Disclaimer:
A/N:
Wait till the end for an explanation…July 31st, 1981
12:30:42 p.m.
'Cheers' Sirius Black laughed as the Fizzing Drisbees champagne flew over the table, soaking Lily and James Potter, his brother Peter Potter, and Remus Lupin with the flavoured drink. Laughing even more furiously was little Harry Potter who gurgled with delight as his mother placed a champagne soaked finger in his mouth, 'good job Lily, best accustom Harry to alcohol now rather than later!', then Sirius hastily ducked as a well aimed napkin flew his way from Peter.
'Dry up your face and your manners young man!' he riposted on Lily's behalf while trying to keep a straight face, then he jumped up with a yelp as Sirius cast a Thistle Charm on his backside. While this caused more hilarity poor Peter jumped up and down so much that with a small pop he became the first ever hip-hop rat in the history of the planet. Eventually managing to remove the thistle sprig, Peter returned with another pop and rolled off the table into his seat.
'Honestly you too, I knew I should never let you be Animagi,' Remus said with exasperation, 'we'll never get you housetrained!', and his hoarse laugh was joined by the warm and soft laughs of James and Lily. Then as the two young men settled down, Lily tapped the table and a warm dinner appeared for all with mashed up food for Harry, whose little hands clenched into delight as his godfathers squabbled over who would feed him while Peter and James conversed.
2:00:02 p.m.
Sirius fell off his bench with a burp and sighed out loud, 'I swear Lily, if you ever feed us like that again I'm going to blow up before I reach forty.' As Lily and Peter cleared away the mess James and Remus pulled up their bloated friend, eventually managing to get him lying flat out on one of the benches they had used. 'Duck in the kitchen,' he shouted, and with a wave of his wand Sirius sent the plates flying into the room as Lily and Peter ducked to allow them to hover over and then dip into the sink like falling UFOs.
'And I swear Sirius Black,' Lily cried in mock anger, 'if you so much as scratch one of my plates I'll transplant your head for a football – we'd get more sense out of it!' and once more everyone erupted in laughter. Then there was a knock on the door…
2:05:49 p.m.
'Almost blew my head off!' Albus Dumbledore exclaimed as he sat in the lounge with Lily, James and Peter as Sirius and Remus handwashed the dishes in shame, their wands had been confiscated by a red faced Albus. 'Well, it's good to know the charm is working, how are you two feeling?' he was referring to the Fidelius Charm he had placed on Lily and James's cottage, and to which Peter was the Secret Keeper.
'Fine Albus,' Lily answered for them both, 'it's been a great relief, and we've had more time to be with Harry.'
'Yes, pretty soon you'll be able to get him walking I think.'
'Please Albus,' James interrupted, 'he's only been here five weeks, I didn't start walking–'
'–Toddling and falling–' Peter interjected.
'–until I was eight weeks.' James finished with a glare at his friend, Peter had been walking at six weeks old.
'Time will fly though,' Lily said wistfully, 'he'll be at Hogwarts before we know it, then off to the Ministry of Magic.'
'Oh no!' James cried with mock anxiety, 'not another politician – I thought I'd be the last in the family, I think Harry's gonna be the next best Seeker for England.' He finished with a glazed over look as he remembered the broomstick he had brought for his son the other day without Lily knowing, Harry would be flying before he could write no doubt.
3:00:18 p.m.
Lily and James stood at the door and waved goodbye to Sirius, Remus and Albus as they left their small cottage and disappeared into the rest of Godric's Hollow. Peter was sitting on the sofa in the small lounge with a cloth over his eyes and snoring softly, he'd spent an hour entertaining his small nephew while Lily and James had spoken with Dumbledore. Seconds after his fellow Marauders had left he had collapsed onto the sofa after putting Harry back into his cot, with a small flick James levitated the tiny bed and brought Harry into his mother's arms.
'We'll make it you know, we've got the best friends and the best family ever,' Lily spoke to her husband as he ruffled the untidy hair on his son's head, 'he's got your face you know.'
'He got your eyes though, and that's the best part,' James replied, then he turned and kissed his wife on the forehead, 'I'll make some tea for us and Peter, why don't you put Harry down for the afternoon.' As he watched his wife retreat to the bedrooms at the rear, James looked out of the window into Godric's Hollow at the darkening sky, that was a shame, he was going to do some gardening that afternoon.
5:10:35 p.m.
It was unnaturally dark by the time they sat down for supper, and by now Lily and Peter were trying not to giggle as James pouted and complained about the lack of decent light for his gardening, 'But then again James, you have the gardening aspirations of a small gnat,' Peter said over his crumpet. A now red in the face Lily burst out laughing as her husband pointed his wand and made a petunia sprout from between Peter's eyebrows. Reaching up with his hand Peter plucked the small flower and tucked it into his sister-in-law's hair, then with his other hand that had been hidden under the table he aimed his wand at James's hair and replaced it with a small bush, with matching goatee and sideburns.
Lily now whooped with laughter as James tried to fire another Jinx back at Peter, but succeeded only hitting a mirror and placing his own eyes on his chin. As the jinxes flew back and forth between the feuding brothers Lily picked up the supper trays, ducked a Colour Curse that succeeded in turning Peter bright pink, then floated the cups and saucers into the sink before moving to the back bedrooms to check on Harry. She found her son half asleep and half awake, his eyes were shut tight but his body was twisting within its cot as he clenched at the thin air. Whispering soothing words into his ears, Lily lifted her son from his bed and rocked him until his eyes blinked open, Lily stared into the matching emeralds as he gurgled appreciatively at the rocking and rewarded her with a small smile.
6:00:00 p.m.
Sirius sat in the gorse bushes just down the path with Albus and Remus, shifted as yet another prickle went into his back then turned to face the other two wizards for the fifth time, 'Are you sure this is such a good idea?'
6:01:36 p.m.
James watched the gorse bushes where he could have sworn a black figure had just moved, then dismissed it as disappointment at not being able to garden, Lily and Peter were in the kitchen making up some sandwiches for the following day. A small gurgling distracted him once more as Harry's tiny fists appeared above his cot, waving around in the random fashion of any baby, James went over and lifted him up, played with the tiny fingers of his son that brushed through the beard he had grown from the bush that had been put there by Peter.
Lifting him high above his head James made whooshing sounds and wove the baby from side to side causing greater gurgles of joy as Harry's eyes followed the tiny fly that was buzzing around above him. 'James, come and give me a hand with this dear!' came Lily's voice from the kitchen. Taking his arms away from his son James left Harry bobbing around the ceiling and walked into the kitchen where Peter handed him a giant hamper as Lily piled in sandwiches and cake, more Fizzing Drisbees to his delight and lots of baby food for Harry.
In the background James heard an abrupt end to the buzzing as Harry clapped his hands together, 'Peter, go an clean Harry's hands before he eats the fly off them will you?' Peter left James as Lily piled the cutlery in. Smiling at his wife as she finished piling in the necessary, and the unnecessary ingredients for a fine picnic, James heard a sudden BANG from the lounge where Peter and Harry had been. He ran inside and saw his brother bathed in the electric light of a complex Summoning Charm as Harry remained dancing in the air above, fingers reaching for the light. 'Accio Harry!' he cried and the baby shot into his arms, then he ducked as Lily's wand shot out towards Peter to try and stop the light that was wracking his body.
'Change the Se–' he cried and then disappeared.
'PETER' James bellowed as a loud CRACK filled the cottage.
6:10:05 p.m.
'I tell you it's just James's flash camera on to high again,' Sirius ranted at Dumbledore who had been ready to run out, 'anyway, there isn't a spell that makes that sort of effect at all.'
6:11:59 p.m.
'Where did he go James?' Lily asked as she lowered her wand, bewildered by what she had seen, 'and what does that mean, 'change the se', it sounds like Latin.'
'I don't know dear, just, just put Harry to bed for now, eh?' James watched his wife leave, her stride noticeably shaken at the sudden disappearance of her brother-in-law, but what did it mean?
6:30:36 p.m.
'Do you want to die…Wormtail?' asked the shrill voice.
'Burn in hell,' then Peter felt the burning pain of the Cruciatus Curse hit him again.
'You can save yourself now, tell me the password to the Fidelius Charm of Lily and James Potter…'
'Go take a long walk off a short bridge.' Peter tensed himself for the pain but it never came.
'Then you leave me no choice, 'the potion Lucius,' Voldemort's hand wavered in Peter's blurring vision as Malfoy stepped forward and passed him a bottle. 'Veritaserum Peter, very potent, I stole some from Severus Snape before he turned traitor on me, don't worry, he's next to meet your brother's fate.' Then before Peter could react, firm hands held his mouth open and clamped his nose shut, arms pinioned round a pole he couldn't resist as a drop of the potion fell onto his tongue. The hands released him and he collapsed onto the floor, screaming at his inability to save his brother and family:
'Forgive me father for what I am about to do,' he broke down in tears as Voldemort laughed coldly, 'I'm sorry James…' but then his whisper was replaced by darkness as he entered a dreamless sleep of the hard truth…
7:30:12 p.m.
'I told you it was no problem,' Sirius muttered as Remus readjusted his position for the fifth time since the bright flash, 'they're probably just sitting down for a cuppa, then Lily will put Harry to bed, James and Peter will have a political talk about flying carpets or something, Lily will fall asleep in the lounge and then they'll all go to sleep, as per normal.'
'No,' Albus whispered, 'something is definitely going to happen.' He looked at Sirius with such a grim certainty that the young man turned back to his vigil on the copse of trees, shaken by what his friend and ex-teacher had said.
'I dunno,' Remus continued, 'surely if something had happened they would have left the cottage, we still can't see it so Sirius is probably right.' He gazed into Albus's eyes which had lost their usual twinkle, then he too turned to the trees that contained the hidden cottage.
7:45:23 p.m.
Inside the cottage James sat gazing at the fire holding his sleeping wife's head in his lap, why hadn't he tried to summon Peter from the charm? It was so obvious now that it had been directed at him, Harry had been perfectly safe, flying around in the air, that brought a smile to his face that had the stains of a single tear beneath his eye.
Sniffing, James stroked his wife's hair away from her face as she stirred and reached up to stroke his new beard, 'Suits you,' she whispered, 'he probably was summoned to a meeting he forgot about, the cottage's charm tried to counteract it I'll bet you.' James just smiled at his wife, she was almost always right about everything, they had both been Head students at Hogwarts, but Lily had gotten close to a hundred percent in every exam, James settled for passing by the skin of his teeth.
8:45:00 p.m.
Albus shifted in the gorse bushes while Sirius and Remus snoozed quietly in a patch they had cleared, after five hours of watching he had agreed to take the work in shifts, they had been asleep only half an hour but already Albus was tempted to wake up one of them. Absent-mindedly he scratched his left knee, rubbing the Piccadilly Line on his small scale map of the Muggles's London Underground that had been the result of a nasty curse by a cornered Death Eater.
His reverie was so dense that he initially missed the popping sound as cloaked figures appeared around the copse, their faces covered by white skull masks. Biting down hard to avoid shouting out, Albus tapped his wand twice on the sleeping wizards' boots. Waking from the enchanted sleep they had put themselves under, Remus and Sirius remained quiet as their brains recognised the signal for danger that had come from the two taps of Albus's wand.
Without moving Sirius and Remus had their wands ready in their hands when electric blue light began to fly around the copse, striking at trees and bushes, but centred on one spot near to where they were hidden. With a loud bang, two figures appeared within it. Then the Death Eaters began moving around as if agitated, but Albus realised they were searching, 'Camo!' he whispered hurriedly, then as Sirius and Remus followed suit they merged into the shrubbery as a skull white mask peered into their hiding place.
8:55:47 p.m.
James had awoken with a start as electric blue light had once more flickered around the room, but instead of Peter reappearing, he had the shock of his life as several shadowy figures had appeared nearby, skull white faces gleaming in the moonlight. 'Christ! Lily!' he shook his wife awake and they both moved to the window, ducking back as someone walked past, then returning as they remembered the Fidelius Charm's effect.
'How did they know?'
'Well, Godric's Hollow was hardly that surprising a bluff…' James trailed off, 'go and get Harry dear, I'll watch them.' Lily walked silently off, they were never sure if people could hear them or not, and then James returned his attention to the scene. Most of the Death Eaters were patrolling, but two remained standing in the middle of the lawn…or were they Death Eaters?
9:00:00 p.m.
James realised in his gut…that sagging figure with the bar across his back…his arms tied…Peter!
9:00:05 p.m.
Voldemort raised his wand arm, and pointed it at the direction of Lily and James's cottage.
9:00:12 p.m.
As one the trio in the bushes rose up and pointed their wands at the three closest Death Eaters whose attention was focused on Voldemort's actions.
9:00:20 p.m.
Following a discharge of raw magic from Voldemort's wand, the cottage appeared with a pop, one wall flinging aside a Death Eater standing too close to its boundary.
9:00:30 p.m.
As his troops charged forwards Voldemort lowered his wand to Peter's forehead and murmured, releasing a green ray that flung him backwards, eyes turned grey and limbs flopped as the Killing Curse took its effect.
9:00:47 p.m.
With a shrill warcry Lily smacked the Death Eater who had climbed in Harry's window with her fist, sending the man back out the window with a crack. Picking up Harry she ran to the lounge in time to see James dive out the way of the front door which exploded outwards.
9:01:01 p.m.
Running over the three fallen Dark Wizards Sirius led his two friends into the back door of the Potter's cottage as curses flew around them, then with a resounding slam he threw the door shut.
9:01:06 p.m.
James picked up the body of a Death Eater who had run into his stunning charm and threw the man onto another masked assailant who was climbing through the wrecked doorframe. Meanwhile Lily turned round wand raised and stunned a wizard who ran through from the kitchen, then gasped as Remus fell onto the sofa. Their wands also raised Sirius and Albus charged in, just in time to stun a Death Eater who had climbed in the window behind Lily, and to see James run out of the front door.
9:01:15 p.m.
As Voldemort turned back from Pettigrew's body he saw two of his men fly into the trees from a massive explosion, then a whirling fist caught him on the jaw as James Potter stood over him, eye filled with rage.
9:01:17 p.m.
'Enervate'
Albus whispered and Sirius's eyes opened in time to see Remus run out the door, as Albus followed he turned to Lily who was holding his godson tight to her.'Nice shot Lily!' he slurred, and was surprised when Harry was placed in his hands.
9:01:32 p.m.
Remus and Albus watched as James and Voldemort grappled on the ground, Albus held Voldemort's wand while Remus had recovered James's and was leaning over the body of Peter.
9:01:48 p.m.
Lily ran out the front door in time to see James send Voldemort flying with another roundhouse, then sent a Stunning Jinx at two Death Eaters who were sneaking up behind Albus and Remus who stood watching her husband fight his brother's killer.
9:01:56 p.m.
With a massive blast from his hands Voldemort sent James flying through the air, landing on top of Remus and Albus with a sickening crack in his arm.
9:02:45 p.m.
Shaking her head, Lily picked herself out of the ruined doorway and looked into the lounge where Sirius was hidden behind a sofa with Harry tucked in his cot beside him. 'Sirius,' she whispered to him and causing his head to jerk round, 'summon the Ministry, use that red stick beside you.'
9:02:47 p.m.
James untangled himself from his friends, then was dismayed to see Voldemort standing over them, with three wands in one hand, his wand was trained on them.
9:03:00 p.m.
Lily pulled herself up against the door frame and looked out into the front garden, she saw her husband and friends lying in front of Voldemort, and shouted out uselessly as his mouth formed those dreaded words: 'NO!'
9:03:10 p.m.
Sirius heard Lily's scream and moved to the window after snapping the Summoning Stick in half, and moved to the shattered window with Harry to see Voldemort aim his wand at Lily.
9:03:12 p.m.
Arthur Weasley and Cornelius Fudge apparated into the copse where they witnessed a miracle.
9:03:13 p.m.
As she finished her shout, Lily saw a green haze appear in her vision and suddenly a green beam entered it and focused over Voldemort's heart, or where it would have been, Lily thought unbidden.
9:03:14 p.m.
Sirius jerked violently as Harry's eyes ejected a green beam similar to that which had come from his mother's eyes.
9:03:15 p.m.
With a loud scream Voldemort's heart lit up, a bright green shape against his cloaks, shielding their eyes; Arthur, Cornelius, Sirius, Remus, James and Sirius watched as he collapsed, red eyes fading into darkness.
9:03:30 p.m.
Lily rushed forwards to hug James around his neck while Albus and Remus felt for any sign of life on Voldemort, more and more Ministry officials apparated in to see the chaos they had missed.
9:15:00 p.m.
Ministry officials apparated out of Godric's Hollow with Voldemort's body, leaving Arthur and Cornelius with Remus and Albus, carrying Peter's limp body into the house to lay to a temporary rest. Sirius stood with Harry gently sleeping in his arms, watching Lily and James who stood enfolded in front of the house, he rocked the baby as Harry yawned silently. Whispering silently to his wife who had tears of joy burning down her face, James lifted Lily's face towards his and kissed her lightly, 'I told you he had your eyes.'
September 1st, 1981
10:35:00 a.m.
James Potter stood over his brother's grave, in the background stood Lily, his son's godfathers and Albus, his mentor and age old friend. 'I'll miss you, we'll all miss you. I can't imagine what you must have gone through, I found out exactly what happened from…' James stopped his hateful tone. 'I'm gonna go now, stay with the family, I know you're always with us.'
Drooping his shoulders James turned and took a few steps towards where his wife held little Harry in her arms, playing with his chubby hands, their emerald eyes glowing in the pale sunlight. He turned back to Peter's grave, and uttered some last words; 'I forgive you…you did nothing wrong…but if you need forgiveness to rest…then it's yours. I'll see you around Peter…brother.'
As his father walked back down from the hill where his brother lay in eternal rest, Harry's eyes caught a glint from the stone over the grave, the light played around in front of him, he giggled happily, he always knew Uncle Peter was nearby…
A/N: Well, now you know why I didn't tell you anything about the story at the beginning, and before I go any further, I want to thank *beth* for the idea as it came from reading some of her work. The reason I didn't tell you anything was because I hoped to lure you into thinking it was an accurate reconstruction. Yes, I changed history but sometimes that's the only way to get a story, whether or not it was a mistake, you decide, please R&R, keep it constructive and above all I hope you enjoyed it.