The Facade of the Truth

Summary: What if everything that one boy had been told suddenly changed? What would happen if he found out something that would change the course of his life forever? There will be OOTP spoilers in later chapters. Please read and review.

Pairings: None.

Warnings: There will be some Order of the Phoenix spoilers in the next chapter, but not in this one.

Disclaimer: The very talented J.K.Rowling owns anything you recognize in this story. Well, except some things that you know don't belong to her, like a wooden table or a record player.

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Chapter one - The Beginning of the End

James Potter woke up in his red armchair with his glasses hanging off his nose. His one-year-old son, Harry, was quietly sleeping on his lap, his tiny fingers resting on the page of an open book that his father had been reading to him before they both fell asleep.

James slowly lifted his hand and put his glasses back in place, careful not to wake his son. As he moved the book away carefully, Harry lifted his fingers slightly, but he was still fast asleep.

The boy's father looked at the clock, which was shaped like a cat. It read three a.m. Sighing, he carefully wrapped his arms round the boy and carried him gradually up the stairs. Harry mumbled something in his sleep as James put him into his cot. He put a white blanket over him and made sure the boy wasn't too cold. Then, the man sat down on a chair.

"James, you woke me up. Why were you downstairs?" came the quiet, calm voice of Lily.

She was standing in the doorway dressed in red satin pyjamas, her hair messed up. She looked as though she had just woken up from a deep slumber.

"Shush, Lily, you'll wake Harry." James whispered.

Scratching her head slightly, Lily walked over towards the cot and looked down at her son.

"I'm glad he's got your looks and not mine, James." She said.

"Yeah, that's right. Otherwise, Harry will have all the men coming for him, if he looks like you."

"Very funny. Come on, James, we better go back to bed, or else you'll be too tired to visit the members of the Order of the Phoenix tomorrow."

"Can't I stay home and take care of Harry? I think he needs us more than they do." James said, as they both made their way towards the door.

"Certainly not, James. You'd be heartbroken if anyone from the Order died." Lily replied, closing the door softly behind her.

"Fine, fine."

They climbed back into bed and Lily went back to sleep, but James couldn't. He wasn't tired at all now, and something didn't feel right.

'I haven't felt that since - no, don't think about that, James.' He reassured himself, 'it can't be him. Not now. Not at three o'clock in the morning.'

James settled down and went to sleep, his mind still uneasy. If he did come, this man, James would know what to do, wouldn't he? He would be able to protect his son, wouldn't he?

There was that doubt in his mind.

After about one and a half hours of sleep, James woke up and began to think again. Soon, he couldn't bear it any longer. He got out of bed and made his way downstairs. The kitchen was just how he had left it. James hadn't washed the dishes like Lily had told him to, and he still hadn't hung the washing out on the line.

Upstairs, Harry began to cry, and footsteps could be heard going into his room soon after. Lily had obviously woken up.

As James was washing the dishes, Lily came into the kitchen, patting Harry on the back. He was still crying, but not so loudly.

"Ah, Lily, he wants to see me. Give him here, will you?" James said.

Lily sighed and handed the boy over to her husband. James put on a childish voice and began talking to his son.

"Wittle baby Harry wants to see Mr. Big Bear. He's tired and lonely, and he wants to go home. Wittle baby Harry woke up fwightened because he fought the big old nasty witch was going to get him. Yes he did, didn't -"

"James, he's hungry. He wants feeding, like all infants do. It's nothing to do with fairy-stories." Lily said simply, as she got out some baby-food.

"Hey, hey, hey, hang on a minute, Lily, you're not going to feed that to him? At his age, he should be living on freshly caught rabbits and chickens! Whole, too!" James said quickly, sniffing the food Lily had given their son.

Harry had stopped crying, by this time.

"Yummy?" he asked, in his childish, high pitched voice.

"No, not yummy, Harry. I'm sure Lily's been cooking our garbage to give to you -"

"James!" Lily said, snatching the food back. "I would have expected better of you. He's just a baby! You'll teach him words that we don't want him saying -"

"Better me teaching him them than you." James said.

Lily ignored him.

"When he gets older, who knows what sort of words he'll learn!" she cried. Then, as if she remembered something, she looked directly at her husband. "James, you haven't really been feeding him chickens and rabbits, have you?" She asked.

"Of course, Lily! What did you expect? I've been feeding a one-year-old baby adult chickens and rabbits, and he ate it all!" James replied sarcastically.

Lily rolled her eyes and took Harry from James. Then, she walked out of the kitchen with her son. James watched her as she closed the door, and then he continued washing the dishes.

He walked over to the record player and put on some music. It was Christmas Carols - Harry loved listening to them.

As he was quietly humming to himself, James heard something outside. It was the sound of footsteps on the gravel path. Then, he remembered how he felt earlier.

"No, please don't let it be him. It can't be." He said aloud.

Then, he froze as he saw a cloaked figure heading towards the front door outside. Its' scarlet eyes shone brightly into the darkness of the morning.

"No, no, no. This can't be happening. Lily!" James said again.

Lily came walking back into the kitchen with Harry.

"What are you saying, James?" she said.

The woman's husband couldn't take his eyes off the approaching figure outside.

"Lily, get out." He said coolly.

"What do you -" Lily began.

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

The red-haired woman gasped as though she understood, held her son tighter against her body, and stumbled out of the room.

Then, the door flung open, and a cackle of high-pitched laughter filled the room.

Lord Voldemort stood there, his wand out, his eyes cold and filled with malice.

James drew out his wand and pointed it at the Dark Lord.

"I told you, did I not?" Voldemort hissed. "I told you to stay away from your son and your filthy little mudblood wife. But no, you disobeyed me, and I am here to seek revenge. Not just on you, but on your little boy also. Prepare to die."

"I haven't done anything to you. I told you I didn't want anything to do with you, so leave us alone." James replied coolly, his eyes fixed on Voldemort's.

"Whether you like it or not, I still have to make sure you don't get involved with these foolish, good-for-nothing half-breeds and muggles. But then, I shouldn't waste my time on you. Even though you are my flesh and blood, you are worthless."

"Speak for yourself. I've got a family, which you're not included in, and I don't want my son to ever find out about you. Expelliarmus!" James cried.

Voldemort muttered a spell under his breath, and instead of his wand going to James, James' wand went to him.

"You are worthless. Just surrender now, and I'll let you go. You don't need your little mudblood wife and half-breed son. Join me, James."

"I'd prefer to die!" James exclaimed.

"Then that leaves me no choice. Crucio!" Voldemort hissed.

James shrieked in pain. His face began pouring with sweat, and he clutched the side of the table for support.

"Please! No!" he bawled.

Voldemort's evil grin faded, and he lifted his wand slowly. Instantly, James fell to the floor, choking.

"Have you learnt your lesson yet? Or do you need some more pain?" Voldemort asked coolly, walking around the wheezing man.

"Imperio!" James cried, pointing his wand at the Dark Lord.

Voldemort froze for a second, but the effect didn't last. He pointed his wand at James again.

"You're not that good, Potter. Crucio!" he hissed.

James, who had been trying to get off the floor, tumbled onto the ground again with gritted teeth, withering in pain. The Dark Lord lifted his wand again when he heard the man speak.

"Leave the o-others alone, and kill m-me instead." James panted.

"You're foolish. You would rather sacrifice yourself than run away? I'm giving you the choice, boy, so why don't you pick the more sensible option?"

"Don't hurt my son. You can take me, just don't hurt my son."

"Ah, but that's the reason why I'm here. To kill that filthy half-breed-"

"Funny, I was under the illusion that you were a half-blood, too." James interrupted.

"How dare you, boy! Crucio!" Voldemort shrieked, pointing his wand at the man again.

James screamed in pain again, and tears began to prickle at his eyes as he heard Harry's cries in the other room.

"Goodbye, Harry!" he managed to shout.

Voldemort lifted his wand again and James fell to the floor once more, panting. The Dark Lord listened to the crying intently, and, ignoring the twenty-one year old man's wheezing, made his way towards the door of the next room.

"No, don't-hurt-Harry!" the man cried, as he watched Voldemort walk steadily towards the door. Just as he was about to turn the doorknob, James shouted to him again. "Father! I'm your son! You wouldn't do this to your own son, would you?"

The Dark Lord turned around to look at his son, and shook his head.

"You are no son of mine." He said.

Then, he turned around to face the door and walked swiftly out of the room.

Upstairs, Lily sat down in a corner of the nursery and wrapped her arms around a weeping Harry. She rocked back and forth with him in her arms.

"Shush, Harry. Be quiet, or he'll hear us." She said.

Tears were streaming down her face at hearing her husband scream in pain. Even though Harry was just a baby, Lily knew that he could sense they were all in danger. He cried louder.

"Harry, please. Please don't cry! We're going to be fine." Lily said shakily, her whole body trembling.

She closed her eyes. Why wasn't any sound coming from downstairs? Why wasn't James screaming any more? Was there just that chance, that tiny chance, that he was dead?

Lily shook her head. They were all going to get out of this alive. She was sure of it.

But then she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Was it James? No, he usually bounded up the stairs. These footsteps were swift, but quiet. The red-haired woman heard heavy breathing drawing nearer, and Harry began to cry.

"Harry, please don't cry." She said. "I know you -"

Her sentence was interrupted as the door flung open, and a dark figure stood there, his scarlet eyes gleaming with malice, his wand outstretched. He walked over to the cowering woman in the corner, who was sobbing. She looked up at the Dark Lord, terrified.

"No!" she screamed, tears running down her already red and wet cheeks.

"Give the boy to me." Voldemort ordered, his wand pointing at Lily.

"Not Harry! Please, take me, not Harry!" She bawled.

"Give him to me!"

"NO! No, please don't hurt Harry! Please!" Lily sobbed.

She held Harry closer to her and gripped him tightly. He was crying, louder than he was before. She put her son against the wall lightly and covered him with her own body.

"I wont let you hurt Harry!" she cried to Voldemort, her eyes stained with tears. Then, she bent her head closer, if possible, to Harry's. "I love you, Harry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you." She whispered to him.

"You have to make it so difficult. I have nothing more to say to you. Avada Kedavra!"

Lily's eyes widened in shock as the bright green light headed for her, and she froze. Her body fell to the floor, exposing Harry to the murderer of his mother.

"It took a little longer than I expected, but, now you're mine. Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort shrieked.

The bright green light that had killed Harry's mother erupted from the Dark Lord's wand again. It headed straight for the little boy, who was cowering and crying in the corner, and hit him on the forehead. Voldemort cackled. Instead of the curse sinking into the boy's head, it bounded back at the Dark Lord. He watched, in horror, as the green light came towards him.

"NO!" he screamed.

The spell hit him directly in the chest, and his eyes widened in shock. He exploded seconds after, and the house shook violently. The ceiling began collapsing, and James Potter crawled in through the door.

"Harry!" he cried, as he scooped the little boy up in his arms.

But there was no time to lose. With Harry over his shoulder, James swayed down the rocking stairs. He gripped the banister with his free hand as the house shook again. He held the crying Harry tightly as he entered the kitchen, where the record player was still playing.

"Oh, Harry, I thought I had almost lost you. Your poor, poor mother, she loved you. She.she -" Tears streamed down his face. "She's gone." He finished, looking around slowly.

The little boy looked at him with tears in his own eyes. He held his hand against his father's cheek and rested his head on his shoulder.

"Oh Harry, I'm going to have to leave you. They'll be after me else. They will think I did all this." James sobbed, trying to make his voice calmer so he wouldn't scare his son again.

His son, who had calmed down a bit, lifted his head again and looked at his father.

"Daddy." he said quietly.

James drew out a small handkerchief and wiped the tears away from his son's eyes. Then, he began to cry silent tears himself. He put the little boy down onto the carpet. Harry began to cry again.

"Harry, I love you, son." James whispered as he reached the front door. "I never wanted to leave you, but I don't have a choice. It's impossible to stay with you. I'm so sorry. Remember Harry - years on from now.ten years.fifteen.never look back. Don't look back."

Tears in his eyes, he left the house and shut the door. The man leaned against the door and wiped away his own tears. Then, he started to make his way down the path.

Harry climbed onto the sofa and watched as his father walked down the gravel path slowly, never looking back.

As though the little boy understood that he could never see his father again, he put one tiny hand up to the broken window and silent tears streamed down his face.

"I love you, too, Daddy." He whispered, as 'Silent Night' played in the background. He watched the garden gate close with a tiny 'click', echoing through the silent air. "I won't look back."

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Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this story. If you did, could you possibly review it, please? There will be more chapters when I get around to it, but I'm not sure when. Obviously, it won't be too long. In the meantime, please go and read some of my other stories. Thank you!