Disclaimer: This applies to the whole story. Any recognizable Harry Potter characters, objects, events, places, scenes, quotes, et cetera do not belong to me. They belong to the wonderful JK Rowling and her associates. I am not making any profit through this piece and no trademark or copyright violation is intended. This story was made purely for the sake of my own amusement.
Summary: AU Dark!Harry. Raised by the Lestranges, Harry is brought up believing that restoring Voldemort will return the magical world to glory. When truths come to light, will he stray from the Dark and fix the mistakes of the past? Or is it already too late?
Warning: This story is rated M for mature themes, violence, swearing, sexual content, character deaths, torture, angst, OCs (I usually hate them, but sometimes they're necessary), some side slash, and harsh realities. Read with caution.
Spoiler Alert: This fic contains spoilers from all seven Harry Potter novels, as well as spoilers from the books Tales of Beedle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and possibly Quidditch Throughout the Ages, though the latter is doubtful. Don't be mad at me if you discover something that you didn't know because you didn't take the time to read this and/or read at least one of the previous books by JKR.
Author's Note: This is my first ever attempt at a Harry Potter fanfiction, and I'm quite delighted for even beginning to write one of my ideas. It's going to be Harry-centric and I am not sure yet if he's going to be seriously paired romantically with anyone. I'm writing this on a whim with a general idea of the direction I am taking with it.
Also, this story was previously called Truth Will Out.
Thank you to all my girlfriends, housemates, and to my team coordinator for all you inspiration, help, and encouragement. You are my greatest fans and thank you so much for the support through this journey I've been on.
And a very special thanks to my beta, Toxic Irresistibility.
Now on with the story!
"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning." – Ivy Baker Priest
Chapter One: Visitors
Lily Potter had always been one to hate the calm before the storm. Halloween night was drawing to a close in Godric's Hollow and she could hear the young children outside heading home after long hours of running door to door. The laughter of her son and husband in the sitting room poured into the kitchen as she finished putting away the dishes.
The Dark Lord and his allies had been quiet for the past fortnight and it had all members of the Order on edge. Used to fighting off attacks from the Death Eaters at least three times a week, a lack of disturbance was unusual... and unnerving. Something was distinctively off and Dumbledore was at a loss as to what they may be planning. Frankly, Lily didn't want to have to worry anymore. She just wanted Voldemort to be gone and the fWar to be over so she, James, and Harry could finally live the life that they had always dreamed of.
Unregrettably, her research had come to an abrupt halt. She was unwilling to risk her family's safety and her own humanity through furthering her study into experimentation. It was why she had had to cut any external ties and erase all liabilities connected to the project before she abandoned it forever. Now her notes and suspicions would just remain theories. And forgotten memories.
It helped that the Invisibility Cloak went missing just last week…
The high pitch squeal brought her out of her reverie. Crossing the hallway, she opened the door to the sitting room and smiled at the picture her son made trying to catch the puffs of coloured smoke that were shooting out of James' wand. Harry, clad in his blue pajamas, clapped his hands in glee as the smoke floated around the room.
"James, don't you think it's time to put Harry to bed? He must be tired." Lily allowed herself a small smile as James let out a groan but relented. He scooped Harry up, tickling him as he stepped towards her, and put their son in Lily's reaching arms.
James threw his wand onto the sofa and stretched his arms above his head, yawning. "Merlin, I feel so old…" He gave a mock frown before shaking it off and grinning at her. "Come here, Mrs Potter, give me a kiss." As he took a step towards her, arms outstretched, the moment was ruined by a blast erupting from the down the hall.
"No, James!"
He ignored her as he sprinted out of the room. "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off—"
Lily had to fight with her instinctive gut feeling to go fight by James' side but was halted by the very tangible weight of her precious son in her arms. She looked down at the black mess of hair, the sleepy green eyes, and a sob built in her throat as she ran for the stairs away from the sound of Voldemort hissing something undistinguishable to her husband.
A deathly chill ran through her body as the walls around her flashed an eerie green and she heard a distinct thump. She stumbled on the top steps, and could not withhold the scream of agony that tore from her throat. James was dead. She needed to get her wand. She needed to keep Harry safe. Oh God, where's my wand? Where was it...? Frantically sweeping through her mind, she made it to Harry's room before it hit her. It's still in the kitchen.
Lily hurried over to the window and let out a desperate cry of frustration as she struggled with the old latch for a moment. It was no use. She settled for resting Harry in his cot in the nursery and going to barricade the door.
Shaking slightly, she pushed a chair up under the doorknob and piled the heavy unpacked boxes against it, ignoring the thoughts in her head telling her that her actions were futile; she'd be damned if she'd just sit around and wait for Voldemort to kill them. She went back to the cot and picked up Harry, who was staring up at her with a confused frown on his face and kissed his forehead and cheeks before hugging him tightly to her chest. "I love you, Harry."
When the boxes began to budge and the door was forced open, she could do nothing.
The Dark Lord was moving unhurriedly, shoving aside box by individual box with exaggerated, slow flicks of his wand. He was tall and imposing in his long black cloak, hood still raised…
Mustn't let him get Harry…
She placed Harry back into his crib and stood firmly in front of him, arms outstretched. Finally, he looked directly at her and she locked eyes with the wizard who just murdered her husband in cold blood. His face was thin and gaunt with skin so white it was ghostly. His eyes were crimson, as he stared at her, his lipless mouth twisted into a horrible, mirthless sneer. She was powerless, and he knew it.
"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" If she was to die, all she would plead was that he spared her son.
His eyes seemed to glow with rage as they narrowed in a glare. "Stand aside, you silly girl… stand aside, now…" The voice was soft but menacing with a slight rasp.
"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead—" Lily begged.
"This is my last warning—"
"Not Harry! Please… have mercy… have mercy… Not Harry! Not Harry! Please—I'll do anything—"
"Stand aside—stand aside, girl—"
Then, pausing for less than a moment, the Dark Lord raised his wand. The green beam of light hit Lily in the chest, letting her last panicked thoughts slip away as she was filled with a sudden peace. There were voices calling her name, and she could feel James reaching for her… It was too tempting to drift away and let the peace wash over her.
No! I can't leave, not yet. Harry… I have to protect him… She watched as Voldemort took careful aim at Harry, wanting to cry out. Harry started wailing as he stood there in his crib, clutching the wooden bars. She clenched her eyes shut, turned and wrapped her arms around her son, shielding him completely. I love you so much, Harry…
"Avada Kedavra!"
She felt rather than saw the spell rush towards her son, desperate to help him. Her fear was overpowered by astonishment as the curse was absorbed into her invisible being, coursing through her. Suddenly, she could think of nothing but pain. She screamed. It rammed inwards in every direction of her person, trying to reach her son. Harry, oh God, she could never let him feel this agony. She tried to focus, but the torture was clouding all her thoughts. It drove at him, and a little of the glowing curse slipped through her waning grasp, pulling her with it.
The piece of the spell slammed into Harry's forehead, slashing down on it. He shrieked as the crib started to tip backwards away from the caster. Lily's fury crashed into the curse and it thrust back at the man—thing—that had emitted it.
It exploded into the Dark Lord. The man's screech echoed along the walls as his body started to turn to ash, crumbling slowly. Then his body blasted outwards in all directions, the walls, floor and ceiling buckling under the force of the discharge and the wall behind her exploded out into the night, leaving a large gaping hole. Lily viewed the scene in horror as the house fractured and cracked around the cot that had tipped over. The roof caved in slightly and shingles rained down around her and the crib.
Harry lay on the dirty floor, bleeding, wailing for his mother, trying to make his way through the blankets that had tangled around his tiny being. Relief and amazement washed over her as she saw that her son had survived the Killing Curse. It wasn't possible, and yet, there he was, crying and thrashing about in the blankets. Finally freeing himself, he stood, stumbling his way around the crib, over to Lily's still form, prodding her, whining out, "Mummy?" It broke her heart as she watched Harry sit down heavily and curl up in her body's limp arms, prior to passing out from the pain.
She looked up from her body and her precious son. Before her, ash was beginning to swirl, and a smoky form rose from it. Her eyes widened. But how… how did he survive? And then the most bloodcurdling realization she had ever thought came slamming down upon her. Merlin, save us all, please no. We're doomed…
"What… did you do… to me, girl…?" A wispy rasp emitted from the form and Lily could feel such an intense rage coming from the manifestation that it brought her to her hands and knees. She whimpered, cowering before the smoky figure.
"I-I don't know! P-please, please. Just don't hurt him! He's just a child. W-what has he ever done to you?" She flinched as the anger spiked.
"It is… what he could and… will do… in the future…" Lily could feel the thing glaring at her. "Your death was… unnecessary…" The smoke and ash gave an unearthly shriek and sped through her out the giant hole in the wall and into the quiet night. She gasped and sighed with relief when she could finally feel its presence vanish.
Glancing achingly at her son one last time, Lily Evans Potter hesitantly let go of her grasp on the world of the living. Just as she took her husband's hand, a scream tore through her, and she was ripped away from James.
Rodolphus Lestrange was not a happy man that night. His beloved wife had gone into one of her fits of rage again. This time it was for not being ordered to go along with the Dark Lord to Godric's Hollow and watch as the Potters were killed. She was currently screaming about how unfair it was that she never got to have any fun and how she should be there with her Lord to celebrate the death of the little half-blood brat.
He had to secretly admit that he was concerned for her. Not because of the war or her unstable emotions. She could easily fend for herself, both because of her skills in the Dark Arts courtesy of the Dark Lord and her never-ending enjoyment to jump right into the middle of any danger and violence. Well, okay, he had to admit that her moods were rather troublesome, but his worry was more so directed at how she had been acting as of late. As if she was hiding something from everyone.
It was like she was actually apprehensive for once of what people thought of her. Every morning when they got up and every night before they settled in, she would stand in front of their full-length bedroom mirror and just stare at her reflection. No emotions would cross her striking features and not a sound would pass her lips. When he had first asked her if something was the matter, she simply brushed it off without bothering to snap at him. This had been going on every morning and night for almost two months now. Recently he had taken to holding her in a strong embrace as she gazed at herself. She didn't even put up a fight anymore when he tried to comfort her.
Rodolphus narrowed his eyes at Bellatrix and shoved his thoughts aside as he ducked to avoid a flying object for the fourth time. Checking the damage, he shrugged it off, the object only being a ghastly vase that his great-aunt had given them as a wedding present. She went on yelling, not even noticing that he and his brother Rabastan were glaring at her. "Bella," Rodolphus said reproachfully.
Bellatrix stopped her storming mid-sentence. "What is it?" she growled dangerously.
"Maybe you should just calm down. The Dark Lord will be back soon enough and then we can go about the next stages of the plan."
Her eyes widened in anger, her jaw clenched, and a muscle in her cheek could be seen having a spasm. "Calm down… You want me to calm down?" she shrieked. "How am I supposed to calm down when the Dark Lord is out there gaining glory alone while we're stuck here bloody well doing nothing!" Bellatrix resumed her pacing.
Rabastan grasped his cigarette pack from the inner pocket of his robe, leaning back against the side of the fireplace. Calmly, he pulled one out and lit it with his wand. Taking a long drag on the stick, he finally looked back up at the scene before him. "Trixie—"
"Don't call me that!"
Rabastan simply looked at her before continuing like he had never been interrupted. "Trixie, do calm down. Fits of childish temper tantrums hardly suit you." Rodolphus had to force himself from outright grinning at his brother. He knew that if he did, he would one, look like an idiot, and two, end up being severely cursed by his wife. Now that he thought about it, he was curious as to why she hadn't drawn her wand yet.
The woman fumed. Oh, here it comes. As if on cue, multiple things happened simultaneously. Bellatrix went for her wand, Rabastan's slipped into his hand, and Rodolphus stood straighter, ready to intervene if necessary.
All of their movements were stopped directly after as an unearthly searing exploded from their left forearms. Bellatrix screeched in agony, Rodolphus ground his teeth together and snarled, while Rabastan clawed at his arm, his cigarette crushed between his pain-twisted lips. The brutal throbbing slowly started to subside and they all briskly rolled up their sleeves to see their black Dark Marks begin to fade to a vicious red scar, blood seeping from the edges of the now faint tattoo.
"Something's wrong," Bellatrix whispered, eyes frantic. She clutched at her wrist. "I can't feel him!" She tried pressing her Mark to call him, but nothing happened. Her breathing quickened and became shallow. "We need to find him... We need to get to the Dark Lord. Now!"
They all quickly summoned their Death Eater attire. They dressed briskly with Bella forcefully urging the men to make haste. Rodolphus watched her as he put his mask in place. She was pale and looked close to hyperventilating as she donned hers with trembling hands. He whispered, "Deep breaths, Bella," before they pulled themselves into Apparation.
The three appeared under the shadow of a Muggle war memorial in the town square of Godric's Hollow. A few Muggle youth were strutting about the square costumed in a variety of outrageous outfits. Rodolphus thought that Bella would be tempted to curse the teenagers, but before he had a chance to grasp her wrist, she grabbed his. Completely ignoring the Muggles, she dragged him quietly protesting along as Rabastan followed closely, cigarette fully repaired and planted firmly between his lips. Glancing at the passing Muggles, Rodolphus grimaced. Well, at least we fit in, he sneered sarcastically.
Down the road they finally came upon a small cottage that lay in ruins, a large cavernous hole in the top right of the building. Shit, he thought, and knew that the other two were thinking along the same lines. Rodolphus winced as Bella's grip tightened and he lost circulation in his wrist. They picked up their pace towards the residence's small gate.
"Split up and search everywhere. We need to find Him as soon as possible." Bella dropped Rodolphus' wrist. He started to massage the blood flow back into his hand as the three pushed the broken door open further and stepped across the threshold. The second they did so, they spotted James Potter's body.
Bellatrix cackled, though her eyes barely lit up. "The filthy blood traitor deserved it." Her voice trembled slightly with the breathy laugh. Casually, as if she did it every day, Bella kicked the body out of her way, almost stumbling in her distress, and clicked out to the back of the house, igniting her wand down the hall.
The two brothers looked uncomfortably at each other, exchanging silent words. Without a sound, Rabastan turned and started going room to room. Rodolphus continued down the hallway and up the small staircase. When he reached the top of the stairs, he turned to check his surroundings. The door that had been broken off its hinges instantly caught his attention. He could see the tree next to the house from where he was very clearly as if the broken door led outside.
Cautiously, Rodolphus crept towards it, drawing his wand as he went. There was no sound or movement coming from the room, so he strode inside slowly. The room was an absolute mess. The furniture and walls were cracked, and some of the boxes that lay by the door had been ripped open. Not to mention the huge hole blown out of the wall and ceiling. Across the room was an upturned crib with a still form lying beside it.
Rodolphus stepped closer, mindful of the broken floorboards. He could see a female with dark red hair splayed about her, green eyes wide open and clearly dead. She must have been Potter's wife. Pretty little thing; pity she was a Mudblood.
A couple of feet from her rested a thirteen and a half inch yew wand.
A sinking feeling settled into the pit of his stomach. He hurriedly summoned it and cast Prior Incantato. The figures of the two adult Potters spat out of the wand, along with a green glowing orb that spiked with power. He stuffed the wand into his robe, and could practically feel it burning a hole into his chest.
Just as he turned to survey the rest of the room, he spotted a bit of movement coming from the body. Curious, he moved closer to find a toddler nestled within her arms. The child was bloody and very dirty, but he was still breathing.
"That's not possible…" Rodolphus whispered. Reaching out slowly as if he was about to be attacked, he picked up the boy and held him at arms-length. The child squirmed and opened his big green eyes to blink wearily at him.
Then he started to cry.
"Fuck."
A pair of footsteps could be heard racing up the stairs. Rabastan stopped before he got to the room, staring as Rodolphus turned with the Potter boy still in his arms, struck speechless. Rabastan gaped, cigarette falling from his mouth.
"Holy shit…" He continued to gaze for a moment at the bawling toddler, before yelling, "BELLA! Get the bloody hell up here!" Rabastan silenced the boy with a quick numbing charm to the forehead. The child hung there dazed for a moment but relaxed a bit into quieter sobs.
The two brothers heard Bella enter the house again, as she climbed the stairs angrily grumbling about a cat startling her in the yard. "Did you find the Dark Lord?" Rodolphus shook his head, still not able to speak.
"No," Rabastan called out, swallowing.
"Then why are you getting me to walk around this filthy blood traitor's—" Bellatrix's words were cut off as she came down the hallway. "Where's the Dark Lord? Why is the half-blood still alive?" She ripped off her mask and her eyes spun anxiously around the room as if their Master would suddenly pop out of hiding and shout "surprise!"
Rodolphus, finally finding his tongue, shook his head once again. "I—I don't know, Bella, I just don't. When I reached the room, the Mudblood was dead and the room was a wreck." He looked back at the child who was now struggling in his grip. "And their son is alive."
Bellatrix clenched her fists. "You didn't find His body?"
"No."
"Good then. Good. He's not dead…" Bella's voice shook. "He can't be…"
Warily, Rodolphus adjusted his grip, settling the boy to cradle against his shoulder. Silently, he cast a small calming charm on the baby. It seemed to quiet the child enough to get him to stop crying. The infant stuck his thumb in his mouth, whimpered out a drowsy "Daddy?" before promptly falling asleep.
Rabastan's face went blank as he watched the baby. Bellatrix's eye twitched and a strange expression came across her features, one neither of the brothers could decipher. Then the murderous rage took over again a split second later and she looked ready to start torturing the boy to death.
Just as she moved to do so, they heard voices approaching the cottage from outside. Apparently the Muggle teenagers had noticed the wreckage. Glancing at each other, Rabastan grabbed the two others to Disapparate. The Lestranges vanished with a loud crack, taking the slumbering Boy-Who-Lived with them.
Sirius Black sat in the Three Broomsticks, staring down at his almost empty Butterbeer mug. The pub that would have once typically been bursting with customers on a Halloween night was currently quiet with only a few patrons.
To say the least, the young Order of the Phoenix member was anxious, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something immense would be taking part soon. He just knew that he didn't want to have anything to do with it.
There was a weight on his shoulders that had started building five months ago when he had heard of the McKinnons' deaths. Marlene McKinnon had been well liked at Hogwarts, a few years ahead of Sirius himself, and had joined the Order right out of school. The family had been brutally slaughtered for the information she had held.
His lip curled into a sneer. If James had been there, he would have stated that Sirius was starting to look like Snivellus. For once, he just didn't care. There was a traitor in the midst of the Order, and he was determined to figure out who the bastard was for sure. Sirius was almost positive that the spy was Remus. With all the freedom that Voldemort was giving the werewolves, he had a distinct feeling that Remus had switched sides.
The love that he had once held for the werewolf had turned sour from all the violence and death in the past months.
And then there was the matter of Lily. James and him couldn't help but notice her sneaking off in the middle of the night or whenever she thought that no one would notice her absence. It had been happening more and more frequently up until a week ago. James had expressed some of his concerns to Sirius, and every time they had tried to follow or place a tracking charm on the fiery woman, she would Apparate or Portkey away before they could find out where she was headed. James refused to entertain the idea of Lily being a spy, and Sirius couldn't help but wonder if his best friend was more worried that his wife might be having an affair.
"Another one for you, dear?"
Alarmed, Sirius' head snapped up and his hand shot to his wand. Madam Rosmerta was worriedly gazing at him as she used a rag to clean a pewter tankard. "Oi there, Sirius. Didn't mean to startle you."
Sirius let out a slow breath to calm himself. If times had been normal, he would have said a hearty "yes" to the drink, followed by some shameless flirting. But times weren't normal anymore. "No thanks, Rosmerta. I've had enough for tonight. Don't want to be charged with Flying While Intoxicated. Plus, regularly drowning my sorrows is not on my list of things to do in life."
The buxom woman gave a half-hearted smile. "Good lad. I see too many a folk come in here to do just that because of this horrid war."
Fed up with his depressed thoughts, Sirius downed the rest of his drink. He paid for his tab, waved a solemn goodbye to the woman who his boy-self had once thought was the love of his life, and exited the tavern. To settle his mind, Sirius decided to go see if Peter was still safe in his hiding spot.
As he ambled towards the edge of Hogsmeade, hunched down in his cloak from the cold, he thought about the war. Harry… It all seemed to centre on him or Frank and Alice's boy, and Sirius only knew that they had something to do with a botched prophecy. He scoffed. As if it was true.
Then again, if Dumbledore believes so much in it…
His pensive thoughts were harshly interrupted by someone screaming in pain. Sirius pulled his wand out and rushed towards the commotion. He ran into a small alley between a little shop and a house. A dark haired man was on his knees, writhing in discomfort, clawing at his left forearm. Sirius could see the Dark Mark through the man's hand and blood.
"You there." The man looked up sharply at the voice, baring his teeth savagely. Sirius glared, wand pointed severely at him. "Is your master calling you?"
"Who ar-re you?"
Instantly hating the stupidity of the man before him for not seeing that there was a wand clearly pointed in his face, Sirius cast a stinging hex. "Why was your Mark burning?"
The figure on the ground spat at his feet, sneering. "I ask-ked you who you ar-re!"
This is taking too long. He growled and took a second to choose if he should take a more extreme approach. Deciding that it was for the good of the war, he took careful aim and concentrated on the curse. "Imperio."
The man's eyes glazed over, becoming completely tranquil.
"Tell me what He has planned for tonight."
The man looked vaguely up at him, and Sirius could see the struggle behind his eyes. Answer with the truth. It took a moment, but finally, "I don't know."
"Why has your Mark burned?"
The stranger looked into his black eyes, peacefully. "Because the Dark Lord is gone."
Sirius' heart stopped. Voldemort was gone? That meant that the war was at finally done! He had been desperately waiting for this day for over ten years. Just as a grin started to spread along his face, it disappeared and he frowned. But how had the Dark Lord been defeated? As far as he could tell, Dumbledore was still up in Hogwarts and the Headmaster would have called the Order if he knew there was a battle.
Harry…
He snarled and stunned the bloke, kneeling down beside him. Pointing his wand, he whispered, "Obliviate." Rifling through the Death Eater's memories, he removed the one involving him and replaced it with one of the man passing out from the pain on his forearm.
Giving the unconscious man a swift kick in the stomach, Sirius Apparated to the outskirts of Hogsmeade and jumped over the stile at the east end of High Street. He climbed his way to the mountain cave that the Marauders had found while sneaking out of the castle one night in their sixth year. It took him a good fifteen minutes to reach it, but eventually he was at the mouth of the cavern.
"Peter?" Sirius panted. "Where are you? Peter!" He cast Lumos and stepped into the cave. It was still. Food and a Muggle sleeping bag were left scattered across the dirt floor. Shoe prints were scuffed along the dirt, and there were distinct drag marks along the ground. There was no Peter though.
Sirius felt panic threaten to rise in his throat and choke him. He pushed it down and called out his friend's name again. Silence answered him.
A horrible thought burst into his head. If Peter was taken by Death Eaters, then James, Lily and Harry were in extreme danger. Choosing between trying to find Peter and going to save the Potters, Sirius turned and ran.
He sprinted back to the village, completely forgetting that he was a wizard and was able to Apparate part of the way to his motorcycle. Swinging his leg over the bike, he kick-started it into action, flicked the invisibility switch on and took off. Sirius sped across Scotland, over the Irish Sea, and into Wales, the sky a brilliant navy blue as he headed farther south. The wind swept through his hair and the chill sunk into his frame. Dread began to seep even further into his being than the cold, so he picked up his journey, finally reaching Godric's Hollow.
He almost lost control of his motorcycle when he saw the destroyed roof and wall. Skidding to a stop in front of the Potter cottage, Sirius leapt off, casting a Notice-Me-Not Charm on the bike, and hurried through the gate to the broken front door. "James? Lily? Are you alright?"
Stepping inside the hallway, Sirius spied a crumpled body lying on the floor. "Damnit, James!" Panic surged through him and he rushed towards his best friend, shaking his still warm body. "James, please! Wake up!" James' glasses were askew and his clothes were rumbled, eyes wide open. "Please…"
He's gone… Correcting the wire frames, Sirius closed James' eyes, straightening his friend's clothes. Tears forced their way into his eyes, and his heart clenched.
And then a thought broke through his grief. Bloody hell... Harry! Blind from tears and terror, he sprinted up to the second floor only to halt at the nursery.
Lily lay still on the floor, hair covering her face in wild tangles. Her eyes were wide open and unseeing. Panic coursed through Sirius' body as he made his way slowly to Lily and the crib. "Merlin, Lily…" Kneeling, Sirius brushed her hair away from her still face with a trembling hand. "Lily… Lily, please… Where's Harry?"
She didn't answer. She didn't stir. Sirius, shifted around the crib, following the small blood trail, steeling himself to what he would find.
Nothing. The crib was completely empty except for skewered bloody blankets.
Sirius almost sighed in relief. But where was Harry? And a better question yet was how did anyone invade the home with a Fidelius Charm on it? The answer hit him so hard his heart almost stopped.
Peter was the traitor.
The bloody bastard! He had betrayed them, his best friends. The scuffle in the cave must have been set up. Wormtail was the turncoat the Order had been searching for. Damnit, Remus. I'm sorry I doubted you. I swear I will make it up to everyone. I'll find Harry.
Sirius headed downstairs to levitate James' body up to lie gently down next to Lily's. Closing her eyes with one hand, he then placed their hands in each other's, and covered them with a sheet from their bedroom before leaving and never looking back.
Dawn was still many hours away on November 1st, 1981. Albus Dumbledore had been sitting in his office, listening to the idle chatter of the portraits crowding the walls, when the Head of Slytherin House burst through the door, waddling with all his might. "Ah, Horace, care for a lemon drop?" Blue eyes twinkled at the picture that the walrus-like gentleman made.
"Oh, no… No, Albus…" Horace Slughorn panted, tears in his eyes. "No. I'm retiring from my position as Potions Master."
Dumbledore frowned. "And why would that be?"
"Francis died." It was stated simply and very much to the point. The Headmaster didn't understand in the least.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Horace, but might I inquire as to whom this Francis is?"
Slughorn stared at Dumbledore, chins wobbling. "Francis is the fish Miss Lily Evans gave to me. The most beautiful piece of transfiguration I have… had ever seen…" He swallowed and sniffed loudly. "He's gone."
Dumbledore felt a chill roll down his weary back. The Headmaster rose from his chair, reaching a hand up his other sleeve to rest it upon his wand, seeking comfort. "Horace. I understand why you are resigning and I will announce it during the next dinner. Pardon me for a moment. I must contact Hagrid."
Slughorn nodded and wedged himself down into one of the seats in front of Dumbledore's desk.
Striding over to the fireplace, Dumbledore threw some Floo Powder into the flames and soon enough he could see the inside of Hagrid's hut.
"Hagrid? Hagrid, are you awake—Ah, yes, there you are. I need you to go to the Potters' as quick as you can and see if they are all right. Something has happened."
Hagrid looked fearful, but he nodded his head in agreement, mumbling something along the lines of, "Going right away, Professor." He left in a rush, clutching his pink umbrella tightly in his large, brawny hand.
Dumbledore withdrew his head from the fireplace. He turned back to Slughorn. "Horace, I trust that you know what may have occurred."
The bushy moustache was trembling and the man's nose and eyes were red from crying. "Y-yes, Albus. But if we may, could we please talk business? I would like to take my leave as soon as I may."
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Of course, my dear friend. How about we address as to who you think would be best to replace you?"
Slughorn nodded, chins wobbling. "I was thinking that—" Before he could finish, the harsh entrance of Severus Snape interrupted the two men.
The Headmaster stood, worried. "Severus..."
Snape stopped the tirade he was about to start as he spied Slughorn squashed in one of the chairs.
"Severus, please have a seat next to Horace. We must speak."
Snape looked at him, glaring, before letting his face fall into a mask of stone, not taking the offered chair. "I see." His voice trembled slightly as he spoke. "I would have arrived sooner, but I was… otherwise preoccupied in something that could not be left." He glanced at Slughorn again, strongly insinuating that it was a private matter. "I… I have some information that is of the highest importance."
Not noticing the hint, Slughorn wiggled out of the chair to see Snape. "Ah, just the man I was to suggest. I think he would be perfect to take the position, Albus."
Dumbledore nodded while Snape looked on in confusion. "An excellent choice indeed, Horace. I shall inform him at once. It has been good working with you all these years. Do feel free to write me if the need arises."
The professors shook hands over the desk, and Slughorn toddled his way over to Snape. Slapping a meaty hand on his shoulder, he tearfully said, "You'll do me proud, son," before tottering out of the office.
Promptly, Snape chose to ignore this odd display from his former Head of House and instantly turned to the matter at hand. "Sir, the Dark Mark has vanished... in a manner of speaking." Raising his left sleeve, Snape bore his forearm, showing the bleeding scar.
Dumbledore's eyes widened, hardly believing what he was seeing. "Severus, you know what this means, don't you?" The younger man nodded tersely and shoved the sleeve back down. "Find out what you can about the events of tonight, but not from the other Death Eaters if possible. Your position in the war may be revealed soon."
Before Snape could take his leave though, the fireplace flared green. McGonagall's head appeared in the flames. "Albus, are you there?"
"I'm here. Is there something you need, Minerva?"
Minerva McGonagall's face was grave. "I encountered Hagrid crossing school grounds not long ago on my nightly walk. I Apparated us to the Potters'. It would be wise if you came here immediately, Albus." Her face disappeared from the fire, and the connection was severed before the Headmaster could ask anything.
Looking back up at Snape, Dumbledore couldn't stand to see the dark, blank expression on his thin face. It made him feel like the young man had lost everything in that moment.
"What has happened, sir?"
The old man forced himself to meet his eyes. They were black and looked almost soulless. Very similar to another young man Dumbledore once knew. "I'm afraid that something may have taken placfe at the Potters' last night."
Snape paled. "The prophecy…"
Dumbledore nodded his head, the twinkle completely leaving his eyes. "I fear so. I believe that Voldemort may have gotten hold of their Secret-Keeper, or the traitor finally decided to act."
Snape glowered at Dumbledore. "You promised to keep Lily safe if I switched sides. I was led to believe that you were their Secret-Keeper."
He nodded a solemnly. "I'm sorry if that is what happened. I did offer myself to be in the running as such, but the Potters chose Sirius Black."
The young man remained passive, electing instead to take his leave.
As Snape reached the door, Dumbledore called out. "Oh, and Severus, Hogwarts is in need of a new Potions Master and Head of Slytherin. The positions are yours if you would take them." Frowning, Snape left, and Dumbledore called Fawkes to him. Pulling out his wand, he tugged on a tail feather on his familiar and landed behind the Potter House. The phoenix flew up to a high branch on the tree to Dumbledore's left. Making his way around to the front, the Headmaster felt the new Muggle-Repelling wards humming about the structure.
Passing by the gate, the ex-Transfiguration professor came to the ruined door. As Dumbledore entered the establishment, he saw that there was nothing else out of the ordinary.
There were noises coming from the upper floor and he made his course up the stairway. Dumbledore could see that Hagrid was kneeling carefully beside a broken cot, sobbing his eyes out while clutching a tiny blood-stained blanket. McGonagall was attempting to comfort the half-giant. Her face was tense and solemn. In front of the crib lay James and Lily's bodies, half covered by a lilac bed sheet. The scene was framed by the demolished wall behind them.
"Hagrid?"
Hagrid sobbed even harder, letting out a fierce cry before blowing his nose rather loudly on a white frilly handkerchief. "They're both d-d-dead! H-Harry's missing…" He blew his nose again.
Dumbledore froze. "What do you mean Harry is missing?"
Hagrid looked up from his spot on the floor. "T-that's just it… gone. Wasn't here when we arrived. Did Harry stay with his godfather? Have you talked to Sirius yet? Saw him leaving from down the street when we got here."
McGonagall's eyes snapped down at the half-giant, senses sharp. "Why didn't you state this to me right when you spotted him?"
He sniffed. "I didn' think it was important…"
Dumbledore watched the giant. "Hagrid… Mr Black was thought to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper."
Hagrid gaped in horror, handkerchief slipping from his enormous hand. "No! He would never betray Lily and James! Good lad, he is. Loved them more than anything. They were his family..."
McGonagall stepped in. "That may be, but he still comes from a long line of Dark wizards. All but one of his close relatives still support the Dark." She then turned to Dumbledore. "Albus, we need to find Harry before it's too late."
"I agree, but first we must alert the Order. Harry Potter and Sirius Black must be found immediately."
Nodding to them, Dumbledore turned and made his way back out to the front of the house. Fawkes came to him without a sound and Dumbledore silently relayed a message to the phoenix. His familiar bobbed its head and disappeared in a burst of flame and heat.
Taking out his wand, the Headmaster began to chant and hum under his breath. Pieces of wood from the wreckage came together, attaching and mending themselves, growing firm roots to plant in the ground in front of the gate. Dumbledore stepped around the newly formed sign so that he was facing the cottage and began to write with his wand.
"Albus? What in Merlin's name are you doing?" McGonagall's voice came from the broken doorway.
The old man didn't look up from his work but chose to complete it in silence. The Transfiguration professor approached him and started to read the gold letters aloud just as he finished.
"On this spot, on the night of 31 October 1981, Lily and James Potter lost their lives. Their son, Harry, remains missing to this day and those that care deeply for him wish for him to be found. This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder to the violence that tore this family apart."
McGonagall quieted and Dumbledore turned to glance at her with dimmed blue eyes. Tears were streaming down the stern woman's face. The Headmaster heard Hagrid blow his nose loudly and wail as the old man took his long-time friend, and once student, into his arms for a comforting hug.
"We will find him, Minerva. Never lose hope."
A/N: So what did you think? Was it good? Is there anything that I need to work on yet? Please read and review! Like any author, I need plenty of feedback to continue to feel motivated and confident in my writing.
I hope to start posting regularly at least twice a month. I need to finish writing a ton more before that happens though. There are going to be three long fics for this story and this is only Book One. I have most of the first one planned, and the two others are vaguely mapped out. If you want to give me your suggestions about how you think the plot is going to go as I start posting more, please, feel free to do so. I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas. I'm trying to be as original as I possibly can, while still being as canon to the real series. This is my first huge story I'm writing and any help would be welcomed. That includes grammar mistakes, plot holes, and spelling. This story is my baby. I've been working on it for over nine months and I feel like it's about time I start sending it out into the big scary world. I want everyone to feel as happy with it as I am proud to be its parent. After I finish each book, I'm going to go back and revise each one fully, adding all the missing things.
The first few chapters are from other characters' points of view. This is to set the stage for all the angst, tragedy and drama that is to happen in the trilogy. It's mostly the background story of how this becomes an AU.
~Lira Veralily