lily.

"Because nobody is to know you are alive." said Dumbledore.

"Why?" asked James.

"Because if they did the charm would not work. We have to act like you're dead." said Dumbledore.

"Can you explain?" asked Lily.

"Yes. From what I can figure out, Harry saved you both. He sensed the danger before either of you did. He must have done it before Lily took him upstairs. It seems like he put a protective charm on both of you. I don't know what yet but I can say that he saved your lives. He will be very powerful when he is older. But for now he will have to stay where he is until the time comes." Dumbledore explained. "Did you use Sirius as your secret keeper?"

"We decided not to use him. He thought it would be too risky. We thought that Voldemort would expect it to be it. He knew how close we were and still are. We used Peter. He was less conspicuous." said James.

"Indeed." said Dumbledore. "We must find Sirus. Tell him what is going on. He needs to know you both are okay."

"Why? What do you think he will do?" asked James.

"I think he's going after Peter." said Dumbledore.

Dumbledore sent his Patronus to Sirus to meet him in the park near James and Lily's new home.

"What is it?" asked Sirus.

"Come with me. Memorize this." said Dumbledore.

Sirus looked at the address. It read: #8 Privet Dr. Little Whinging, Surrey.

"Wait!" said Sirus. "This is 2 houses down from where Hagrid took Harry"

"Yes. That is why I put them here." said Dumbledore.

"Who?" asked Sirus.

Sirus looked and saw the house. He and Dumbledore walked in. Lily ran and hugged him. He was in shock.

"Lily? James? What's going on? You were dead." said Sirus.

"We don't know for sure what happened. We were fixing to find out when Dumbledore wanted to find you. He thought you were going after Peter." said James.

They all looked at Dumbledore.

"Could we please find out what happen so I can check on Harry?" said Lily. She wanted to know her son was okay.

"Yes. But first we need to talk about what happened when Voldemort came in." said Dumbledore.

James and Lily told their stories.

"Did you feel anything like a charm placed on you before you left the sitting room?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yeah." said James. "Come to think about it when I kissed Harry before Lily took him upstairs. I felt a warm tingling sensation go though me. But I didn't think anything of it. He came in right after that."

"You know, I felt that too. About the same time James did. When he kissed Harry and me." said Lily.

"Indeed." said Dumbledore. "Unless I'm mistaken, I think it was a charm like I've placed on Petunia's home to protect Harry. It is what they call old magic. It is formed by love. Harry felt that the people that loves him were in danger and put a protective charm on you. For now that is all I know."

"So your saying that Harry saved James and Lily." said Sirus.

"Yes. But I don't think it went into effect until Lily died for him. The charm Harry cast was strengthened by that." said Dumbledore.

"So when I shielded him from Voldemort that saved us all?" asked Lily.

"Yes. I think so." said Dumbledore.

"But if we're all still alive why can't we be with him? Why does he have to live with Lily's sister?" asked James.

"Because if his Death Eaters find out your alive they will come for you all. Everyone already knows Harry's still alive. For now he is safer where he is. They can't get to him." said Dumbledore.

"Fine. But I want to see him. I want to know he's okay." said Lily.

"We can do that. You will be able to watch him grow up. Maybe if you can change your appearance you could even babysit him when they go out. But for now come with me." said Dumbledore.

They all went down the block to the house. They dislusioned themselves and apperated into the house. They found out that they had put Harry in a cubbard under the stairs. Lily made herself seeable again and cuddled him in her arms. James done the same and hugged them both. They stayed like that until Harry fell asleep. Lily laid him on the palet the had for him. She kissed his forehead and shut the door.

"I can't believe she put him in a cupboard. I bet Vernon had a lot to do with that." said Lily.

"That I don't doubt." said James.

"We have to change our appearance James. We can't let him live there without some fun every once in a while. He also needs to know someone loves him. We can do that." said Lily.

"We'll start tonight. Our son deserves that if not more." said James.

They went back to the house and started changing their appearance to spend time with Harry. Lily transfigured James' face and hair. He had a shorter nose, a smaller forehead, and light brown hair. When she finished with James he started helping her. He gave her a rounder face, a slightly lower forehead, and strawberry blonde hair. The transformation worked. Dumbledore almost didn't recognize them the next day.

"Wow. Now for your new names. James will be Jimmy Pepper and Lily will be Kelly Pepper. Are those names satisfactory?" asked Dumbledore.

"Anything that will let us be with Harry." said Lily.