Halloween, Godric's Hollow

James Potter stood at the window, his eyes locked firmly on the creeping darkness of the lane just passed the gate. He was tall, with untidy black hair and hazel eyes, an athletic build born from years on a broomstick concealed beneath dark robes. James Potter was a wizard.

"James, come away from the window dear." His wife Lily said. "Take Holly, I'll get us another drink."

She had fiery red hair and green eyes, the mark of a witch, and her fair skin seemed to glow in the soft light of the candles. James let out his breath slowly and turned around.

"Sorry," he said, turning to take Holly from his wife's arms. "I just have a feeling that something bad is going to happen."

"You know Dumbledore…"

"Dumbledore has set up a powerful charm around his family house," He said, as though they had spoken of it before. "I know that. I just…why did we have to come to his family home? Potter Manor already had every protection that was placed here, and even a few that he hadn't thought of."

"I trust Dumbledore's judgment." Lily said firmly, her green eyes glinting as if daring him to say otherwise.

Seeing he was trapped, he simply nodded. Lily stalked into the kitchen and James took a seat on the couch, pulling out his wand to make little colored bubbles appear. Holly laughed and tried to grab them, laughing harder when they popped in her tiny fists.

Lily came back into the room a moment later holding two bottles of butter beer. James set his wand down and yawned slightly, ruffling his hair in the same movement; a habit born of his years as Keeper of the Gryffindor House Quidditch team.

The only warning of danger was the soft click of the door unlocking. James perked up and, without thinking, sprinted into the hall.

"Sirius, you dog…" He started, but stopped immediately. A tall figure in elegant black robes stood in the threshold. The only skin that showed was his face under the hood; whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake's but with slits for nostrils.

"LILY!" James shouted. "TAKE HOLLY AND RUN, IT'S HIM! IT'S YOU-KNOW-WHO. GO! RUN! I'LL HOLD HIM OFF!"

He reached for his wand before realizing he had left it on the couch in the sitting room. He looked into the crimson eyes of death and started to charge. The Dark Lord laughed and, with barely a whisper and a flash of green light that filled the hallway, James Potter's body fell to the ground and did not move again.

Calmly the Dark Lord stepped over the body and made his way up the stairs. He could hear her upstairs, trapped as she was. He reached the landing and allowed his lipless mouth to curve into a smile. She had barricaded herself inside a room, the sign on the door read 'Nursery'. The door was blasted off the hinges, and the red-haired witch screamed as she covered the infant from the debris.

"PLEASE, NOT HOLLY! NOT HOLLY, PLEASE!" She begged.

"Stand aside you silly girl." He hissed.

"PLEASE, NOT HOLLY! TAKE ME, LEAVE HER ALONE! PLEASE!" She begged.

"Avada Kedavra" He said, and the room was filled with green light as Lily Potter fell to the ground, lifeless.

The infant child, Holly, stood up at her crib and looked at the stranger in the dark robes and then at the unmoving form of her mother below. With barely a sneer, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named raised his wand, pointing it at the girl. The entire room filled with green light, but where there was silence before were now screams of terrible pain and an explosion of force that shattered the enchanted ceiling above. When the green light faded, Holly Potter was left alone, blood dripping thickly from a fresh cut on her forehead. Thunder rumbled overhead as the storm clouds broke, rain falling freely through the broken roof. Holly began to cry.

The rain was falling hard by the time he arrived in Godric's Hollow, but it was quickly forgotten when he saw the smoke rising from the broken roof of Dumbledore Cottage, the protective charms long broken, a baby could be heard crying inside. Panic made him abandon his flying motorbike as he ran to the ruined house.

"Lumos" he said, lighting his wand tip and casting it about. The narrow beam of light reflected off a pair of glasses on the floor and recognition made a lump form in his throat. James was dead. He heard the all too familiar CRACK of apparition from somewhere above.

With a muttered curse the man started up the stairs, stopping when he saw the wreckage of the doorway to the Nursery. He could hear no sound within. Slowly he entered the room, already prepared for the worse. In the crib was young Holly Potter, her untidy black hair sticking up in all directions and her green eyes fixed on the man in the doorway. And there on the floor beside the crib was the body of Lily Potter. She looked so peaceful, laid out straight and not a hair out of place. Frowning he knelt beside her when a crashing sound behind him caused him to stand up straight.

"STUPEFY!" He shouted without hesitation. The red beam of light struck its target in the middle of his large chest and then rebounded.

"Wha'd yeh go an' do that fer?" boomed the giant man.

"Hagrid," asked the first man, recovering from having to duck his own stunner. "Is that you?"

"Aye, an' who're you?" The man called Hagrid said slowly.

"It's me, Sirius." The first man replied, not dropping his guard for a moment. "How'd you get here so quickly?"

"I could ask you the same question," Hagrid said slowly.

"I was supposed to be here earlier, but Moony needed some help with his…er…furry little problem." Sirius replied. "I only just got here before you, so I will ask again. How did you get here so fast?"

"Dumbledore sent me, if yeh must know. Said there was a problem with th' wards and wanted me ter check on 'em. James and Lily are…"

"Dead." finished Sirius, choking on the word. "It…it looks like they put up a hell of a struggle." Sirius moved over and picked up Holly from the crib, tears streaking his face as he looked at her. "At least…at least she's safe. It would have been worse if…"

"I'll be needin' to take her, Sirius." said Hagrid holding his hands out for the infant.

"No." replied Sirius without turning.

"Dumbledore's orders were specific. Check on the house and if anything happened, bring him the survivors."

"No." Sirius said again.

"But Dumbledore said…"

"I don't care what Dumbledore said," snapped Sirius. "I am this child's godparent. I made a magical vow to protect her and I intend to do just that."

"Yeh'll have ter go through me to get out of this room, Sirius." growled Hagrid. "Yeh don' want to do that."

"Maybe," said Sirius, moving Holly to one arm while brandishing his wand in his other. "But you see, I have a wand that I can use. What do you have?"

"Giant's blood, which trumps just about any spell yeh can throw." Hagrid said coolly.

"Just about, yeah…" Sirius said with the faintest trace of a smirk. "But it won't stop this."

Sirius took a step and turned in place, and with an almighty CRACK he was gone. Hagrid stood there stunned for a moment before he heard the loud roar of a motorbike engine coming to life outside.

"Tell Dumbledore that I won't be giving her up that easy!" Sirius called as he sped off into the night.