Chapter 1: Godric's Hollow

"Reducto!"

From the other side of furniture now reduced to a pile of ashes, Lord Voldemort regarded Lily Potter with disgust. Here was a woman without any magical upbringing daring to defy him, but he gave her the choice to step aside- a prize for a loyal servant who had pleaded for her life—and she refused.

"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..."

And yet still he could not kill her. He thought himself a merciful master, one who kept his word. Little did the Dark Lord know, this small act of mercy would lead to his downfall. For only Lily's refusal was needed to activate the ancient magic…

"STUPEFY!"

If any Muggles were to look up on that particular Halloween night, they would detect a slight mechanical hum in the air. They would attribute this noise to the engine of an airplane, but they would be wrong. Startled as well, if it weren't for the fact that Sirius Black had maintained enough presence of mind to use his motorbike's invisibility booster before setting off that night.

The bike flickered into existence again as Sirius skidded to a stop, gaping at the scene in front of him. Most of Potter Cottage was still standing, but the right side of the top floor had been blown apart. Sirius knew instantly that James was dead because the Potter crest ring Sirius got when he came of age (identical to the one James wore) was cold as ice against his finger where it had burned urgently not fifteen minutes before, prompting Sirius to look in on Peter. The Secret Keeper. The Rat. He hadn't even had the decency to stage a struggle in his empty house.

As far as Sirius was concerned, Peter had drained the mirth from James' eyes just as surely as if he had cast the curse himself.

A tear from Sirius' eye landed on James' own lashes as he gently closed his brother's lids before heading up the stairs James had given his life to guard.

"Lily! Harry!"

They had to be alive. They had to be.

The door to Harry's nursery lay in splinters, blasted apart by what Sirius assumed was a Reductor Curse, one powerful enough to knock Lily Potter off of her feet and send her sprawling in front of her baby son's cot.

"Mama!" Harry wailed.

There was a jagged cut on the fifteen-month-old's forehead. Sirius scooped him up instantly, kissing his bloody matted hair. "Thank Merlin you're alive!"

"Mama!" Harry wriggled in Sirius' grasp trying desperately to reach Lily.

"I know you want your mama, pup, I know."

Juggling Harry onto one hip, Sirius bent down and grazed the side of Lily's neck, gasping slightly when he felt a weak pulse.

"Lily!" he shouted, "Oh, Merlin, Lils, wake up. You need to wake up! Finite Incantatem!"

The redheaded witch stirred feebly. "Sirius?" she mouthed, so faintly he had to put his ear to her lips to hear it.

"Yes, it's me. You're hurt, Lils, don't try to move."

"Harry?"

"Harry's here, he's with me. I've got you, Lils. I'm going to take you to St. Mungo's."

He took her hand, holding Harry tightly to himself and Disapparated.

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