A/N: This is one of my entries for round 9 of the houses competition, enjoy!

House: Ravenclaw

Category: Drabble

Prompt: James and Lily's final night

Word Count: 671

The rain cascaded down in a relentless sheet of water as lightning flashed down on Godric's Hollow.

As James and Lily Potter sat in the kitchen, they heard the shutting of their gate outside. Peering around the wall of the kitchen they could see a dark cloaked figure, wand raised at the door.

They walked towards the door carefully.

Suddenly, it was blasted off its hinges, almost smacking into James.

James recovered quickly and charged at the silhouette in the doorway, forgetting his wand, determined to kill the man or creature that stood at the door and protect his family. He shouted over his shoulder. "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

Lily sprinted up the stairs to the room of their child as James threw a curled fist at the face of the intruder.

Surprisingly it struck, and a pale, serpentine face was revealed; red eyes bore into his own as James stumbled back, feeling his empty pockets for a wand that wasn't there.

Voldemort screamed "Avada Kedavra!" and James' lifeless body slumped to the floor.

Lily, from behind the piled furniture in front of the door to Harry's room, heard the scream of the killing curse reverberate around the house and what must have been a body slump to the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes, as she tried to hold back sobs of horror, hoping that it wasn't her husband that had fallen. Still, she stood strong, ready to defend her baby with her life if she had to.

She heard the intruder slowly stalk up the steps, drawing the moment out as if he was enjoying it and pace towards the room. She stood in front of Harry's cot, wand drawn. The paces stopped outside the closed door and all Lily could hear for the longest time was her own breath and her heart that hammered, as if it was trying to escape her chest.

She waited for what felt like ages but must have only been a few seconds, hoping he had given up, but the rational part of her mind suppressed this and thought otherwise.

The door was flung open, furniture flew everywhere as Voldemort walked in appearing almost calm, before shouting "Expelliarmus!" and her wand flew from her hand.

Lord Voldemort, raised his wand towards the small boy, lying in the cot.

"No, Please!" Lily positioned herself arms splayed, shielding Harry behind her. "He's just a boy!" She cried.

"I promised Severus I wouldn't kill you Lily Potter," The man before her hissed, seeming to spit the last word as if it was poison. "Get out of my way and you can live."

The tears streamed, down her face. "I...I can't do that, leave, please, just go, don't hurt my son."

"This is your last chance, give me the boy or die alongside him."

"You are more monster than man now if you believe killing a child is the answer to your prayers!" Lily screamed defiantly.

Thunder rolled and anger seemed to boil within Voldemort. Once again he raised his wand at Harry.

Lily, now disarmed and in desperation to save her son, jumped in front of the stream of green energy as Voldemort screamed, "Avada Kedavra!"

It was like switching off a light, Lily didn't even scream, the life essence draining out of her instantly. But as her body, like her husband's fell to the floor lifeless. The green energy from the killing curse continued to its intended target, Harry, but rebounded off him, instead directing a beam of light right back at the Dark Lord himself.

All that could be heard was a shout of horror from Voldemort before the energy consumed him. The boom of an explosion roared out and around Godric's hollow as half the building almost seemed to collapse. After that, not a sound, except for the crying of a young baby boy.

Voldemort had disappeared in that flash of green energy. Lily had successfully sacrificed herself to save her son.