The Serpent Potter I : Philosopher's Stone

Chapter 1 : The Boy Who Lived

A blustery wet Autumn day was swept aside by night. Darkness was imposed upon the world. The heavens above seemed to show little mercy, as ceaseless gales hit the earth and carried heavy downpours towards the inhabitants below. Black and grey clouds had hovered menacingly above all day. They now merged together to bear a scowl and unleash a storm which invaded the earth below.

The thatched cottages below were disturbed, with some slates scattered on the ground after being yanked from their roofs. Orange lights lay discarded on the ground. The eyes of the pumpkins attached to the houses seemed to leer at passers by. The biting sharp cold wind showed little compassion for the brave children, who endured the downpour simply to uphold their tradition. Their little bodies shivered at the cold, while their clothing was soaked. But it seemed not to halt their progress as they carried on ceaseless. Their pumpkin lanterns offered a glaring light but they did little to guide them through the dark storm of the night.

Someone who seemed not to be disturbed by the storm was a man in a black cloak who wandered along the path. While those he passed in the street showed visible signs of discomfort, he could not have been happier. His serpent like face was intoxicated with a grotesque smile and his blood red scarlet slits shared a menacing delight. He laughed scornfully at the passers by who looked so miserable. The children who were out braving the storm and whose little faces were screwed up in discomfort at the gnawing wind, drew a sneer from the snake like man. In stark contrast, Lord Voldemort had never been happier.

A narcissistic gleam was present in his scarlet slits. The pupils, despite their vibrant colour contained nothing but an icy hateful victorious leer. Voldemort was in a position he had long dreamed about. While he was yet to seize the Ministry and while their freezing of the economy had caused minor discomfort, all else seemed to play right into his hands. He had an army of hellishly savage witches, wizards and creatures at his commands. His main opponents, the Government of the wizarding world, the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix, a resistance group led by his primary adversary Albus Dumbledore were vastly outnumbered and outsmarted and some had even been brought under his sway by the use of the Imperius curse. Dumbledore, he thought maliciously ; the one wizard who he despised and feared most. He was powerless to prevent Voldemort empirical rise to power for all his past achievements and would merely be another obstacle to be destroyed. He was at the zenith of his power and his greatest triumph had been to learn of the one thing that may overthrow him.

Recently Voldemort had discovered the name of the child who was chosen to be his opponent. While Voldemort feared no-one and had taken measures to guard against his death, he had unsettled feelings when he heard there was the possibility of a rival. Voldemort smiled, tonight it would all end with a mere flick of his wand!

Voldemort moved to a darker street that brought him closer to his destination. He passed two young children dressed as a pumpkins, one of whom spoke to him, " Nice costume, mister". He put his fingers to his wand knowing these children need never return to their parents. But he changed his mind, so unnecessary when the Fidelus was broken and he was so near his destination. Muggles, he thought hatefully, he would soon exterminate the filthy creatures.

He had reached his destination, crossing the threshold as quiet as the dead moves. Lily and James Potter, unaware of the approaching threat, were playing with their son in the sitting room and did not have wands on them. Voldemort laughed callously at their foolishness. James came sprinting into the hall wandless and screamed …

"Lily, take Harry and go! Its him! Go! I'll hold him off!"

This amused Voldemort, hold him off without a wand. He laughed before casting Avada Kedavra which sent James Potter to the floor to his death, the green light which had killed him lighting up the banisters like lightning rods. Lily Potter was upstairs screaming, desperate to find a secret passageway to escape with her son but to no avail. She was trapped and she knew it as she screamed loudly. A futile attempt was made to barricade her and Harry but Voldemort easily swept the boxes aside and entered the room. He did not intend to kill Lily Potter if she allowed him to wipe out her son. She threw her arms protectively infront of Harry as if this would prevent his death …

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry"

" Stand aside you silly girl … stand aside … Now! - "

" Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead - "

" This is my last warning"

" Not Harry! Please … have mercy … have mercy … Not Harry! … Not Harry! … please … I'll do anything"

" Stand aside girl … stand aside girl"

Obviously unwilling to comply, he decided to finish her and have done with her,

"Avada Kedavra!" and she slumped to the floor dead. The baby in the cot had as of yet not detected that he was under threat and now peered curiously into the cot. Slowly it began to dawn on him that the intruder was a threat and he began to cry loudly. Voldemort who had no patience for this aimed his wand at the helpless baby's forehead.

" Avada Kedavra!" screeched Voldemort. The curse moved swiftly towards the young baby and for a moment he was triumphant. And then several things happened at once. Instead of killing him, the curse sliced Harry in the forehead bringing with a sharp pain and a wound which bled onto his snow white quilt covers. The curse then rebounded and struck Voldemort. As soon as it impacted, he felt agony beyond anything he had ever experienced.

He writhed and was contorted in pain as he felt something inside rip with menacing force. He felt as his skin was ablaze and his insides were being scorched. His body soon became less and less apart of him, as he felt the pain of having himself ripped from his body. While he was still inside his body, he had made several frantic attempts to approach the cot but was hit with an invisible force field which struck him and forced him backwards.

He was now weaker than he had ever felt in his life. He could see through what used to a body and instead was merely a transparent mist in the shape of a skeleton. A gold light flickered and he now had to endure the agony of two green lights pressing themselves into him like lasers forcing his weak shell to contract and he felt himself being expelled from the destroyed home. As he was forced out, his faint vision could make a movement from the baby which seemed to form a gloating wink.

Apart the disappearance of Voldemort, the baby was unsettled crying loudly as he seemed to suddenly comprehend his solitude. Suddenly he heard footsteps and a man with wild hair enter the room and survey the wreckage. The man's presence was familiar and Harry looked to see it was none other than Sirius Black. His face was milk white and his eyes were wide open with shock and horror. His hair and face seemed even more wild and unruly as he franticly searched the rooms, finally coming across Harry. He picked him up and cradled him closely to his breast, which gave Harry a sense of comfort. Bitter salty tears feel from his eyes as he left the house with the baby placed gently in his arms. He mounted the motorbike, which he had used to come to the aid of his best friends as quickly as possible having discovered Peter's betrayal. Rage began to fill Sirius as he thought of how he would punish the traitor.

Sirius was about to take off when he was stopped by a beetle eyed giant of a man. Rubeus Hagrid stood as a massive figure but his warm eyes betrayed a mutual fragility that Sirius shared. With the baby gently in his arms, Hagrid carefully embraced Sirius lightly careful not to disturb the sleeping infant. As the two mourned for the loss of two dear friends, Hagrid seemed come to his senses and kept his mind back to the task in hand.

" I better off with young 'Arry ere. Professor Dumbledore has sent me to fetch him and take him to his relatives."

Sirius' look of grief turned to dismay as he responded indignantly " No, I'm his godfather. Lily and James entrusted him to me. I'm his godfather".

"Its Professor Dumbledore's orders that he is to live with his relatives" replied Hagrid kindly but nevertheless with an authority.

" You can't send him there! They will never accept him! James and Lily told me what they're like, they're awful. They hate magic. They'll treat him as an outcast. It isn't what J-J-J … aame … - " . Sirius was unable to finish his sentence as he broke down in tears at the mention of his friends. Hagrid patted his arm soothingly before responding again.

" Sirius its what has to happen. I'm sorry but I 'ave to take 'im. I 'ave to" . Sirius reluctantly seemed to realise that this was how it had to be. Hagrid continued to comfort him before they came to a silent understanding that this was goodbye.

" Hagrid you might as well take the bike"

"What?"

"The bike Hagrid. Take it."

"Yer sure?" asked Hagrid uncertainly, aware of how much the bike meant to Sirius.

" Yes, I have no use for it anymore. Goodbye Harry" and afterwards Sirius placed a kiss on the forehead of the sleeping bundle before nodding to Hagrid. Hagrid took off on the bike and flew into the air.

Sirius watched them go, tears glistening in his eyes as he began to fully comprehend the night's events.

Hagrid delivered Harry to Dumbledore and McGonagall who said their goodbyes before they departed, leaving Harry at Privet Drive, the place he would now call home for the next eleven years.