Dusk was steadily falling on a quiet small village in North Wales. The long-awaited moment, all children had been so looking forward to, finally came. At last they would be able to dress up in their Halloween costumes of various supernatural figures and set off to torment the neighbors with exited yells "Trick or treat?". However, the streets were still empty and cheerless and the rain was pouring mercilessly from the heavy sky, frequently pierced by the flashes of bright forked lightnings. In such foul weather even the most light-headed and carefree inhabitants of Godric's Hollow preferred not to stick their nose out of the house. It seamed that the nature itself had a presentiment of impending peril and was trying to do its best to make the townsfolk stay under the protection of their roofs.

Suddenly a quiet pop was heard right in the middle of the central square. Another lightning bolt took out of the darkness a tall lean figure tightly wrapped in a black as night cloak. The infuriated nature was raging around the odd stranger, who wasn't blending with the usual scenery of this peaceful village, but all was in vain. Neither heavy rain drops nor desperate wind gusts weren't able to do any harm to the wizard, surrounded by a shining translucent sphere, like by a soap bubble. For an instant the figure remained motionless, like a creepy stuffed dummy, ominously surveying the surroundings. Well, it's rather fortunate that there aren't any filthy Muggles in the street. Thought the stranger with content. There's going to be nothing that could distract me from the task at hand. Having readjusted the hood of the cloak, the newcomer headed idly for one of the narrow side streets that were branching off in different directions from the main square of the village. One could easily notice great confidence and unadulterated grace in his every move, as if he was a predator slowly sneaking up to an unsuspecting victim, whose end had been already foregone. The outsider had to walk for quite a long time for it was necessary to reach almost the outskirts of the settlement. The wizard had already started to apprehend the possibility of having been told the wrong information when, at last, he saw a sign with the inscription of number thirteen on it. The next structure, for its part, was adorned with a couple of fretted figures which formed number thirty two, distinguishable if one squinted sufficiently hard into the darkness. The visitor stopped on his tracks.

'Well, well, well, what do we have here? It seems that the Potter's den should be hidden exactly in this place,' he mused and then clearly said, 'Potters live at 31 Guinford Road, Godric's Hollow.'

Immediately, as soon as the last words left the man's lips, another house began to appear before the satisfied eyes of the wizard, swelling and stubbornly pushing aside its neighbors. A small well-kept garden and old massive trees came into existence in a couple of seconds. Excellent, I've finally found the refuge of these worthless presumptuous wizards! Ah, it's rather symbolic that the number of their lair matches the day of their death. Thin lips of the stranger curled into a malicios sneer. No one can get in the way of the Dark Lord and escape unpunished! Today I'm going to nip in the bud the danger that they predict me to be exposed to from this child. Having opened miniature garden gates densely entwined by already wizened ivy, the figure in the black billowing cloak moved silently to the small cottege in the far end of the garden. The curtains on the first floor windows were up and there was welcoming tender light pouring outdoors. Hesitating for a moment, the intruder decided to look into them, just to make sure that the Potters were alone in the shelter instead of having some guests for a Halloween party. In a small bright living room he saw a young couple which was having a heated discussion, judging by their body language and rather tense facial expressions.

'Exiperomenti!' whispered the man, lightly touching the glass with the tip of his wand.

Instantly one could hear perfectly clear everything that was going on in the living room, as if those inside were talking right beside the eavesdropper.

'Listen, right now I can't get in contact with him, Lily,' the man with disheveled jet-black hair repeated with a bit of irritation, 'We've already tried every possible way there is in existence of getting in touch with him! Whirlwind had to return the letter back unopened and there is no answer to the two-way-mirror call either! We've even sent Peter a message with Patronus, but as you can see to no avail! What else do you want me to do?'

'I have no idea, James, but I do have a very bad feeling... I'm sure that something really terrible is going to happen! Admittedly this might sound rather strange to you but I beg you, believe me! I've been on pins and needles since yesterday not being able to calm down!' there was despair and silent prayer in the emerald green eyes of the woman.

'Hush, my love, try to relax! There is absolutely no reason for you to worry! He's probably just busy right now and can't get our messages. Why are you taking it so close to the heart? I don't see any reason for being concerned,' James was soothingly whispering, at the same time trying to anxiously smooth down his unruly hair. That made them get even more inordinate.

'Why on earth have we switched the Secret-Keeper? We should have chosen Sirius from the very beginning, I told you!'

'Lily, don't you remember that Albus made it perfectly clear that it was necessary to direct Voldemort on the wrong track!' the man tried to remind her, gradually loosing patience, 'It's highly unlikely that somebody will be able to guess that we had entrusted our goody-goody Peter with such a crucial and dangerous role! We've head already discussed this like over a thousand times, have we not?'

Abruptly turning away, Lily slowly walked up to the window and stared blankly into the blackness of the night. A strained silence hung in the room. James was awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other not being sure how to approach the witch and make his wife gather her wits. Suddenly the woman turned back, as if having made her mind, and gazed intently at her husband. Taking a deep breath she started in a quite but rather firm voice.

'Honey, are you absolutely certain of Dumbledore's infallibility?'

'You know it perfectly well that no one is infallible, Lily,' the wizard frowned with dissatisfaction not quite catching what his wife was driving at and getting more and more annoyed, 'However, I believe in the headmaster's infallibility far more willingly than in our own. After all, he is more than one hundred and fifty years old and said to be the most powerful light wizard of the century! I suppose he's got to be a lot wiser than we are, don't you think?'

'Yes, I'm certainly aware of this, thank you. It's just that often with wisdom and power arm in arm goes a rather sly and calculating mind,' impatiently snorted the woman pursing her lips in a thin line, 'And now that the conversation has turned into this direction, I don't trust the old man at all, to tell the truth... I've got the impression that Dumbledore is playing his own game, with the rules set and understood by none other than himself! Just think about it, there's no logic in his actions! At the beginning the headmaster proposed himself as the Secret-Keeper, knowing fairly well that we would never dare burden him with another responsibility. And frankly it's not that he insisted a lot after all. Anyway, then he suddenly declared that there was a traitor among our friends, clearly implying that there was a great probability that Renus might consider joining Fenrir Greyback's pack. Don't you see that this is utter rubbish? How in the world this absurd thought could come into his mind, that's insane! Surely you are not going to believe that Remus would be able to side with the abominable monster who had torn into pieces his entire family and infected him with his horrible curse! That's plainly ridiculous!'

Lily was anxiously pacing around the living room wringing her hands with agitation. She had been desperately trying to convey her confusing and disturbing thoughts to her stubborn husband.

'Then, when we expressed our desire to make Sirius the Secret-Keeper, our dear headmaster immidiately protested, insisting that this option was too obvious. Allegedly, the reason was the common knowlege that you are best friends with Padfoot. But seriously, this statement is rather doubtful too! If it comes to that, everybody knows about your being best friends with Moony and Wormtail either! I suppose that there's hardly anybody in the wizarding world who doesn't know about the legendary Four Marauders of Hogwarts! Nonetheless, Dumbledore strongly recommended to choose Peter over the others! For Merlin's sake, the one who had never been notable for his courage and strength of will! To go from bad to worth, a few days after the ritual Wormtail disappeared without leaving a slightest trace!'

Lily fell silent for a moment, as if gathering all the strength to utter the next words. Her eyes were filled with unusual sadness and unhealthy glimmer.

'I think that Peter is a traitor!' she blurted out, as though being afraid to linger for another moment and be uncapable to pronounce the severe accusation.

At this very moment a massive explosion thundered behind Lily's back. The door, being violently blown off its hinges, rushed trough the hall as it was made of cardboard. Smashing with a deafening bump into the opposite wall it shuttered into smithereens. Suddenly there was heard a mournful cry of a child on the second floor. In the meanwhile the man in the dark fluttering cloak finally entered the room.

'You're absolutely right, mudblood,' grinned the wizard removing the hood, 'You should have never trusted your so-called friends with such important information.'

A revolting thing that appeared before the eyes of the couple could be called a human only by someone with a rather sick imagination. The thin slimy skin was ashy-gray with an array of tiny scales that was forming intricate lines on the cheekbones and on the front. The cold red eyes with vertical pupils were gazing at the young couple with explicit contempt and hatred. Both his nearly absent nose and almost lipless mouth were more similar to those of a reptile than of a normal human being.

'Voldemort!' simultaneously cried out the Potters with horror, instantly pulling out their wands and pointing them at the Dark Lord's chest.

'Stupefy!''Expelliarmus!'

Two red beams flew swiftly to the intruder who lazily deflected them both with a single wave of his wand, covering himself with a translucent silver shield.

'Get out of my way, you stupid mudblood, I don't need you! Give me your son and I shall not interrupt your pathetic existence!' hissed Voldemort with irritation, 'Congelio! Incarcero! Auferrocerebrum!'

James and Lily frantically toppled over the table in the middle of the dining room moving out of the wasy of the spells. Barely had they managed to hide behind the furniture, when the foul curses swished by, missing them by mere inches. The icy blue beam of the freezing charm turned their hideout into a snowy cavern. The Potters wasn't trying to attack anymore and, frankly speaking, they didn't simply possess the ability to oppose to the incredible power of the dark wizard. Their combined forces were scarcely enough to maintain the wards which were constantly trembling and crackling under the constant ramming of the mighty blows. Voldemort was no longer restraining himself, not hesitating to use the most gruesome curses of such a terrible power that the whole house was strongly shaking. The shields were gradually caving in under the Dark Lord's onslaught, and the young wizards had to continuously transform them, desperately trying to mend numerous gaping holes. Giving all their magical forces the young couple was drawing complex patterns of difensive spells without a moment's respite.

'Lily, I'm afraid we won't withstand the assault for much longer!' James exclaimed in frustration. In his intense gaze one could read grim determination and calm resignation. Evidently, there was only one way left for them to protect their son. 'The moment I give you a signal, you'll have to run upstairs as fast as you have never run in your life, my love, and you must try to save Harry! I'll try to do everything in my power to hold him back for as long as possible!'

'Don't you dare do such an outrageously insulting thing to me, James Potter!' shrieked Lily at once realizing with horror what exactly wanted to do her beloved one. Her face, already drained from tension, got even paler. Now it took the colour of the porcelain, while there was still lingering a flicker of hopeful plea in her impossibly green eyes. 'I won't let you sacrifice yourself leaving me behind! We'll get out of here, I promise! And we're going to do it together! We've already been in the situations like this and we always managed to get away unscathed! Please, my love, there's got to be a way, I beg you!'

'There's no other way this time, Lily, and I'm sure you already know that! Take Harry and flee!'

Meanwhile the shields were dangerously cracking, ready to disappear in any second. There were beads of sweat all over young man's face from unbearable tension and his whole body was shaking with convulsions. He was pouring out all the magical energy he possessed, pumping it out from the very depth of his magical core. James had already decided that he would do anything for the salvation of those dear to him. He won't leave even a drop of his magical resources for himself to win at all costs those precious seconds that his wife needed so desperately.

'Now! Hurry, my love! Run for the life of our son, as fast as your legs will carry you! I can't contain him any longer!'

'James, I love you!' the blazing glow of witch's eyes suddenly faded away, as though something very important had just been destroyed forever in their infinite depth and bitter tears were streaming down Lily's cheeks.

In the next moment the wizards simultaneously brought down the shields, passing to the counterattack. It seemed that the Dark Lord had not been expecting such a turn of events and was at a loss from such utter recklessness. That moment of confusion was enough for Lily to dash frantically to the stairs leaping over two steps at a time. In the meanwhile her husband was feverishly advancing like a wild beast, fighting for his family with cold fury and desperate determination. The beams of spells whistled by with unimaginable speed, the room was crackling, filled with overwhelming magic to the brim.

Having caught sight of the young witch escaping, the bloodshot eyes of the Dark Lord filled with blind rage and absolute indignation. He refused to believe that a pathetic couple of mediocre wizards was giving him so much trouble, delaying the execution of his plans. Seething with anger, Voldemort repelled the whole array of spells and curses flying in his direction with only one swift sweep of the wand.

'Lacerovena! Frangossi!' the Dark Lord roared seeing red.

In Potter's direction rapidly flew two shining beams of curses of such immense power that the sight of them approaching towards him send cold shivers down the man's spine. James had already exhausted all his magical reserves and had to admit that he would not be able to raise a shield of equal potency to protect him from those lethal curses. The wizard proudly lifted his chin and intently looked with defiance into the eyes of his murderer, clenching his hands into fists.

'I'm not scared of you, Voldemort! My son shall avenge me one day!'

Precisely in this moment James was hit square in the chest with two beams. The force of the blow thrust him back to the wall like a rag doll. Having suffered the dreadful effects of the artery severing and bone fracturing curses, the battered body was convulsing in death agony, twisted and bent at wrong angles.

'Mindless muggle-loving brat! How could you even imagine to be able to defy the Dark Lord?' Voldemort hissed contemptuously observing the defeated enemy.

Without lingering any longer he hurried upstairs. With a quick wand movement the door leading to the nursery turned into dust. Looking around, the Dark Lord saw the mudblood standing beside an open window cradling the baby in her arms. Not being able to disapparate in the house protected by Fidelius Charm, Lily jumped out of the window.

'Wait, stupid girl!' Voldemort yelled rushing up to the window.

Lily meanwhile had already managed to get up from the ground and was running lamely trough the garden to the gates. The Dark Lord couldn't let them escape again, certainly not now that he was so close to reaching his goal.

'Clamoferalucus!' maliciously hissed Voldemort drawing an intricate pattern with his wand.

Four shadows woven of the thick puffs of black smoke burst out from the tip of the wand. The revolting creatures, that resembled some unknown predatory beasts, flew to the girl like stray of arrows. In mere seconds they cought up with the fugitive, surrounding her in a tight circle. Petrified with terror, Lily clasped her son tightly to the breast, her heart sinking. Her shaking legs were giving away after a single glance at those chattering sharp fangs and burning mad eyes around the woman. Lily was trapped.

'So, I hope that you've enjoyed the fun! Now you should be convinced that there's neither hiding nor escaping from the Dark Lord!' viciously sneered Voldemort approaching the redhead girl. His eyes gleamed with greedy anticipation.

A careless wave of the wand, and the disgusting creatures vanished as if they had never existed before.

'Now, be a good girl, give me your child and step aside! If your are sufficiently obedient I won't harm you as there's no need for to spill your blood yet! One of my most faithful servants begged me to leave you alive...'

'No, no way! Leave him alone! I won't let you take my son! Just don't take him, take me instead! I beg you! Not Harry! I'll do anything!' desperately pleaded the woman.

Bitter tears were rolling down Lily's cheeks but she was trying to protect her only child till the very end, in spite of being in a deadlock. Pressing Harry more tightly to her breast she frenziedly tried to hide him from the danger as if she could protect the baby just with bare hands.

'Get out of my way, you imbecilic whore! This is the last time I'm so generously giving you the chance to choose life upon oblivion! Give this worthless spawn to me!" roared Voldemort quickly loosing his patience and pointing his wand at Lily.

'No, please, I'm begging you! Kill me instead, not Harry! Take my life!'

'Very well, you leave me no choice! Avada Kedavra!'

The beam of the deadly curse broke loose from the wand, and the flash of bright green light reflected in the Lily's eyes, frozen forever.

The baby, who had been silent all this time, frantically squealed helplessly clutching small fists. Voldemort pointed the tip of his wand at the boy with unconcealed anticipation and hissed, 'That's it, the Chosen One! Thus ingloriously ended your adventurous heroic path. From now on nothing and no one will stay on the way of my greatness! Everybody will bow to my power! The light will be engulfed by the darkness and the whole world will be shaken to its foundation!'

While the Dark Lord was shamelessly gloating about the solemnity of the moment, he didn't pay attention to the fact that the child's crying suddenly abated. The boy lifted up his huge almond-shaped eyes and gazed at the gigantic dark figure that was towering over him. Something subtly changed in the depth of those eyes, as if they didn't belong to a mere baby anymore. An ancient dormant force was staring from the abyss at the Dark Lord, like a poisonous snake ready to deliver a deadly strike.

'Goodbye, Harry Potter, you're going to see your mommy and daddy very soon!' Voldemort taunted the boy stretching his lipless mouth in an ugly grin.'Avada Kedavra!'

The third time in the evening the acid green light broke away from the tip of the Dark Lord's wand and now headed off to the kid. No sooner had the killing curse been in mere inches away from the child than suddenly he was completely enveloped in some kind of glowing purple mist. Voldemort's eyes widened with sheer horror when he saw the green beam being deflected by the strange impenetrable cocoon and then instantly rushing to its master at full speed.

There was a deafening bang. Nearby trees were unceremoniously uprooted, while the frontage of the house collapsed with a thunderous rumble. A cloud of dust, wood shavings and construction rubble shot up in the air. In the place where the Dark Lord had stayed there was a huge gaping crater.

AN: Hey, everyone! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter and my rather poor English didn't discourage you from reading too much! As you surely understood I'm not a native speaker and, unfortunately, I've never been to any English-speaking country, for that matter... I would greatly appreciate all your reviews and tell me, please, if you think this is a load of rubbish! Thank you ;)