Halloween

Summary- The night they died from Lily and James' POV.

Disclaimer- Not mine. JKR's. But I think you know that.

A/N: My first fanfiction... so PLEASEEEEEE R&R. I know its not brilliant, but I'd really like to know how good I am.

I grinned at my sons delight as I made puffs of coloured smoke erupt from my wand. Sirius, Harry's usual babysitter, had left around half an hour ago, and it was my turn to keep Harry amused while Lily washed the dishes. I wondered why Sirius had, a few days ago, insisted that Peter become the secret keeper... and thinking of Wormtail, I wondered about my friend's strange behaviour over the past few days...I would have to talk to him tomorrow. My thoughts wandered and I thought for the umpteenth time how annoying the Fidelius Charm was... it frustrated me, not being able to go out.... it was Halloween, and we'd always been good with costumes; we just had to put on our robes... And it was the first time Harry would be able to go trick-or-treating... I quite enjoyed these muggle customs actually- Halloween was especially funny... the way they acknowledged our presence and yet didn't believe in us...

I laughed as Harry attempted to catch the smoke puffs in his tiny hand. It was remarkable, really, how much he looked like me... except for the eyes of course, he had Lily's eyes. I looked up as my beautiful wife entered the room... she was just the same as the day I first asked her out and she refused in the second year... just the same as the day she finally agreed to go out with me in the seventh... I, on the other hand, had changed drastically. I was no longer the annoying prat I used to be.

'Bed-time Harry!' she said as she came in. I picked him up and handed him to her... I yawned and threw myself on the sofa; I was so tired. I closed my eyes and let myself drift off to sleep........

The door flew open. It could only be one person. I ran into the hall, yelling at Lily while I ran, telling her to go, to take Harry and go, to run, telling her I'd hold him off... I cursed to myself; I'd left my wand behind. He was standing there, his skin deathly white... He raised his wand...

I didn't see my life flash in front of my eyes; instead, I wondered what would happen after this... what it would be like. I hoped it wasn't Padfoot who was blamed for this; no one else knew that wormtail was the secret keeper... I knew now that Peter had betrayed us... I wondered vaguely whether Remus and Sirius would kill him. I hoped not. I didn't want them to become murderers for me. My last thought was of Lily and Harry...would they survive? Lily and Harry, Lily and Harry, Lily and Harry.....then a flash of green light.... and then nothing.

My life was perfect. Of course, the fact that the craziest, most powerful dark wizard of all time was after us did put a bit of a damper on things. Hell, who was I kidding? I was terrified. I was terrified for my baby, terrified for James, and terrified for myself. But sometimes, it was easy to forget that. Sirius had just left, and I was washing up while James played with Harry. I grinned. They looked so much alike... Except Harry had my eyes. This, I knew, pleased James a lot... I could imagine what Harry would look like when he was older... He would be just like his father. Except less arrogant when his father was young. I would see to that. My mind drifted back to my school days. It seemed funny now, how I used to hate James so much... I remembered how my friend Alice used to get annoyed with me when I went on and on about how annoying James was... I would have to invite Alice and Frank over tomorrow; it had been a long time since we had met and Harry and Neville enjoyed playing together. And I also had to invite Remus and Peter sometime... it had been a while since Peter had come over. I frowned. Peter had been behaving very strangely for a long time now. I would have to talk to him...

I finished the dishes- I did them by hand, I never use magic for washing up, not since I had broken seven plates one night- and then I went out. It was Harry's bedtime so James handed him to me, before throwing himself on the sofa... Harry yawned as I took him up the stairs; he was always exhausted after Sirius left- he just loved riding around on Sirius' back when Sirius transformed. I had to admit that Sirius was good with the kid. Who would have thought- the famous marauder was actually good with babies. I smiled to myself...Then I heard his shout.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off.."

My heart stopped. I froze for a fraction of a second, and then I ran. I ran up the stairs, screaming I heard him following me; this could mean only one thing... James was dead. James was dead. Tears streaked my face as I tried to barricade myself in the nursery, cursing to myself about the fact that I had left my wand downstairs. The door opened and he came in. I dropped my little baby into the cot behind me and stood in front of it with my arms wide. He had killed my husband and ruined my life. Voldemort would not get my son. He could just settle for killing me instead.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry" Not my baby, not Harry....He could kill me instead, I wouldn't mind, but he had to spare Harry....

"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside, now..." Never.

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead..." Anyone but Harry...

"This is my last warning-"He had killed James. I wasn't going to move. I had to save Harry... he was just one year old...

"Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy...Not Harry!"

"Stand aside- stand aside, girl-" I wasn't going to. We both knew that.

He raised his wand... I thought of James... If by some miracle Harry survived, he would be an orphan soon... I hoped Sirius and Remus would look after him... I knew Petunia wouldn't- thinking about her still made me sad...

Harry had to live... James- she was going to him now...

There was a flash of green light, and then complete darkness.

Nearby, Bathilda Bagshot looked out of the window before she went to bed. She could see the Potter's house... she was in on the secret of course... Just then, a flash of light came from one of the windows on the second floor. But that was impossible... could it be...

She didn't have to wonder for long. There was another flash of light- green, she realised with shock-and then the whole house exploded. She almost had a heart attack right there. She flooed Dumbledore as soon as she could move. She had to get help before the muggles started flocking around. There wasn't much she could do herself. She flooed Dumbledore. Then old Bathilda Bagshot realised what the flashes of light meant, and she fainted.

Please R&R!

- bookworm7