Chapter One: That Dreadful Night
The Dark Lord Voldemort appeared in Godric's Hollow on Halloween. A fateful night for a certain family, who would never do anything again after he was gone.
He blasted open the door in front of him, stepping into the house of the Potters.'
He came eye to eye with James Potter.
James's eyes widened and he shouted to his wife, already hurrying up the stairs. "Go, Lily! I'll hold him off! Take Harry and run!"
His wife disappeared on the landing.
Lord Voldemort smiled eerily at James Potter. "Hello, Potter. Ready to die?"
James Potter did not go without a fight.
The Dark Lord glared down at the still form of James Potter. Stupid man. He raised his eyes to the stairs, licking his teeth in anticipation of his prey. His cloak swirled after him as he took the stairs three at a time.
He blasted open the third door on the right. It was closed, so most likely she was in there.
The woman desperately shot spells at him, trying to shield her son. He batted them away easily.
He snarled "Expelliarmus." Her wand went flying toward him.
She backed away, farther from him, her green eyes wide.
"Move away, girl."
"No," she whispered. "Kill me, take me, but don't harm my son, please!"
"I said, move away!"
She didn't move as much as an eyelid. She knew she was going to die.
He rolled his eyes and stepped toward her, bringing up his wand. She straightened up and looked him in the eye and whispered again. "Please."
He narrowed his eyes and lazily waved his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"
Lily Evans Potter flew backwards, over her son, her auburn hair gracefully framing her face, her emerald green eyes glazed over with death. She was gone.
Voldemort watched her go with a blank gaze. He turned his attention to the boy in front of him.
He was struck by how powerful those eyes were. Poison green. A child's eyes, yet promising greatness.
All of a sudden he knew what he had to do.
He closed his eyes and summoned one Deatheater. One of his most loyal.
Bellatrix Black Lestrange appeared in front of him and immediately dropped to one knee and bowed her head. "My Lord."
Voldemort stepped toward her, tearing his eyes away from the kid, who was just watching him. Doing nothing.
He touched her shoulder and drew her up. "I have a task for you," he said without preamble.
She looked up. "Yes, my Lord?"
He placed his other hand on her other shoulder and spun her around. "See that child?"
She nodded.
"I want to stage my death. The wizarding world will be lulled into a false sense of security if that happens. That child will be told he has destroyed me. As soon as he is old enough, I want you to tell him about me. Turn him dark." He paused and turned her back around to face him. "Teach him everything he needs to know. Shadow him. Dumbledore will most likely place him with his Muggle relatives, or Black, so make sure you don't let them find out. Anything. Now, are you ready?"
Bellatrix nodded. She was ready.
The Dark Lord smiled evilly and stepped back from her. "Good. Off you go, then. I'll see you in ten years."
She bowed her head, dropped to one knee, and disappeared. She was invisible.
The Dark Lord reached toward the child and picked him up. "Your mother wanted me to kill her and leave you. That's fine with me."
He gently placed the child down next to his mother and blinked his red eyes in preparation for the magic he was about to do.
He started chanting in Latin. His wand quivered, turned red hot, and blasted a spell at its master. A jet of green light issued from the wand in midair and hit Harry. A lightning shaped cut appeared on his forehead. And with one last, burning look, Voldemort disappeared, the wand falling to the floor. The wall splattered with blood. The wand disappeared as Bellatrix picked it up and pocketed it with the utmost care.
-A Different Life--A Different Life--A Different Life-
Twenty minutes later, Rubeus Hagrid appeared and found Harry James Potter. Sirius Black confronted him.
"Here, Hagrid, let me take him, I'm his godfather!" His dark hair was askew, falling to his shoulders. His eyes were on the edge of a breakdown.
"No can do, Sirius. Dumbledore's orders. Sorry," Hagrid said sadly.
Sirius's eyes burned angrily. His voice was harsh. "Fuck what he says! James and Lily appointed me, as his guardian, and that means if they're gone, I take care of him! Not Dumbledore!"
He angrily kicked his motorbike and swore again. This time out of pain.
"I'm sorry, Sirius, it's just what Dumbledore said. I need to go now," Hagrid said softly, looking like he was about to cry.
Sirius sighed heavily and blinked back tears. "Can…can I say goodbye to him?"
Hagrid nodded and gave Harry to Sirius, who cradled him carefully. "Goodbye, Harry." He brushed his lips on Harry's forehead and gave him back to Hagrid.
He looked at Hagrid and said quietly, "Hagrid, take my bike with you. It'll be faster."
Hagrid looked astonished. "But…"
Sirius shook his head and said a bit more loudly, "I won't need it anymore, Hagrid. Go on."
He helped Hagrid on, showed him how to use it, and stepped back to watch him disappear into the night.
He waited until Hagrid was out of sight before walking slowly into the house.
-A Different Life--A Different Life--A Different Life-
It was shambles. The strength of even one of Voldemort's curses was enough to rip apart the house.
He whispered a spell. "Lumos."
Sirius stepped through the hallway, where he'd never walk again. He passed the kitchen, where he'd never watch Lily and James flirt while he rolled his eyes and groaned again. He came to a stop in the empty living room.
James.
James lying on the floor, cold with death.
Sirius froze with shock.
He dashed to his late best friend and dropped to his knees.
James eyes were open. Blank and lifeless. The life was gone from those hazel eyes.
A drop of water fell on James' cheek. It took Sirius a moment to realize that he was crying.
He lay his wand down and straightened his dead best friends' body, and folded his arms across his chest. He shut James' eyes and placed his wand in his fingers.
He bent his head and whispered goodbye. For a moment he reminisced. He would never again burst in and scare Lily, he would never show Harry how to play Quidditch, he would never just…speak to James again.
He got up and walked toward the stairs as if in a trance. He wanted to see Lily.
He paused halfway up the stairs. A gold pendant lay in front of him.
He bent down and picked it up, recognizing it as Lily's. A locket with a picture of James and her together inside. He struggled to hold back a sob as he clutched it.
He resumed climbing the stairs and came to the landing. To his right there were three doors. To his left was a large bay window seat.
One of the doors was blown open. Harry's room. He ran toward it.
Lily Potter, eyes open, lifeless, lying in front of the crib, her hair like a halo around her face. The windows blown out. The wall splattered with congealing blood.
Sirius sat down next to Lily. At least she'd had a quick death.
He did to her the same as he'd done with James, and kissed her forehead softly. He went downstairs and shut the wrecked door behind him.
Only when he was at the end of the block did he break down.
He raised his eyes to the sky.
"You'll pay for this, Peter Pettigrew!" He let loose an emotionless laugh, before breaking down again as he Apparated away, still clutching the locket.
-A Different Life--A Different Life--A Different Life-
Bellatrix tailed Hagrid on broomstick. She was invisible, as was the broomstick.
She watched as the big oaf handed her charge to Dumbledore.
She watched as they placed Harry on the doorstep of Four Privet Drive, Surrey.
She watched as they disappeared, not thinking about him for the next ten years.
She watched. She waited.
She knew that the muggles would abuse her charge. She couldn't do anything about that. But she would wait for Harry.
She drifted down toward the roof and shrunk her transfigured her broom into a rock, and pocketed it. She lay down carefully next to the chimney, and looked wistfully at the sky.
-A Different Life--A Different Life--A Different Life-
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