October 31, 1980
Potter's Cottage
It was a wet and windy Halloween night. Two children dressed as pumpkins ran across the square. The shops and homes were covered in spiders, exaggerated witches, pumpkins. It was quite pathatic really, the way Muggles chased after a world they did not believe in. He glided right along, his footsteps as silent as a whisper. He had waited for this night for so long, so long indeed.
"Nice costume, mister!"
The boy's smile melted away into fear as he saw inside his hood, into the pale, deformed face he was. Beneath his robe he fingered his wand. A simple movement and the child would never see his mother. But tonight, he was on a mission.
And so he moved and turned into a smaller, darker street. His destination was in sight, the Fidelius Charm shattered, although the occupants did not know it. He walked all the way to the hedge and stared over it...
The curtains were undrawn, and he could clearly see into the living room. A tall black-haired man in glasses, making colored bubbles from his wand for the amusement of his black-haired child... the child... yes... the child was laughing, popping the bubbles, grabbing them in his small fists...
A door opened and the mother entered, saying words he could not hear, her long dark-red hair falling in front of her face. They had a slight argument, and the mother walked out of the room, shaking her head. The father threw his wand down upon the sofa and coddled the child...
The old gate creaked as he pushed it open, but the sound was lost in the wind. His slowly pulled out his wand and pointed it at the door, which burst open.
He was over the threshold when James Potter sprinted into the hall. It was easy, so very easy, he had not even picked up his wand...
"Lily, take Harry and run! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"
He allowed him to go through his little warning before he laughed, then cast the curse...
"Avada Kedavra!"
The green light filled the cramped hallway, making the banisters glow like lightning rods, and James Potter crumpet like a puppet whose strings had been cut...
He heard screaming from the upper floor, but she shouldn't have anything to worry about as long as she was sensible... he climbed the steps, listening with slight amusement as she attempted to barricade herself... she had no wand, no weapon, just like her husband... how foolish of them, thinking their safety lay in friends, that they would discard their weapons for even moments...
"Leave now, you are of no interest to me. No more precious magical blood must be spilled than necessary," he hissed through the door.
The answer was predictable.
"Please... no... kill me instead... just spare Harry... Harry..."
Voldemort sighed. He had given her a chance. Snape would have to get over her, and if he didn't, he always had new recruits...
"Reducto!"
The door blasted apart, scattering chairs, boxes, and other obstacles that had been hastily piled on the door... Lily Potter was lying crumpled in the corner, bleeding from her mouth... pity, though not much could be done now.
There the child was, in his crib. The child had not cried this entire time; he was standing, looking up with a vague interest on his face.
He carefully pointed his wand straight at the child's head. He wanted to savor the moment, see his only threat perish before his face. The boy started wimpering, seeing the strange, scary face presented before him.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Nothing happened. The terrible green beam hit the boy... and disappeared. The boy stopped crying and started to look around, attempting to find the marvelous green light that had been there just a moment ago.
"Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra! AVADA KEDAVRA!"
It was all futile. Panting, Voldemort raised his wand and whispered, "Reducto."
The curse traveled halfway to the boy before meeting an enormously powerful Shield Charm that deflected the curse away.
Voldemort whipped around to find Dumbledore standing just a few feet away, wand still pointed in his direction.
"YOU!" he snarled, pivoting around to face his rival.
"You were a fool to come here, Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore with just the slightest hint of malice in his voice.
"TOM. RIDDLE. IS. DEAD. I AM LORD VOLDEMORT AND TODAY YOU WILL DIE, OLD MAN." thundered Voldemort. He raised his wand and wordlessly cast three Killing Curses that no one should have been able to avoid. But Dumbledore was no mere man.
Faster than what should have been possible for someone his age, Dumbledore dodged the three curses while sending stunning spells back at the Dark Lord. He then Summoned the child to him, then Portkey'd Harry away.
"You fool. You are still afraid to kill?" taunted Voldemort as he twirled to avoid Dumbledore's stunners. He then began to simply cast Killing Curses in rapid fire at Dumbledore, who began blocking them with with his wand. Green and red jets of light collided in midair, creating sparks that added to the chaos of the battle.
The battle might have dragged on for hours if not for the five dozen Aurors surrounding the residence. On the order of the Auror Captain, about a dozen rushed into the house, heading up the stairs two at a time. The rest began blasting apart the roof and top story with Blasting Curses, hoping to create an opening to shoot Voldemort.
The first Auror arrived to the bedroom just in time to catch a Killing Curse to the face. He toppled backwards onto his comrades, who shoved his corpse out of the way with a professional detatchment and ran into the room.
"Confringo!"
The blasting curse cast by Voldemort killed three of the Aurors and wounded five others, leaving only 3 left to fight. They were, however, enough to tip the battle and as the surrounding Aurors blasted parts of the house off.
It was a rather colorful display, as curses and spells of multiple colors flew across the small bedroom and a literal wall of purple Reductor curses slammed into what had formerly been the Potter residence.
"Stop firing!" yelled Dumbledore as a Reductor Curse flew dangerous close to him. It was ignored by the Auror Captain, who was determined to kill Voldemort, Dumbledore in the way or not.
In the end, Voldemort ended the battle. Snarling in defiance, he Apparated away, shattering all 16 Anti-Apparation wards that had been placed around the home.
Dumbledore looked around. The house had been completely ruined, and at least 6 people were dead, if not more. But, Harry had survived.