AUTHOR'S NOTE:

For the sake of this story, Sirius is the Potters' original secret keeper. It begins Marauder era, but will eventually move to Post-HBP. I will insert more notes at that point.


"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." – Albus Dumbledore

Chapter 1: The Letter

James Potter breathed deeply as he strolled down the main road of Godric's Hollow, squinting into the last vestiges of the day's sunlight now slipping over the horizon. The October air was brisk, but not chill enough to merit any more than a sweater. James was blissfully happy. Voldemort, the dark wizard who was terrorizing the wizarding world at the time, had been lying low due to a foiled raid some days back, and so James felt confident enough to take a brief stroll through the village with little more than a notice-me-not charm to protect him from unwanted attention. Almost two years ago he and his wife Lily had gone into hiding, and now they shared their lives with a third member: a one and a half year old baby boy. James smiled. Green-eyed Harry was always laughing and always into mischief, except for when he was sitting still with a thoughtful expression on his face as if he were pondering deep, important questions. Of course, James considered, he probably was. With the baby's godfather Sirius around to corrupt him, James had no doubt that his dark-haired toddler would become the next terror of Hogwarts. Not that he minded; it was precisely what he hoped for.

James shook his head and laughed slightly. Dear Padfoot. The greatest friend he had ever, or would ever have, but possibly the most juvenile as well. Still, James had never been a paragon of maturity himself. Remus had alternately protested and turned a blind eye to the two of them. And Peter… well he was just Peter. The tagalong, the follower; the one who had strayed farthest from the foursome after school and who was rarely around anymore.

James rounded the bend and looked up at his house, a light smile playing across his lips. It was a lovely house, what with the excellent interior decorating and passable landscaping. The house had two floors with several windows each, and the walls were draped in curtains of rich green ivy. The uneven front walkway was hidden under a layer of fallen leaves that James scuffed with his worn boots as he approached the door. From inside, he could just make out the sound of Lily's agitated voice telling him come inside already and help with the dishes. He grinned. Somehow, he felt that nothing could upset him tonight.

He was nearly to the door when a peculiar feeling swept over him, as if the protective wards around the house had been momentarily interrupted. He froze and then spun on the spot, his wand out and in his hand so quickly it could have jumped there. There was another feeling now, one of being watched. No, not watched, he noted, as the hair on the back of his neck began prickling. He was being observed, studied… scrutinized. He looked down the path behind him, and saw nothing. The wind was teasing the tree branches, and a squirrel was chirring angrily from the belly of the forest, but there was no movement, no shadow - just that lingering feeling of eyes calculating him from somewhere nearby.

The feeling passed a mere moment after it had struck him, and the wards settled. For close to a minute James stood motionless, before carefully turning the doorknob and slipping inside the house. Ever cautious, he looked behind him again before shutting the door and performing a complicated locking charm on it. Remus had charmed the blinds to repel unfriendly spells one day while visiting with Sirius, and James silently thanked his friend as he shut them. He paused at the last window, staring out for several moments before covering it and turning away. He was too easily shaken, he thought, even after two years. The fidelius charm protected the house, and a series of complex wards surrounded the grounds. No one could find the place, and even if they could, they would never be able to get in.

"James?" came Lily's cautious voice from the kitchen.

"I'm back," he answered. "Lils, did you happen to feel anything happen just now? With the wards, maybe?"

"I thought I might've felt something, and I saw you draw your wand. Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. I thought for a moment that – oh, I don't even know. Something felt off. Like there was a disruption in the wards, but it passed so quickly. I'm thinking now it could have just been a large animal." He walked over to the kitchen window and peered out into the yard, which seemed so much darker now that he was in a well-lit room.

"Could an animal do that?" asked Lily, following him to the window.

James shrugged. "I'm not sure. I would have said no earlier, but after this?" He shook his head again. "Maybe we should ask Dumbledore. For the meantime, just keep on the alert." He looked around. "Is Harry in bed?"

"No, he's in one of the cupboards, I think," said Lily casually. "He slept so long this afternoon that he was too energized to go to sleep now. I'd rather have him where I can keep an eye on him than be worried about him hurting himself trying to apparate through the bars of his cot."

"You are the only mother I know who willingly shuts her child up in a cupboard to keep an eye on him," smirked James.

"He likes playing with the pots. No harm done," she said, still staring into the darkness. "Get him out, if you like."

James grinned at his wife and crossed the kitchen with a few easy strides. As he opened the cupboard door two small hands flew up to hide a pink baby face, and a high-pitched giggle emerged from around the fingers. James gasped in mock consternation.

"Oh no! Where's Harry?" he cried. "Has he disappeared?" Harry giggled again and pressed his palms hard against his eyes.

"Where is he? Is that him? Is that the little troublemaker?" James began to tickle his son's tummy as the child wriggled in excitement. Then, with a little squeal, Harry's hands flew from his face to reveal a wide, toothy grin. "There he is!" cried James, and swung his son out and around the room. The man noted that his son had gotten some dust on his face, and he reached towards the sink for a washcloth. Lily leaned out of his way and he noted that she was washing the dinner dishes by hand.

"Old habits die hard," she said when he raised an eyebrow at her. "I was born and raised in a Muggle home, after all."

James began to wipe Harry's face with the wet cloth, but as Harry struggled to avoid it his bright green eyes found the window above the sink and he hollered excitedly, "See! See!" James turned abruptly, but saw nothing.

"What is it, Prongslet?" He queried, but Harry merely stuck his finger in his mouth and kept staring at the window.

"That's the third time he's done that this evening. He gets so excited, the way he does when he sees you or Sirius come by." Lily dried her hands on a blue checked dishtowel and placed a polished glass carefully back on a shelf with its fellows. "I haven't seen anything at all when I've looked out, though."

James frowned. "On my way into the house I felt for a moment like I was being watched or followed, but there wasn't anything there when I looked, either. I charmed the door shut and drew the shades just in case."

Lily turned sharply. "But there couldn't be anyone out there. I mean, Sirius..."

"We'd know if Voldemort had him," said James shortly. "And he wouldn't sneak around as a joke. He'd know it wasn't funny."

Suddenly Harry gave another shriek and pointed with renewed urgency, this time at a window across the room. "See! See! Boo adda widow!"

"Something's at the window, sweetheart? Show Mommy," encouraged Lily, taking the squirming child from her husband. They examined the space they could see in the graying light from the disappearing sun. There was no one there. Nor was there any sign of someone ever having been there, but as James looked up he started in surprise.

"James, what is it?"

James shook his head and looked again before he spoke. "I thought I saw a shadow on the edge of the woods there.."

"A shadow?"

"Like a large creature or a man was moving about, or running away," said James grimly. "I'm going to floo Sirius and see if he's alright. Stay away from the windows, Evans."

Lily nodded. James only called her Evans when he was dead serious about something, and it never did any good to argue with him at those times. She followed him into the living room and watched as James tossed a pinch of powder into the grate and stuck his head in the resulting flames.

"Sirius?" he called urgently, but there was no answer. "Padfoot, are you in, old friend?"

More silence. "SIRIUS!" he yelled a third time.

"All right all right, keep your shirt on!" came an amused voice to his left. There was Sirius, coffee in hand and a smile on his face, his maroon dressing gown tied haphazardly around his middle. James could feel his face relax as relief flooded through him. Sirius noted this and immediately became concerned. "Hey, Prongs, what's up?"

"Are you okay?" asked James.

"Umm... yeah, I'm fabulous. Moony and I were just finishing off this pot of coffee and then we were going to head up. Why?"

Remus appeared next to Sirius, a look of confusion and uncertainty on his tired face. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, Moony. I think there might be someone skulking around my house. Harry keeps saying he sees someone at the window..."

"Pull out James, we're coming through."

James hastily pulled his head out of the fire and a moment later Sirius and Remus stepped out of the fireplace and into the Potter's living room. Remus' dressing gown, James noted with some amusement, was very neatly tied and wrinkle-free. "Now, Prongs, what's this all about?" asked Sirius.

"Harry may have seen something out the window, and James felt the wards change a little, and thought he was being watched," explained Lily, handing her excited infant to his equally excited godfather. "Then a moment ago he thought he saw something in the woods."

"I know that nobody can find us if you don't personally convey the information, so naturally I was worried about you," finished James.

"No, I'm fine, and I haven't told anybody anything, aside from the ones you already know about."

"I don't think we've been careless enough to let anybody intercept letters, and we never actually say the address out loud, so nobody could've overheard anything," said Remus. "Are you sure there's something there?"

"No, I'm not, but I don't think Harry's likely to get so worked up by just seeing an animal. He reacts most strongly to people. And it doesn't hurt to be cautious."

Sirius walked over to the window and glanced outside. The Potters took great care in never leaving anything outside in plain sight, even with all the protective wards on the property. "I don't see anything from here. But hang on a bit, I'll go outside and look around."

"No!" cried Lily. "Sirius, what if someone is out there and something happens to you?"

"I'll be fine!"

"She's right Padfoot," cut in James. "We can't afford to lose you."

"But we should check..." Sirius protested.

"I'll go," said Remus quietly. The others looked at him. "It's a simple matter, really," continued Remus. "We need to know what's going on here. I'm expendable. You lot aren't."

"Don't you dare call yourself expendable, Remus John!" shouted Lily, her cheeks flushing. "You are just as important as any of us!"

"In some ways that may be true, but you can't deny that it is the three of you who would be the greatest losses. If Sirius was caught, you could be found, and if either of you were caught, that sort of defeats the purpose of the fidelius, doesn't it? That leaves me."

James thought for a brief second, and then nodded, and Remus headed for the front door with his wand grasped firmly in his hand. He carefully turned the knob and peered outside for a moment before stepping into the gathering dusk. The others watched him carefully from the windows as he took one quick circuit around the house to check doors and windows for signs of recent entry, and then began a methodical search of the grounds. He remained outside for a full ten minutes before turning back to the house, apparently satisfied that there was at least no immediate danger.

As Remus rounded the corner back to the front door he stopped short, and then broke into a run. James rushed to the window and tensed. An unfamiliar owl was swooping towards the Potters' door with a piece of bluish parchment attached to its leg. The location of the house was not common knowledge, and all of the Potters' mail was carefully diverted to Remus unless it came from the Longbottoms or Peter, and none of them had an owl like this. It was small and fluffy, a grayish brown color similar to the hue of the leftover milk in a cereal bowl, and it had uncommonly large feet and a rather fierce expression. James frowned. They never got mail here. The only thing he could think of was that someone had at last broken the unbreakable barriers and they had been discovered.

Remus reached the door a split second before the owl and nearly collided with it, throwing up a hand to shield his face and falling against the door with a thud. The owl pulled up with an annoyed hoot just before colliding with Remus' chest and settled for a particularly ungraceful landing on the man's head. It cocked its head to one side, eyeing its new perch reproachfully, and slid down to chew on the inviting fuzziness of Remus' impeccably kept nightwear.

Sirius sidled up to the door and called out, "Moony, can you see who it's from?"

"Hang on a mo'." Remus reached up and turned the parchment so he could see the name scrawled there, narrowly escaping a vicious bite. "Strange," he said.

"What?" asked James.

"It says, To Mr. Remus John Lupin, to be given into the hands of Mr. James Charlus Potter," he read. "There's no return on it. Should I bring him in?" The owl gave an indignant squawk. "Sorry, bring her in?"

Sirius directed a silent question at James, and then ushered Remus into the house, where there were immediately two wands trained on the mysterious owl. Lily was standing back slightly, holding an interested Harry. Remus gently set the bird on the entry hall table, and Sirius reached forward to remove the letter. For a moment the owl didn't react, as she was busy returning the baby's curious stare, but once she felt Sirius' fingers fumbling around her leg she gave an enormous hop and let out an indignant screech, accompanied by a few punitive pecks on the wrist.

"Dratted bird!" cried Sirius, rubbing his sore wrist with a handkerchief.

"She wouldn't let me take it, either," said Remus, "Which is strange considering it's actually addressed to me."

"But it also says to give it to James, so maybe only he can take it," Sirius suggested. He raised his wand and muttered a few incantations. "It's not cursed at least."

"Well, let's see what this is about then," said James, stepping forward. He held out a hand and the owl cooperatively stuck out her leg for him. Once the message was off she circled their heads a few times and flew off to investigate the kitchen. Harry watched her go with intense fascination.

James sat down at the hall table and carefully unfolded the mysterious parchment and read over it twice, once quickly, then again with more attention. As he read, his brows knit together in a frown.

"Well?" prodded Sirius, trying to read the letter upside down. James immediately shielded it from his friend's scrutiny.

"Hang on, Padfoot. Let me think." He pursed his lips. "Let's go sit in the kitchen, shall we?"

They gathered in the kitchen, where the owl had located and was nibbling at a bowl of fruit. James stared thoughtfully at her while tapping the letter on the table.

"Let's have it, James," said Remus at last, when he felt his friend had been given enough time to mull things over.

James seemed slightly startled as he looked up. "Ah, right," he said, "I'll just read it out loud and you lot tell me what you make of it." He cleared his throat and began.

"To James Potter - with kindest regards.

Dear Sir, before I say anything else, let me assure you that I have nothing but your family's best interests at heart. I know you may very well question this, and I do not blame you. I of course sent your letter via another because I found that my owl was unable to deliver one directly to you (hence the disturbance you no doubt felt earlier). A characteristic of the fidelius, I believe. As for my knowing how to reach you at all, I discovered your whereabouts on my own, and your secret keeper remains both faithful and anonymous. I have no intention of disclosing my information to any other party, and work for no one but myself, and you.

With that out of the way, I would like to request a meeting with you, alone. I will gladly surrender my wand to you and submit to a search if you so desire. My reason for requesting this audience is that I have valuable information regarding your family's well being, and especially that of your son. I ask for nothing other than your attention. If you agree to let me speak with you, kindly send a response back with my owl, and inform me of what you would like me to do in regards to my wand. My only conditions for this meeting--"

"Aha!" said Sirius. "I knew there had to be a catch."

"--are these:

Firstly, that you and you alone speak with me, and that all precautions be taken to ensure that we are not overheard. Secondly, that you agree to grant me safe passage to and from your house, regardless of whether or not you accept my information. Thirdly, that you hear me out, however strange or farfetched my story seems, and that you do not press me for more details than I am willing to disclose. Fourthly and lastly, that you do not ask to see my face or know my name until I choose to reveal them, if at all.

If these conditions are agreeable to you, then I will meet you at your door at 10:00. This ensures the least amount of risk for both of us, as it will be completely dark at that time, and I have discovered that your wards are regenerated every 24 hours and will be strongest at this time. Yes, I did figure that out on my own, and no, I don't believe anyone but me could have discovered that. Thank you for reading this through. If you refuse, rest assured that you will never again hear from me. I eagerly await your response.

Yours Respectfully…"

And James finished reading. There was a silence in the kitchen, broken only by the owl's soft hoots and Harry's contented burbling. The baby had left his mother's lap and crawled towards the owl, which was pecking at crumbs under the counter. Lily had hardly noticed him leave. No one knew quite what to say. The letter sounded friendly enough, but the most evil of men could use the sweetest speech. Voldemort himself had used his silver tongue to worm his way into power.

"That's it? No name at all?" asked Lily.

"None."

"I don't like it," said Sirius suddenly. "How the devil did he find you? And who would be looking for you anyway? Besides the obvious, I mean. And why alone?"

James shook his head. "I was hoping one of you could tell me."

"It's not an accident, it's not a prank. We can figure that out just because of the nature of the wards. So somebody specifically sought you out, and somehow managed to break through all our spells and everything, found your house, and even analyzed the security system without anyone knowing. He didn't even trip the intruder alert." Sirius stared incredulously at the paper that James had set down on the table. "How did he get through? And what the hell does he want?"

"I don't think he's working for You-Know-Who," said Remus thoughtfully. "If he was, he wouldn't have bothered to send a letter. If he got through the wards and wanted to kill anyone, he would've just done it."

"Not necessarily. Who's to say he couldn't get around the property wards but not the house wards? He could know the house is here and just need a way to get inside. He couldn't send a direct letter, could he? But once he's in, he's home free. He could even have his pals waiting around to blast us to pieces if we open the door."

"True," said Remus, rubbing his chin. "But we can't be sure of that. He sounds pretty genuine."

"Yeah, well a hinkypunk seems pretty genuine until you fall into a swamp," said Sirius.

"I walked all the way around the house earlier."

"But it would have defeated the purpose to kill you then and let us know there were plots afoot, or whatever."

"True."

"But that doesn't answer the question of how he got here in the first place," said Lily. "Dumbledore set up the wards himself."

"Everybody makes mistakes."

"I know, Sirius, but... I mean, he set them up so carefully. The only logical way anybody could have found us would be if they were told directly by you or if they'd been here when the spell was cast."

"That wouldn't make sense," said Remus. "Why didn't they turn up before now? They would have had two whole years of knowing where you are. If that were the truth and the person in question was a Death Eater, as Sirius suspects, you would have been dead a long time ago."

A brief silence followed this declaration as everybody retreated into his or her own thoughts for a moment. Harry poked the owl in its downy chest and it shuffled sideways just out of the baby's reach with something resembling a growl.

"It must have been some spell this guy used to cancel out the fidelius," said Sirius. "That's powerful dark magic, I'd bet."

"But the fidelius is as strong a spell as you can find anywhere, isn't it? I don't think anything can break it."

"It doesn't have to break it, I suppose. Just get around it somehow. Maybe someone found a loophole."

"It's possible, I suppose," murmured Lily.

"Or not," said Remus. "I think we may be going around this in the wrong way. What if this person really is a friend, and really does want to help you out, James?"

"Stop playing devil's advocate, Moony," grumbled Sirius.

"Someone ought to; might as well be me."

"It's true," said Lily, "we have no real reason to trust or distrust this person, but he has offered to turn himself in, defenceless, and given us permission to search him. That bodes well."

"Could be a trap," insisted Sirius.

"That's quite an interesting trap, don't you think?" mused Remus. "I don't think that turning oneself in defenceless is going to help matters on their end, whoever they are. We don't even know if it's a 'they.' The letter said this person is working alone."

"And why would he work alone, then? To get something valuable, to get personal glory from someone he believes can give it to him?" said Sirius. "It's happened before."

"What could he possibly hope to gain from this, though? I mean, he'd be overpowered in a moment."

"Then he can't be working alone, can he? I still think it's a trap. It's a bloody set-up."

"Well, I suppose," said Lily thoughtfully, "but then, anyone who offers information regarding my son's well-being --"

"I don't know, Lily. It's extremely risky. There's so much at stake here," said Remus, rubbing his chin as he always did when he was unsure of something. "I don't think we should discredit him, but I don't think we should welcome him in with open arms either. I mean, let's not forget that he did get through the wards, and that means he must be exceptionally strong."

"I agree with Lily," said James suddenly.

The others turned and looked at him in surprise. This was the first time James had spoken a word throughout the entire exchange.

"But... why?" asked Sirius incredulously.

"Firstly, because what she says makes sense. I have a feeling as well that this person can be believed, if not entirely trusted, and so for the time being I am giving him the benefit of the doubt."

"You can't be serious --"

"Yes, Padfoot, I am. You can tell a lot about a man's intentions by his familiar's behavior. Look at his owl." The others obliged. "Harry has been poking and prodding that poor beast during the entirety of our little conversation. She's even let him pet her a few times. She's not overtly friendly by any means, but she's not attacking him, which means she doesn't feel threatened. That implies that she has been well treated, which reflects well on her owner. Beyond that, it's obvious there's nothing we can do about being discovered now. We already have been, but this way we can at least keep an eye on the bugger and obliviate him if necessary. You know, keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

James held up a hand as Sirius and Remus began to protest. "Look, I didn't say I was just going to let him waltz in here. He will be thoroughly searched, and required to relinquish his wand at the door, and I am not going to trust him yet. If he's working for himself, he could be hoping to get something out of advising us. There are numerous harmful and unpleasant possibilities, but there are also beneficial ones. Information, good or bad, is precious right now, and the people who are willing to give it are few and far between. And in the case of a scuffle, we do outnumber him significantly."

Before the others could comment on this, James whipped out a quill and scribbled a response on a napkin. It read:

"I accept, on the condition that my friends and family remain in the room, armed, and that they be privy to everything but the nature of the conversation. I will cast a silencing charm around the two of us. You will push your wand through the mail slot and enter the house with your hands above your head. You will submit to a thorough search, and will then be escorted at wand point into the dining room. Neither I nor my friends will lower their wands, and you will keep your hands on the table and visible at all times. Your owl will also remain in sight throughout the interview. You will not touch anyone or anything in the room. You will leave when I ask. If you are prepared to acquiesce to these conditions, then I will see you at 10:00. However, if you should attempt to harm my family in any way, then may God have mercy on your soul, because I certainly won't.

Yours respectfully,

James C. Potter

"Ha, that'll warn the skunk. Well said, Prongs," said Sirius.

Remus also heartily approved of the letter's tone, and James handed it to Lily, who skimmed it and attached it to the owl's leg. The owl, in turn, soared immediately through the window Remus opened for her. She seemed to know that they would be observing her path, for she flew erratically before finally disappearing to the left of the house, though Remus distinctly remembered her approaching from the right.

"Smart bird," commented Sirius, as Harry whimpered in disappointment that his new friend had left so soon.

Several minutes passed, and the clock indicated that it was now nearly 8:30. James was beginning to feel quite nervous that he had been put on or fallen for a clever ruse when the owl reappeared at the window, carrying James' note with two more lines freshly inked on the back.

"Yes, I accept. My owl will remain with you for now, as she seems to have taken a liking to your son. I will see you shortly."

James looked up. "Well, that's that," he said. They settled down to wait.