Created: 24/08/2009
Rating: PG-13
Pairing and Characters: James/Lily, Baby!Harry, Sirius.
thePROPHECY: "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…"
WARNING!: contains some strong Language and Violence. Character Death!
HARRY POTTER AND THE DARK LORD'S MARK
The Boy Who Lived
Mr and Mrs Potter were not ordinary people, well, according to the likes of Mrs Potter's sister and her burly husband, who she hadn't spoken to for several years. Mrs Dursley was a very ordinary woman indeed there wasn't anything strange or mysterious about the Dursleys at all. Although the Potters were something entirely different, they were extraordinary; Lily and James Potter were so abnormal that they had the ability to perform magic. And they weren't alone by any means; James' parents and friends could do it too, a whole other world stood apart from the normal, ordinary, muggle people, and another strange, mysterious world filled and surrounded by magic was hidden within plain sight where these magical folk thrived unnoticed; within the Wizarding World.
On the 31st of October of the year 1981 found the Potters celebrating Halloween within their modest home in Godric's Hollow, a small West Country village. The cosy living room, draped in warm colours of red and gold, was alight with bright candle light illuminating from carved pumpkins, and with random coloured sparks exploding like fireworks raining down in soft droplets of colour on a raven haired baby boy, who was giggling happily while clapping his chubby little hands as James continued to wave his wand lazily above his one year old son bouncing in his lap, while murmuring "Mico", over again.
"James it's almost ten, don't you think we should put him to bed now?" Lily suggested after tearing her merry gaze from her child and husband's playing, to look to the Grandfather clock and find that Harry should have been asleep hours ago. James smiled up at his wife from his place at the foot of the sofa, love and laughter shinning in his warm hazel eyes, behind his usual pair of black, round framed glasses.
"Love, it's the holidays, one late night won't do him any harm." He reached up behind him to take hold of her bare ankle and placed her right foot down on to the dark burgundy carpet beside him, leaning his head on her pyjama clad thigh.
"Okay," she whispered easily as she ran her fingers daintily through her husband's thick, shaggy black hair, much like their sons. The family of three sat peacefully together just listening to the children's distant laughter from the village square down the path, where the parents were collecting their young and the bounty they'd received to take them home for some much deserved rest, while Harry continued to watch the pretty sparkles wash over him, reaching out to try to catch one of the pretty lights. When there was a knock on their front door.
"Who can that be at this hour?" Lily grumbled getting up reluctantly to answer it, moving through the spacious room to the hallway beyond.
"Probably Sirius just getting back from Headquarters," James called after her. Lily rolled her jade green eyes but could not help but smile.
"Of course it is; who else would turn up unannounced this late into the night?" She heard James' chuckle in response while she wandlessly murmured for the front door to open before her.
"My ears are burning," The tall and dark, long curly haired man; one known as Sirius Black leaned casually against the doorframe of her home smirking down at her. He was dressed in his usual baggy black muggle jeans, black button-down dress shirt complete of course with his short silver studded leather jacket and Doc Martin boots which he never left Number 12, Grimmauld Place without, and his signature cocky half smile that always used to drive the witches crazy when they had been in Hogwarts together.
"Evening Sirius," Lily greeted sarcastically with an irritable flick of her sleek auburn hair before moving aside to let James' long time friend and Harry's godfather inside. He winked at her when he walked past, heading straight for the living room and his two favourite people in the whole world.
"Padfoot!" James cried much too enthusiastically, making Harry wiggled around in his lap to see what had coursed the pretty colours to stop, making Sirius chuckle heartily. Harry squeaked and clapped his hands at spying his favourite uncle, whilst Sirius dropped his motorbike helmet and leather gloves at the entrance, to swoop down on his godson and join James on the living room floor.
"Hey there Harry," Sirius tickled the giggling baby, "shouldn't you be in tucked snugly in your cot by now?" he snickered as the boy tried to wriggle away from his uncle's taunting fingers, while his dad blocked any escape within his strong arms, laughing along at his son's predicament.
"He should, and he won't be able to sleep tonight if you get him too worked up," Lily said with mock scorn when she entered and resituated herself on the sofa.
"Nonsense," Sirius laughed but stopped tickling the pink faced boy to look up at where Lily was reclined behind James, "We'll just wear him out a bit, that way he'll fall asleep before he even reaches his bed." Lily smirked and began running her fingers through James' hair once more.
"Whatever," She smiled at her little son looking up at her with shockingly familiar big doe-like green eyes, with long dark lashes and dribble at the corner of his pouty pink lips.
Passing his son carefully to his best friend, James got to his feet only to drop back down beside his wife so they could curl up on the sofa together, watching as Sirius took out his wand and cast "Tarantallegra" on Harry's favourite teddy bear which James had named 'Bonny' when Remus had turned up with it on the day Harry had been born, so that it danced around much to Harry's – and Lily's – utter amusement. Smiling blissfully James finally focused his attention away from his adorable pride and joy on his best friend, who met his hazel eyes with his own blue haunted gaze.
"Why did you come so late?" James asked curiously, his arms entwined around Lily's upper body as if to shelter her from a non-existent chill. Sirius looked at his friend, the laughter gone from his handsome features; in its place were hard lines and an unreadable expression. If James had been looking for it he would have noticed his hold tightening around little Harry.
"I got held up. All Aurors on duty had to respond to an immediate summons, and Dumbledore tipped me off so I could see what was what." Sirius said flatly. James frowned with concern, releasing Lily to lean forward in his seat. Having been in hiding since Dumbledore had told him a few months back that Voldemort had heard of a Prophecy that could potentially put his family in danger he had been out of contact with the Order, his only connection to the outside world of late was the man now lovingly cradling his son in his arms.
"Who was it? What happened?" James wanted to know. It surprised him when Sirius answered to Lily instead of him.
"It was Snape." He said bluntly. Lily gasped from behind James just when he turned to take her in the circle of his arms again, holding her close, her green eyes were wide with fear for her old Hogwarts best-friend-gone-Death-Eater, and James felt that recognizable twinge of jealousy that he had almost forgotten about after so many years.
Her hand came to her mouth before she sobbed out, "What happened?" There was a long pause that followed, Sirius' blue eyes never leaving Lily's watery green as he puzzled out what to tell her for his friend's benefit, slowly his gaze drifted to James and meeting only a silent plea for the truth for his wife's sake, he finally dropped his gaze to the unsuspecting tinny boy in his lap.
He drew in a deep calming breath before revealing, "Snape was confessing, he confessed everything." He looked back up at James, "He even told of Voldemort's plans; in fact he begged those of us who were there to stop him from reaching his new target." When he finished Lily had tears flowing relentlessly down her pale cheeks.
"What will happen to him?" She whispered, clutching James close to her almost desperately.
"He has pledged himself to our side, actually he more specifically pledged himself to you," he looked from Lily to a startled James, "Both of you."
"Why?" James asked in bewilderment, Snape loathed James with a vengeance and the feeling was more then mutual on James' part. Then his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he did a double take on his friend's story and found that it just did not add up. "What are you not tell us?"
He felt Lily stiffened beside him and watched as Harry began to fidget in Sirius' lap, no doubt feeling the sudden crackling tension between the adults in the room. Sirius didn't as much as blink at James' piecing glare but his wand hand did twitch in anticipation.
"Voldemort believes that a wizard born during the summer of 1980 will bring about his defeat. A wizard born to the enemy in late July…" Sirius, James and Lily moved as one, all eyes on the agitated boy squirming uncomfortably in Sirius' arms…
Suddenly a whimper burst from Lily as she broke free of her husband's embrace to cradle her son to her urgently, within the same moment James leapt to his feet and made for Sirius, his wand drawn and his heart hammering against his chest. He grabbed his best friend and hurled him forcefully to his feet to bring them nose to nose with his wand pressed threateningly against the side of Sirius' pale neck.
"Why are you just saying this now?" James yelled at the godfather of his only child, his son who was in mortal danger. Sirius didn't struggle against the chokehold but did grit his teeth in his frustration.
"I wanted to move you but Mad-Eye said there was no time, and to waste time could be fatal. Aurors are stationed all around the perimeter of Godric's Hollow; I came here to help you! He's coming James whether we're ready or not!" Sirius barked at the man who was like a brother to him, desperate to make him see sense. James blinked back harsh tears and pushed the other man away from him in disgust, heading quickly towards the kitchen to double check the backdoor was secure and began putting up complicated protection wards, leaving Sirius to attend the front and Lily to place her now sniffling son on the soft cushions of the sofa, whispering words of encouragement before placing a loving kiss to his forehead and drawing her own wand from her front pyjama pocket.
James came back into the room, his wand raised defensively and determination literally vibrating in the air around him, ruffling his unruly hair as if caught in a gust of wind. This was his family and he would do anything to keep them safe, he would give anything for them to come out of this alive.
In the icy tension of the silent house, the warmth from the blazing fireplace could not penetrate the feeling of the cold fingers of death creeping up their spines; Harry began to sob in earnest.
Outside the house, the sounds of Children's laughter had hushed. The whole village seemed to have gone mute, no breeze rustled the bushes, no footsteps clicked on the pavement, and no cars drove by. Godric's Hollow appeared deserted, bathed in glowing silver light of the full Halloween moon, except for the echo of a lone child's frightened cries.
"Sirius?" James' whisper cut through the silence like the glint of a dagger in the dark, Lily shushed and cooed at Harry to quieten down between him and Sirius. Sirius didn't turn his harsh gaze away from the front entrance.
"What?" he snapped.
"I thought the Fidelius Charm would protect us. What happened to Wormtail?" James demanded, all the worst scenarios playing out in his mind, God, what the hell had happened to his friend? Sirius didn't answer for a long while, the tension in his body showed his restrained rage and James could tell instantly that something terrible had happened. "Tell me." he insisted.
Sirius closed his eyes briefly then snapped, "He betrayed us." James blinked, unable to absorb what his friend had said.
"What?"
"He betrayed us to Voldemort, Prongs! He gave that bastard your location! He stabbed us in the back to save his own pathetic skin, the snivelling, cowardly little RAT!" Sirius fumed.
"Sirius!" Lily bit out, as she hurriedly put her hands over Harry's young ears, although there was obvious outrage in her green eyes over their betrayal, while Harry wept over the horridly negative vibes that had spoilt his playing.
"I can't believe it." James said harshly, "how could he do that? He wouldn't."
"He did. Snape told us the Prophecy said someone would betray you. And Snape was there when Wormtail gave Voldemort this location, and swore under Veritaserum, he went straight to Dumbledore and summoned us; the Fidelius Charm is useless now, but because it's still active none of the Aurors can find us here, they can only know the general whereabouts; we're on our own."
"I can't believe it." James shook his head vigorously. Sirius looked to be on the verge of hitting him.
"Believe it! He was your secret keeper, remember? No one else could have given you away. Merlin, I should never have suggested him! It should have been me! But you know what? You can believe what you like; I, on the other hand, am going to make sure that parasite regrets every fucking day he drew breath, the unworthy vermin!"
"Okay! I get it!" James shouted, aggravated that he was practically being dragged through his worst nightmare. On impulse he looked over to where Lily was still bent over their distressed son, who looked up at him with his mother's wide, frightened doe-like eyes, and James felt the sting of tears behind his own when Lily also turned her worried gaze to his. He realised with a detached sense of awe that two pairs of twin green orbs were set upon him, and he swore to himself that he had never seen, nor will he ever see again, anything as beautiful.
The Grandfather clock reached midnight, but no striking chime reached their ears. James tore his tear-blurred gaze from his frightened, shivering family, just as the icy fire extinguished into nothing more then a puff of grey smoke, and the entire village was plunged into darkness. In the silence that followed Harry sniffed shakily but did not cry. Not one of them dared to move, clouds of white mist formed in front of their eyes, made with each sharp exhale as their sight adjusted to the gloom, made visible only by the eerie ghost of moonlight washing over the village.
With no breeze tonight, the creak of a gate hinge echoed like a woman's scream inside a hollow mountain. Sirius' whole body tensed, anticipating what was silently coming closer, and closer, even while unable to see clearly, he knew James mirrored his stance; this was it.
The Grim Reaper had arrived on their doorstep.
A high, cold voice could be heard as it hissed; "Sternuo!" and the front door was blasted from its frame and crashed through the hallway, the wood splintering up the stairs opposite the Dark Lord's silhouetted form. In a panicked flurry of movement, James and Sirius raced to stop the black cloaked figure from reaching the Living room.
"Stupefy!" Sirius and James roared in unison.
With a slice of Voldemort's wand through the frozen thick air, as easily as a knife through warm butter, both attacks were repelled, and Sirius was thrown violently back into the Living room as Lily's scream flooded the muted village, with James colliding with the hallway wall, the hard impact taking his breath away. The hooded figure extended, its long skeletal fingers wrapped callously around the yew wand toward James as he gasped for the air that wouldn't reach passed his tightening throat; desperate, he choked out, "Relashio…"
A stream of fiery sparks burst from James' wand tip, and Voldemort hissed and spat, clawing at his paste-white face. James staggered into the Living room, where Lily was curled low behind the sofa with a silent Harry clutched possessively to her breast, and Sirius was limping toward him with blood trickling from his thick hairline.
The sight of his loved ones still in one piece brought him courage, and James turned back to the Living room door way, wand raised once more, determination not lost with his breath although his lungs ached with the need to keep inhaling and his chest visibly heaved through his thick blue jumper with the effort not to loose consciousness, he blinked several times to try and regain his focus, and then realisation dawned that he was without his glasses any longer.
From out of the darkness, Voldemort's shadowy presents suddenly glided into the room. "Give me the boy, and I may spare you and your wife." the black figure hissed, with his white wand raised above his obscured features.
"Never! Expelliarmus!" James cried, but Voldemort easily blocked again with a flick of his thin wrist.
"So be it. Avada Kedavra!" Green light shot through the air like a bullet straight at James.
"PROTEGO!" Sirius yelled with a burst of sudden energy, the shield charm knocking James side on, sending him through the curtained window with a mighty 'crash!'
"Crucio!" Sirius collapsed and writhed in excruciating pain, his wand tumbling from his limp hand while his screams sliced through his own skull. It ceased abruptly as the cloaked figure was enveloped in blue shocks, his body seizured briefly before the spell seemed to be absorbed inside the black cloak and he turned purposefully towards Lily's quivering body, with her wand arm outstretched and primal protection blazing in her bright green eyes.
"You are very brave." Lord Voldemort said in a sickly soothing voice much like oil over water. "I could use a woman like yourself; strong, magically gifted. You would be a most worthy Death Eater. Join me, my dear and I shall show you power beyond your darkest desires. Just hand me the boy!"
"Avada Kedavra!" Green light shot from Lily's willow wand without warning.
Voldemort moved with inhuman speed from the line of the killing curse to inches from Lily's terrified face, the curse hitting the staircase causing it to collapse in on itself. Lily's scream was muffled by the snapping of heavy wood piling in a dusty heap.
"Incarcerous," Voldemort's foul breath hit her face as she was engulfed in tight ropes, merging her limbs together so that there was no escape. "I shall deal with you after." Voldemort silky promise made her heart stop and her blood run cold. But before she could even struggle against her bindings, Voldemort was moving once more; behind the sofa, and towards her helpless son. Tears burned her vision as no cry came from her baby. She couldn't watch; she couldn't bear to live this nightmare any longer.
Voldemort stared into the chubby face of the wizard who was prophesied to destroy him; but he got here first, and no child will defeat the greatest Dark Lord of all time! The naive boy did not cry, nor did he acknowledge the weapon pressed roughly against his forehead.
"Let's see how powerful you are beyond the grave!" Voldemort hissed sharply, his red eyes flaring through the dark shadow his hood cast. Harry did not flinch back, but stared intently into those gleaming evil eyes with soft doe green, unafraid.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" the terrifying screech was heard throughout Godric's Hallow. Deadly green light swamped the house at the end of the main street, glowing brighter then the moon.
•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•
House lights switched on in windows throughout the village as one, as if all were awaking at the same instant from a broken deep sleep. Children cried and people ran outside their doors in time to witness all the lights distinguish from the Potter's residence, as though it had all just been an unpleasant dream. The moon was swept behind dark wisps of cloud as Aurors and Order members Apparated from everywhere, their wands ready for battle. They charged towards the modest home of a fellow Comrade, not knowing quite what to expect.
"JAMES!" Remus Lupin, a tall, sandy brown haired man rushed over of his motionless friend, the last traces of thick, matted hair retreating into his naked limbs from his transformation. James was surrounded by glass with bloody slashes scattered over his prone body. "James, speak to me!" Remus urged, unconcerned with his nudity as he propped James' head on his knees and tenderly checked for a pulse; it was faint but it steady. "I need some help over here!"
Inside the young handsome, black Auror by the name of Kingsley Shacklebolt run his wand carefully over Sirius' motionless form, as Alastor Moody limped heavily into the Living room.
"There are traces of the Killing Curse within the very walls of this building." Moody grumbled to no one in particular, scrunching up his mangled features in distaste, "How this place is still standing I don't know."
"Black has suffered the Cruciatus curse, but he'll live." Shacklebolt sighed with relief after running all the checks he could without the assistance of a Healer, "Although if we want him to survive without any permanent internal damage, we'll have to get him to St Mungo's fast." Even as he rose to his heavily booted feet three Aurors stepped forwards, wordlessly conjured a stretcher and levitated Sirius' body onto it before exiting through the gaping whole in the front of the house that used to be the front door.
Shacklebolt and Moody moved further into the Living room where, five more Aurors were running checks on the unconscious Lily Potter and a sleeping baby boy, who could only be James Potter's son with black hair that scruffy.
"How are they?" Shacklebolt demanded of Amos Diggory, a middle aged brunette, appearing slightly jittery about standing inside a place emanating the resent use of dark magic.
"Erm, uh, the, the woman – Mrs Potter, she has just fainted from the trauma I expect, but, but the child; he now, he has a cut on his head. But, but it's not a normal cut, it's been cursed. I, I think the Killing Curse touched him there." Diggory stuttered.
"Preposterous!" Moody exclaimed gruffly, startling the other man, "No one can survive such a Curse! Is the boy dead?"
"N-no, s-sir," Diggory stammered.
"Well then," Moody stated triumphantly, "the curse did not touch him!"
"Please, Mad-Eye." Shacklebolt cut in, looking curiously at the lightning shaped cut over the slumbering boy's right eye, now that it had been cleared of excess blood the magical signature was undeniably strong, wafting from the boy's pinkened skin. "It is impossible. But the curse definitely touched this child; that mark was made by dark magic. Unfortunately it is incurable and will leave a permanent scar."
"Oh please, Shacklebolt; if that is true then why does the boy live?" Moody demanded.
"Excuse me?" the kind voice of Arthur Weasley interrupted. The tall, red haired member of the Order of the Phoenix pushed through the crowd of Aurors to smile politely at Shacklebolt, reseating his wire rimed spectacles on the end of his long nose.
"Arthur, good to see you," Shacklebolt greeted with a firm handshake which Arthur returned, Moody reluctantly nodded stiffly in welcome.
"Sorry to interrupt, but the boy survived the Killing Curse did he? Good grief, that's one special lad to have around wouldn't you say?"
"Indeed." Shacklebolt agreed, "The mystery is how? We discovered the remains of the Dark Lord beside the boy; there was nothing but ash."
"Good lord, really?" Arthur gasped, astonished. He whirled around at the parting Aurors to see what appeared to be crystallised sand piled in a large circle with scorch marks surrounding it, as if lightning had somehow struck inside the house without penetrating the ceiling. "Extraordinary…"
"Quite." Commented the wise voice of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, defeater of the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in 1945, and the only person Lord Voldemort had ever feared. He stepped into the Potter's Living room looking around curiously as if he had not just announced his presence, his lilac robes and pointed cap contrasting drastically with the grim atmosphere. He wore half-moon glasses on the end of his long crooked nose, his long silver hair, beard and moustache giving the impression that he towered over all others. He turned as though he was a small boy who had been suddenly caught out after curfew, fixing everyone with his piecing forget-me-not blue eyes.
"Albus!" Arthur welcomed warmly, "I don't suppose you've heard?"
"Ah, yes. The Prophecy has come to pass; good, good. I don't suppose it would be prudent of me to take a look at the boy, would it?"
"Not at all! Go right ahead, in fact we need your opinion Albus, we're a bit stumped!" Arthur took hold of the bundle of blue blankets with the peacefully snoozing child enveloped inside, before handing him gently over to Dumbledore, who cooed at Harry as though he were awake and needed the attention. Dumbledore smoothed back Harry's mess of black fringe to see the freshly cursed mark on his forehead, he ran his finger attentively over the zig zag line, watching as Harry shivered in his sleep and he snatch his hand back as if burned.
"Is there anything a matter with him, Albus?" Arthur asked worriedly from beside him, having watched Dumbledore's reaction to touching the cursed mark.
Dumbledore smiled encouragingly down at him.
"Everything is fine, Arthur. Harry is no longer in any danger. This scar is tinged with dark magic but with time it will fade. I already expect great things from this boy when he is old enough to attend Hogwarts. There is most definitely something about him that is extraordinarily special."
"Here, here," the remaining Aurors chorused.
"Indeed, I do suppose celebrations are in order," Dumbledore continued with a twinkling smile, "I shall see that Lily Potter and her son make it safely to St Mungo's, just for a check up of course, and to reunite them both with James and Sirius. I think that I can trust you fine Gentleman to spread the news far and wide of the defeat of Lord Voldemort," he fixed them all with his piecing gaze over the bridge of his spectacles, "Can I not?"
"Oh, yes, of course! The Wizarding community needs to know that they are safe again!" Arthur enthused.
"I shall stay," Shacklebolt said evenly, "I'll have a clean up squad make sure that the Potters have a home to come back to, once they are all well again."
"Ah, yes, good idea Kingsley," Dumbledore approved before he dismissed himself and walked towards the unconscious form of Lily Potter, draped carefully on the sofa.
He allowed himself a relieved chuckle. Even he had had his doubts about the Prophecy coming to light – he made a mental note to employ the Seer that Prophesised it,that should make lessons a little more interesting in the years to come, he thought mischievously. Dumbledore took hold of Lily's warm, although limp hand with the one not cradling little Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.
Severus would be relieved that he had delivered the news in time, and Dumbledore had a promise to keep in return; he would give Severus a purpose now that he had a second chance at life, a new position as a Hogwarts professor should do it. Dumbledore had no doubt that Professor Snape would have the skills needed to teach and he was of no threat to his students, he had every faith in that. Once Dumbledore had his many important thoughts in order, he clasped Lily's hand firmly before Apparating to St Mungo's, leaving the once again vibrant village of Godric's Hallow far behind.
THE BEGINNING...
And everyone lives Happily Ever After, HA! I deliberately made James' fate unsure as well as what happened to Voldemort. BUT I'll now tell you that James survives, so that's why everyone is so calm (other then Remus of course), heh. Oh, and Voldemort didn't have any Horcuxes in this ficlet. Obviously.
A/N: I may add to this later (if ever), and use this as a Prologue to what Harry's life might have been like without Voldemort trying to kill him at every turn, and with his destiny already fulfilled, but we'll see. I'm sure everyone has their own ideas about that anyway, heh. Everybody loves Happy Endings but I started with a Happy Beginning... never mind.