Disclaimer: I own nothing. JK Rowling owns every idea or character with some exceptions including my own characters, some of the plot and some ideas. Usually all will be mentioned in an Author's note at the end of every chapter.

Chapter 1: Taken

October 31st 1981– A year and three months later – Godric's Hollow

"Hey Lily, could you please pass me the milk bottle? I think Lillian needs some more."

"But she's already had some earlier."

"Lills, I think she needs it or she'll start crying."

"Okay, fine. Don't feed her too much, James."

It was another evening in the Potter household. Well, almost. It was still around five o'clock but the skies had already started darkening and the sun's crest was slowly dipping past the hills. The last few rays of sunshine lifted from the forest on the grounds and made way for the darkness of the night. James and Lily Potter were both inside the house's nursery, gathered around two near identical cribs with only their colour to discern one from the other and the ones who used them.

James peered down to his one year old daughter who was happily sucking on a milk bottle half empty with milk. His wife, Lily, was quietly singing a soothing lullaby to their son who was sleeping in her arms while she also rocked him back and forth. Today was a quite a special day for the family because of two reasons.

The first reason was that another battle has been won, a very major one in fact. The Battle of Rockwell was a very memorable affair that had cost the resistance very few members but the Dark had lost many soldiers and a dozen high-ranking Death-Eaters along the process. The attack also benefited the Light by allowing them to regain control of advantageous points and favourable terrain. A heavily fortified abandoned castle, underground tunnels and high lookouts on hills were some of the buildings which were taken back. However, the fight had injured Auror Moody and had disfigured his face to the point that he had to replace his left eye. If it wasn't for his clothing and magical presence, he wouldn't have been recognisable.

The second reason that made the day very special concerned the twins. Today, Harry and Lillian displayed their very first major bursts of accidental magic. There had been small ones in the past where the Harry and Lillian released blue and red light from their bodies, respectively, but today, Lillian had been able to animate her favourite puppet and make it walk towards her. When James and Lily saw the scene, they were extremely proud but also found it very creepy with how the puppet looked like a zombie when it moved.

Harry showed his magic when Sirius came over in his dog form. The little boy loved his 'dogfather' very much and enjoyed their piggy back rides together. When the Animagus padded over to his crib, Harry levitated the black dog into his arms and started playing with him, an action which warmed the old dog's heart.

James heard the door open and in came his two best friends, the eccentric Sirius Black and the loyal Remus Lupin. The two came straight from the frontlines the day before and immediately went to visit their godchildren earlier in the day. Sirius stayed over while Remus got back from his house.

"Hey James and Lily. How are my two favourite youngsters?" Sirius greeted.

"That's very nice of you Sirius but you know Lily and I are from our youthful days now." James said.

"Got me on that one, old friend but I was talking about the children."

"They're doing fine, you saw them earlier so I don't know why you even bother asking."

"Now, don't go arguing with each other again, James, Sirius. I don't want to have to break you apart like last time." Remus voiced his presence.

"Yes, mama bear. We'll behave," joked Sirius earning a few chuckled from James who Lily swatted on the shoulder seconds later.

"I hope you boys keep yourselves quiet, my lovely husband James here wouldn't like it when he has to make the kids sleep again, isn't that right?" Lily asked her husband in a sickeningly sweet tone while he backed away from the she-devil.

"Yes dear," James responded while his two friends snickered behind his back.

"As for you two, if you don't keep yourselves quiet, no more visiting my children for a month." Lily threatened the now pale Remus and Sirius.

"We'll behave, m-ma'am." The two gulped.

"Good."

The three went back to chatting about the war. They talked about the recent events and how things might be looking up for them. Sirius even went as far as to say that they might even win in the next decade.

"Hey, Sirius. Do you know where Peter is? We haven't heard from him since the Secret Keeper switch between the two of you. Have you had any contact from him?"

When Harry and Lillian were born, the Potters had to move into a bigger house to accommodate the new bodies and to protect the whole family from Voldemort. With that came the problem of putting up a Fidelius Charm for security. One might think that such a charm was less than useful since it involved having someone keep a secret. Why couldn't a simple Notice-Me-Not or other powerful concealment charms work? A Fidelius charm completely hides the information on a person, place or item. It is one of the highest forms of concealment but risks the information from getting out by sealing it inside a human. A Secret Keeper.

James and Lily initially thought of making Sirius or Remus their Secret Keeper but decided against it due to the wide knowledge that they were close friends so the couple had to think of another person. Peter Pettigrew's name came up. He had been a Marauder in his fifth year and was loyal to the three but was not very popular or noticed. Deciding that Peter was the perfect candidate for the role of Secret Keeper, James and Lily made him theirs on the basis that he wasn't known to be their acquaintances. Don't get them wrong, they valued the man's friendship but no-one really thought of him much.

The thought of his friend's death or any harm befalling upon him saddened James.

"No, we haven't been able to contact Peter either, James." Sirius answered.

"I hope he's alright."

The conversation steered away from the depressing topic of war and veered towards Quidditch. Even with the war going on, some minor Quidditch teams were able to hold matches and many people in the local area came to watch. The big-league teams weren't allowed to play to prevent attracting attention from the Death-Eaters. Development of new brooms were also slowed down since more and more resources used to make them such as wood and metal were sent to the DMLE for distribution and manufacturing of wands and such.

Sirius and Remus did come to visit the Potters because they wanted to see their godchildren but also to inform the couple of another meeting with the Order which would happen later that night. Due to the recent wins over the enemy, the Light suspected that there was something wrong with Voldemort and his forces. In the past year, there hadn't been much action on the battlefield and they hadn't tried to confront the resistance at least once.

The meeting would be to discuss what could be wrong with the Death-Eaters ore more importantly, what their master's current state is. Are they recruiting more members and focusing on training them or is there something much bigger happening? The former scenario seemed more likely since several reliable sources confirmed of a couple Death-Eater training camps. Albus was planning to send some agents behind enemy lines to act as new recruits and spy for the Light. Despite the failure of such missions in the past, Dumbeldore believed that current circumstances needed this operation. Only one agent has been able to infiltrate the Death-Eater ranks and is still successful in acting as a spy for the resistance however more covert operatives are needed.

After about five minutes of waiting for James and Lily to get ready, the Potters and the two Marauders left the small cottage and apparated to their headquarters. The two parents left their two babies in the house with total faith in the Fidelius Charm and several strong wards protecting them. If only they knew what would happen to their son and daughter, if only they knew who would come that night to permanently break their family apart, they would never have left. James and Lily also did not notice a small, brown rat observing them with its small beady eyes then scamper off into the dark recesses of the gutter.

Unknown Place – A few minutes later

Away from the knowledge of anyone else in the world, apart from his disciples, existed the dark castle of no other than the Dark Lord Voldemort himself. It hid beyond the dying trees of once lively and thriving forests and beneath the forever raging storms of the dead and barren landscape. Crows flew between the grey clouds in search of their next prey while their previous hunts decayed on the black soil only useful as shelter for small critters.

The entire area remained unknown from the outside world with only the occasional foolish adventurer stumbling upon the heavily surrounded fortress. Of course, those brave but reckless travellers suffered the consequences for trespassing on You-Know-Who's property and they were, how should one put it, banished, very thoroughly.

Deep within the blackened walls of the fortress rested Voldemort with his familiar, Nagini, by his side; a five-feet long Emerald Viper whose only passion was to kill and maim. Lord Voldemort brooded and tapped his bony fingers rhythmically on his throne of bones while his eyes darted from side to side, every once in a while, showing that he was currently thinking, manipulating, scheming. Only one thing plagued his mind since a year and three months ago, the child of prophecy.

At first, he only speculated of a child who would break his hold over the magical world but as time went on, the Dark Lord began receiving visions of a prophecy, the prophecy. The child, born as the seventh month dies, born to those who thrice defied him and born with an unknown power. The only possible parents he could think of were the Potters or the Longbottoms.

The child must die for him to live but there was another part. Voldemort saw the future, a future which foretold the chose one's destiny. A future where he or she would conquer the world, where they would be the most powerful beings. It's such a shame that the brat would never live to see that day. Voldemort would make sure of it.

A loud bang snapped the dark mage from his thoughts and his blood red eyes scanned the room for the one who entered. The torches lit up with small flames and showed a path towards the throne from the door. A man, hunched over and wrapped in grimy, mucky clothing, briskly walked towards the Dark Lord and stopped a meter short of the footsteps leading to the throne. His knees hit the cold, hard cobblestone floor as he fell and knelt in front of his master.

"Pettigrew, it's you. Do you have news for me? Have you located the children?"

"Master, I h-have. The Potters are hidden in a small cottage in Godric's Hollow and t-the other child resides in Cadogan Lane, first house."

"Very well, what of the parents?"

"Both couples l-left to a meeting and would not be returning anytime soon."

"We have to act swiftly; the three children would have to die tonight. The sooner the better."

Voldemort released a small pulse of magic to one specific place. In an instant, there was a faint cracking sound from outside the throne room and in came his most trusted servant in his ranks and elite witch, the perfect Death-Eater, unstoppable killing machine. Bellatrix Lestrange.

"My lord, how may I be of service."

The witch curtsied in front of her master and tilted her head forward showing signs of respect and vulnerability. She smiled a maniacal grin at him as she stood straight up.

"Dear Bella, I have a mission for you. It is to be carried out with the utmost precision and swiftness."

"Whatever do you need me to do, I will do it, my lord." Bellatrix's eyes gleamed with insane jubilee at the prospect of getting to kill someone.

"I want you to kill the Longbottom heir."

The dark-haired witch's crazy grin grew even wider. She licked her lips tentatively while her entire body shook in supressed adrenalin. 'How great would it be to taste the blood of a child,' she thought.

"As for you, rat, you will accompany me to the Potter house as a lookout. I will kill the little brats myself. They pose a much larger threat than the other child."

"Y-yes, master."

"This remains with the three of us for now. The others would be informed in the morning when we rejoice."

With a billow of his pitch-black robes, Lord Voldemort apparated out of the palace along with his two Death-Eaters.

Godric's Hollow

Back in Godric's Hollow, one year old Harry Potter sat awake in his crib unable to sleep. A few minutes earlier, an itching, pinching sensation on his small chest woke him up and has been bothering him ever since. The uncomfortable tingling became more irritating as the minutes went by and the baby waited patiently for his parents to come back home. His eyes looked to his sister, who was still sleeping without a care in the world, when a foreboding feeling passed over him and the small child couldn't help but whimper slightly.

Terrible winds howled from outside the window and scattered the raked leaves about. Dirt and debris rattled on the glass panes and the trees bent from the powerful gales. The unnatural weather signalled the arrival of no other than the Dark Lord. Harry looked outside and saw glowing red eyes piercing through the darkness and glaring right at him. His small heart hammered in his chest and he gripped his crib tighter unconsciously.

Voldemort marched slowly towards the house of his target with Peter following closely behind. His face showed a mixture of bloodlust and a hint of anticipation. He knew that he was almighty and near undefeatable, his victories testify to his power but immortality was still out of reach.

The dark mage quickened his pace when he was halted by a wave of magic. He cursed silently at the barrier then tore the invisible nuisance down with a quick swipe of his wand. The wards flickered from light blue to dark crimson and slowly opened like a slowly bursting bubble. Having knowingly triggered several alarms, Voldemort ripped the front door from its hinges and stepped inside the house.

"You," the dark lord turned to speak to his disciple," set up anti-apparition wards. Make sure the Light will never reach this house while we're inside."

"Yes master."

The two parted ways to accomplish their given or personal tasks. The dark lord's footsteps thudded on the floorboards and with each step, the wooden floor creaked eerily. He had learned of the house's layout before going in and located the nursery with ease. Pretty soon, the child of prophecy would be dead, whoever it may be. As Voldemort pushed the door open, everything seemed to stop in motion and a choking silence filled the air.

Cadogan Lane – Same Time

Bellatrix Lestrange stalked among the bushes and wove between trees until she saw a line of houses conveniently hidden in the woods. Among them is the Longbottom dwelling, a small cottage tucked in at the forefront of her view. She apparated to the doorstep of the house and slowly opened the door. Unlike Godric's Hollow, this house was not protected by its own wards but shares many with the whole lane. Wards she had disabled easily earlier. The door creaked open and the Death-Eater's eyes searched the dark room. The house seemed empty at first but a line of light was visible from a small gap under a doorway.

A loud cry sounded from the farthest room in the hallway where a light seemed to be turned on and the dark witch sneaked to the quarter. She slammed the door open forcefully which initiated more crying from a small crib in the middle of the room. The whole place was only lit by a tiny candle which seemed to be almost burnt out. Bellatrix walked over to the wailing source where she caught a sight of a small baby boy wrapped in a blanket.

"Well hello there, little boy," the witch hissed," so fragile, so innocent. You remind so much of him."

The Lestrange female hesitated for a moment as if she was lost in thought, reminiscing and thinking about a time long ago. The child stared at her with tear-filled eyes and a face filled with anguish. It's normally healthy complexion replaced by fear and anxiety. With her eyes still locked onto the small human a meter from her she drew her wand back and spat the worst Unforgiveable.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light zoomed towards the middle of the crib. The glowing tip of the lighting-shaped curse streaked close to the boy's chest before a loud crack sounded and the emerald-jade curse struck the bottom of the crib.

Bellatrix turned her head towards the direction of the noise and saw her intended target in the arms of a man. She glared at the intruder with wide, manic eyes and a snarl. Another person appeared in the room, this time a woman. The man gave the crying baby to his companion and formed a duelling stance. Right arm raised on a ninety-degree angle behind him, left arm pointed to Bellatrix –his wand arm – and both legs spread apart. The death-eater howled in annoyance at not getting her kill and in her crazed rage, sent a red curse towards the couple, the Cruciatus or torturing curse.

With that attack, it signalled a deadly duel between the two magic-users.

Light Headquarters – A few moments ago

In a dark room with only one wall lit sat the prominent members of the resistance, otherwise known as the Order of the Phoenix. The elite fighters of Albus Dumbledore and the bane of the Death-Eater army. The room's occupants were currently in the middle of a strategic meeting before a loud beeping sounded. Dumbledore felt the sound coming from his robes and pulled out a strange, spherical mechanical device with gears encompassing the rounded surface of the contraption. Various clicks and beeps were vibrating from the gadget.

One look at the piece of machinery alerted the elderly wizard.

"Potter, Longbottom. You must go to your houses now."

"Why, what's happened?" Alice Longbottom panicked.

"The wards have been torn down and they sensed the use of dark magic. This is urgent." Dumbeldore spoke in a rushed manner.

No other words were said and in an instant, the four wizards and witches apparated out of the meeting room.

Godric's Hollow

Voldemort silently took one step after another towards the cribs located on the far-right side of the room. The natural moonlight lit the entire interior through the windows and the dark lord's eyes flicked to the silhouette of a baby standing up on their bed. He walked confidently yet with caution and with his wand raised.

Harry's body stiffened when the room suddenly grew colder and he felt death creeping up behind him. He resisted the urge to cry out but couldn't stop his sister from doing so. He saw a robed figure walking towards his location holding a glowing stick.

"Pathetic. How can a child like you possibly defeat me?"

Voldemort stared at Harry with pure hatred and dark intent. Harry glared back just as fiercely, well, as scary as a one-year old could. Harry received another look from the dark lord before he had moved on to his crying sister.

"This one couldn't be more powerful than you. Look at her. Humans." Voldemort spat the last word.

"I'm going to kill her right after you."

He faced Harry again and went closer to him. Harry backed away from the snarling pale face of his older nemesis and His small back hit the edge of his crib. With nowhere to escape, Harry just stood his ground and readied himself for what was to come.

Voldemort brought his wand up and thrusted it forward.

"Avada Kedavra!"

He hissed the killing curse and a jet of green light similar to Bellatrix's pierced the air making a screaming, crackling noise towards Harry.

Without warning, a dome of light exploded in Voldemort's and Harry's vision. The golden-white sphere grew larger and spread around the whole of the house's perimeter and stopped at the edge of the wards Peter placed.

Inside the nursery, the light wasn't as bright as it had been and the forms of Harry and Voldemort were visible. The Dark Lord's body had wisps of black tendrils swirling around him while a translucent and glittering ball surrounded Harry which also kept the Killing Curse from progressing any further. The curse squirmed and splintered into separate streaks that were reflected towards different parts of the room.

After ten seconds had passed, the half of the roof above the cribs were torn down and the cribs and most of the floor was destroyed. Harry had crawled in front of his sister and protected her from the stray jets of light.

Voldemort's annoyance and anger grew as the moments flew by. He poured more of his magic into his attack and the beam grew larger in width. Cracks started appearing on Harry's shield and the golden hue it previously had started fading. Now, it flickered between shades of green and black as if the Avada Kedavra had infected it.

How dare this mere child defy him, the most powerful wizard to have ever walked on the earth! Voldemort screamed as he unleashed the reigns holding his volatile magic behind. The darkness pulsed and matched the size of Harry's light. A combination of white and dark sped around Godric's Hollow like a tornado but the different tones battled against and completely rejected each other, like oil and water.

Harry was now on his knees with his sister still behind him and his mouth were openly screaming for the ordeal to end. His right hand was held up as if it was trying to prevent the green, deathly light from making its target. His strength wavered for a second before his whole body started shaking. Harry let out one final shout then the shield disappeared.

The Killing Curse felt the lack of resistance and it ate the space between it and Harry as fast as a Thunderbird. Voldemort grinned at his assured victory. The tip of the green lightning was like a clump of bolts; it carved out an ugly scar similar to its shape and would've pushed Harry's soul if it wasn't for his core. A small stream managed to make it past Harry and hit Lillian on her jaw.

Harry gave one final stand, managing to reflect the curse towards his attacker. He passed out in the middle of the blast mark with his sister close to a pile of rubble.

Voldemort saw Harry fall from behind the green, glaring spell but when he stopped fuelling it, he failed to block the oncoming reflection of said spell. Before he could even utter a sound, Voldemort turned to nothingness, his soul ripped from the tension and energy radiating in the room.

The pure, suffocating power and intent rushing in the air became too much too handle and soon, a huge shockwave shook the house. A divine light burned the eyes of any witnesses for hundreds of miles.

Cadogan Lane

What had been a living room was now reduced to a cluster of debris and wreckage. The burning piles of wood and skin-biting poisonous mists plagued the battlefield between Frank Longbottom and Bellatrix Lestrange. Green gases and scalding flames hindered their vision but that didn't stop them from attempting to kill each other.

"Incendio, Ventus, Stupefy!"

"Protego, Serpensortia, Sectumsempra!"

Frank fired the fire-making, the wind force and the stunning spell. The wind blew the fire into a scorching tornado which left ash in its wake. The Stupefy hid its small stature behind the massive size of the tornado.

Bellatrix casted the shielding spell to protect herself from the wild inferno but the incessant battering from the fire broke her shield. Luckily for her, the tornado dissipated a second later. A quick shimmer of red light on her peripherals made her jerk suddenly to the side and barely avoid the stunner. She fired the snake-summoning spell and the severe-cutting spell in quick succession.

Three massive cobras, about a meter each in length, coiled around Frank and started squeezing his body. The reptiles covered him from view and the space between them kept closing. Frank's hand stuck out from underneath one of the serpents. He fired several mid-powered Stupefies at the snakes which then fell off of him like cloth.

As soon as the snakes uncoiled, the Sectumsempra hit Frank leaving a nasty gash from his right shoulder to the left side of his hip. The laceration was deep and caused serious bleeding causing the Light member to kneel on one knee while nursing his wound.

"Longbottom, had enough yet?" Bellatrix said in a sickeningly sweet tone but showing signs of fatigue.

"As if, a small paper-cut won't stop me. You mess with my family, you'll face the consequences, Lestrange." Frank retorted.

He transfigured a large piece of wood into a thick, steel beam and ditched it onto Bellatrix with the levitation spell. She shrieked in alarm and was buried under a ton of stone, wood and steel.

The Longbottom Head knew that if he doesn't finish the duel soon, he'd get killed. He ripped off his vest, coat and shirt then cast a small Incendio, so that it was barely alive, and burned the wound. Frank gritted his teeth through the agonising pain and successfully cauterised the wound. A temporary fix would do.

After he had sealed the cut, Bellatrix came out of her confines seconds later. Her face was dirtied and blood was dripping from her forehead where Frank saw a long gash. Her expression was of unbridled rage towards him.

With a scream, she launched many dark curses towards him. He was able to bat some away with his wand and some he had to dodge. The spells hit the ground and caused long cracks to appear on the granite blocks and the space around the Auror was marred with void-like orbs which would have been deadly to touch. After a few moments, Frank was surrounded by purple, bubble-shaped masses which were starting to converge to him, the centre.

"There's no getting out of this one!" Bellatrix cackled.

Frank didn't know what the dark spheres were but touching them was not an option. He could feel his arm start to burn and freeze at the same time when he held it close to the black walls. He could still see some light from the gaps between the thick accumulation of black. He'd tried Apparating but he was thrown back into the exact same spot. The distance between him and the walls were getting smaller but a slow rate. About five meters were left. Whatever this was, it was near impenetrable.

Bellatrix pointed her wand at the shrinking lump. The spell needed to be sustained for it to work and a few gaps still needed to be closed. They were small and impossible to be used as an exit but if Longbottom found out one way to counter the spell, she would be at a disadvantage – and there was a hole directly facing her.

Frank saw the gaps closing very fast. The air seemed to run out very quickly inside and he started having trouble breathing properly. Lightheaded-ness and drowsiness overtook him and he stumbled around inside the dome. Frank's vision became blurry but he slapped himself out of it before he passed out. He calmed himself, starting with his breathing and focused on his surroundings. He remembered his training, sights, smell, sound and touch. He needed to live in the moment.

'The gaps, it's been harder to breathe ever since they started closing. The walls must be solid – but they can't be, it wasn't conjured – so they have special properties that allow them to block airflow. But how do I get out? I have no portkey with me and apparition is out of the question.' Frank thought.

He looked around again and saw that the gaps were only about ten centimetres in diameter. He was about to search for another way out when he saw a shadow from the outside. Bellatrix's shadow to be exact.

'Her wand's tip is glowing, sign of sustained spell use. Since she's pointing it directly towards… whatever this is, it must mean she's holding the spell. If I could just get a shot at her.'

Frank immediately adjusted his position until there was a clear line between him and Bellatrix's torso. Putting a good chunk of his energy into the spell, Frank fired a Stupefy into the closing hole. The red light shot towards the rapidly sealing gap.

Eight centimetres…

Five centimetres…

Three…

One…

The miniscule hole closed just after the red-coloured stunner made it past, the black mass caught the tail of the speeding spell but did nothing to hinder it from its trajectory or slow down its velocity. The Stupefy sailed like a speeding locomotive until it zapped the female Death-Eater right on the abdomen, rendering her unconscious.

Without its power source, the dark-arts, void curse disappeared. It crawled like tentacles of an octopus back into the ground while some vine-like protrusions slithered away making a hissing noise all the while.

Frank was gasping for precious air with his hands on his knees and bent over to ease his back. He promptly fainted and lied in a heap on the ground. The last things in his vision were blurred images of coated individuals rushing towards him.

Godric's Hollow

Peter had just finished putting up the wards his master needed then he heard faint sounds of splintering wood before that sound turned into a loud cracking noise. He turned around and looked up; there he saw the unmistakeable colour of the Killing Curse shooting everywhere across the sky above the house.

Peter was awestruck by the display. How could someone shoot so many Avada Kedavras, one time alone would have been taxing for anybody. He was still gaping in disbelief when his whole world turned white.

The unexpected explosion of light made him stagger backwards and crash into a tree, helplessly trying to cover his eyes but even if he closes them or tried using Nox, the brightness wouldn't turn down. Standing and breathing became increasingly difficult as the minutes went by. Peter suffered in the light for a few more seconds – a rat thrives in the dark anyway – before the world turned dark. A second later, it turned white again and kept switching back and forth. A sick feeling on the bottom of his stomach arose and Peter couldn't help but doubt his master's safety. This was not going according to plan.

The space around him was buzzing with power and energy that Peter almost fainted, then another force was sent out, a shockwave which launched him to the edges of the wards. His spine hit the invisible barrier shattering a few of his ribs and caused internal bleeding.

There was a loud ringing in his ears after. The whole environment turned to how it looked like before but the Potter house was in flames and half of it was demolished completely. Several houses around the area was also charred, mostly the ones closest, while some had burning embers on them. It seems that whatever happened ignited the air on fire for a brief moment and lit small fires on several places.

Peter stood up while grabbing at his broken left arm. He shuffled quickly into the house and started looking for his master. It wasn't hard to find where he was, or had been. Black, smoking, tattered robes slumped on the floor laying lifelessly. Peter heard a faint cry from the other side of the room and saw Harry unconscious.

Enraged, he grabbed his wand and got ready to cast a fireball charm at him – he needed to avenge his master – the Potter boy had to be killed. Anyone who could make his master use that much power is a threat to their cause. He was about to chant the spell when there was a loud crack in the hallway. Peter looked back at the sight of his old friend standing, looking for the attacker.

Peter cursed and quickly grabbed Harry completely forgetting about his friend's daughter who was left next to the broken pieces of the house.

A few moments earlier

James, Lily, Frank and Alice left the meeting room as fast as they could when they had been warned of a breach in their homes. James and Lily both apparated to their house in the magical suburban-style town, Godric's Hollow, fearing for their children's wellbeing.

As soon as they had arrived, James and Lily saw their home in a state of destruction. They landed on the grass just outside of their fence with thick wards blocking their way. Lily had tried the shield penetration spell but it didn't work and she was electrocuted for tampering with it. However, she had left a large tear on the wards and weakened one spot severely.

James seized the opportunity and blasted through the barrier. The wards started opening like the water on a rock, drying overtime. James made sure his wife was comfortable under a tree and away from danger before he went rushing into the burning house. He apparated across the house every time, the view becomes less and less familiar. Apparating had sent James to the wrong parts of the house due to the mismatch between his imagination and memories with reality.

James made it to the hallway leading into the nursery making a loud noise as he appeared.

Peter cursed as he saw his old friend but he had a job to do. He hid Harry under his thick cloak and casted a heavy stunner on the child. As a parting gift, Peter left a bloodied piece of young Harry's blanket on the floor and a part of his shirt, both of which had been damaged, to plant evidence of the child's 'death'. He silently apparated without James noticing.

James ran to the spot next to where Peter had been standing and surveyed the place while looking for his son and daughter. The whole roof was gone and the floor had large cracks. He heard a sound, a whimper to his left.

"Dear god," James picked up his distraught daughter and started tending to her wounds. He searched for his son but found no traces of him other than his burnt blanket and ripped shirt on the middle of what looked like scorch marks. Blackened wood circled the two pieces but a small space where the two had been found was left unmarred, no burns, just perfectly polished floorboards.

Dumbeldore apparated with a bunch of Aurors in the hall. "James, how's your family?"

"We're fine…it's just, there's no sign of Harry except these."

James showed the two cloths to his mentor.

"Do you think he's dead?"

"As of now, we have no way of knowing but there's one thing I could do to make sure."

Dumbledore closed his eyes and inhaled heavily. His irises glowed a slight yellow tinge before he exhaled loudly. His arms raised in the air and there was a slight humming coming from his hands.

'Eternal…Void, black, stars… universe… infinite darkness…'

Albus concentrated harder and his eyebrows became furrowed.

'Sun…Earth…here, blue mass, yellow lights… Hadrian James Potter… Land of Living…Limbo… no magical signature'

The old wizard sighed and increased his breath rate. The spell had been very taxing on his magical reserves and body.

"I'm sorry, James. There's no signs of his magical presence in the world or the limbo. I have no idea where he's gone or if he is still even alive. We have to assume the worst."

James' shoulders shook and unshed tears were seen on his eyes. He sighed to ease the dull throbbing in his chest. Losing a son wasn't easy. He wondered what would happen when Lily heard the news. She wouldn't be the same after. Lily loved Harry more than anything else – James suspects that she loves their son more than him and Lillian.

"Albus, is my wife okay?"

"She's being cared for by the Healers. Just a mild concussion, nothing to worry about. Although she wouldn't be waking for another five hours." Dumbledore sympathised for his student. The grief that comes with losing someone very dear to you is something he was all too familiar with. "Are you planning on telling Lily as soon as she wakes up?"

"Yeah. The sooner, the better."

"Another thing, as you already know, an attack has happened targeting Frank and Alice's son. However, the prophecy did say that the chosen child would be marked by Voldemort as his equal. Since he came here personally, we're certain now that one of your children is the child of prophecy. Because Harry is unfortunately dead or missing, we have every reason to believe that Lillian is the Chose One. In addition to that, I can sense that her core is strong and definitely wild. Fit for a Gryffindor. As for the mark, it seems that Voldemort gave her a physical one as well, just below her chin, on her jaw, I can feel darkness seeping out of the wound."

"I understand. We'll do our best to raise her."

"I know James, I know. You and Lily would do a great job."

With those words, the two men parted. One of them to check on the future and the night's impacts while the other to take care of his family.

A tower somewhere in Hogwarts

In a room, the highest point inside one of Hogwarts's tall turrets where there sits on a large, mahogany desk, both the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance. The two tools that have been allowing magical children from all over Europe into Hogwarts for centuries.

The scene looked like it came from a photograph, still and lifeless if it wasn't for the sudden opening of the book. The sacred tome pried its cover forcefully which made a loud bang on the table and began flipping thought the pages in haste. It opened to the page holding the name of one Hadrian Potter.

Hadrian Potter

Hadrian Potter

Hadrian Potter

After the Quill had crossed out Harry's name, it disappeared completely from the book erasing any evidence of his existence. The book then snapped shut and the scene became a still image once again, not to be disturbed for another year.

Muggle World – In a forest

The silent, serenity of the woods was broken by a random materialisation of one Peter Pettigrew who landed on a heap of fallen, autumn leaves. He swore as his side was pierced by a rusty pitchfork covered by the leaves.

Harry tumbled out of his cloak and due to the noise and movement, woke up from his unconscious state. He looked up to the sight of his kidnapper clutching his bleeding stomach. The rusty pitchfork had buried its spikes deep into Peter's torso where inside, it pierced his stomach, pancreas and left kidney.

Harry tried standing up but without anything to support him and barely any strength left, he just fell back down again. The toddler helplessly lied on a nearby mound with his back propped up.

Peter held his wand in his right hand and limped towards Harry, stopping short of a meter in front of his target. The old rat snapped his wand forward and sent a skin-gnawing curse – a spell fitting his personality well - at Harry. The curse had absolutely no effect on him and it dissipated the moment it hit his chest.

Pettigrew scowled when he saw that his signature spell did nothing. A white-ish, skin-tight protective layer gleamed around Harry. Peter looked at his target in confusion and frustration. Confused because he does not know how the child still had available magic left in him after destroying his master and frustrated since he does not know a way around this new problem.

Casting away anymore thinking and normalcy, Peter picked the pitchfork up and jabbed it towards Harry's chest but once again, his attempts to maim and kill his old friend's child was for naught. The pitchfork was ripped out of his hands and flew to the side and tumbled into a pile of leaves. Peter needed to end it quick otherwise he would faint from magical exhaustion soon. He specialised in undercover missions, not upfront duelling causing his reserves to dwindle over the years.

He tried to grab Harry by the neck and suffocate him instead of using his remaining magic but he was met with a barrier and for the second time that night, Peter was thrown back. He landed painfully on his wounded side and on his already broken arm. The small defensive move from Harry left Peter with little magic left in his system.

Harry's eyes drooped from drowsiness but as soon as his attacker touched the barrier which suddenly came up, he felt slightly more refreshed. It seems that he had unknowingly siphoned some of Peter's magic.

Peter groaned and pushed his body back up. He had failed for the third time and he decided that it was not worth it anymore. He transformed into his Animagus form which required less energy and scampered off into the dark, depths of the woods.

With knowledge that his enemy had gone, Harry slept.

Colchester, Essex England

"Hon, why don't we go just stay in Saturday night? Hmmm?"

"Well, as much as I would like to, it would be rude not to go. After all, the party is for your cousin."

"Yeah, I know, but she's such a weirdo."

Bang!

The night had been uneventful for Mr and Mrs Simmons when a loud noise interrupted their little stroll. Thinking that the sound might've come from the forest, Mr Simmons turned to his wife and both decided to check it out. The two both gripped their wands from inside their trench coats and warily traversed the dark woods.

The couple soon came to a small clearing in the middle of what could have been the tallest trees in the forest where they saw Harry unconscious.

"Oh Merlin, Travis, this poor boy's injured."

"Jessica, take care of him. I'll look around for what could've did this to him."

The woman proceeded to heal the boy with her magic and his laboured breathing returned to normal. The man scouted the area around the boy but found no disturbances or damage.

"What do you think happened here?"

"My guess is, is that someone dumped him here or he got into a bit of a scuffle with the local kids. Then again, how did he get that scar? When I healed him, he didn't have much more injuries apart from exhaustion and broken ribs."

"There's a pitchfork over there on the side but there should be blood or a trace of skin on the tips but they're clean. Strange, it had no signs of use on it either, it's as if it was brand new."

"What should we do?"

"Well, we better make sure he's in a good condition before we let go of him. I suppose that the local orphanage would be the best place to send him to."

"I think you're right."

The couple did a few more checks on Harry before Trevor hauled him up on his shoulders. The two, with their package, walked towards the streets and to the local orphanage no more than three blocks away from their current position.

Without knowing that they were a big part in triggering a very large domino effect in the universe, Trevor and Jessica Hayley left the sleeping child on the doorsteps of the Saint John's Children's Home.

Author's Note:

I am very, very, very sorry for not updating for how many months now? 3 I think. Assignments have been horrendous and time consuming since it was nearly the end of school.

Anyways, pairings for this story I think would go down to a maximum of three people. Next chapter is a time skip to the train ride to Hogwarts so none of the chapters leading up to the first year.

The three 'Hadrian Potters' in the middle of the chapter were supposed to be crossed out on Word but I guess it didn't transfer here. Sorry.