Chapter TWO

Dumbledore looked down at the baby in Lily's arms, his eyes wide. The baby stared back at him, his emerald green eyes seeming to memorize Dumbledore's features.

"Fascinating," Dumbledore murmured. "Truly fascinating." He looked back at Lily. "You say that the doors to Faerie are shut?"

Lily nodded. "Yes, Oberon," her voice hitched and she stifled a sob. "He closed the gates so I could escape."

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Millicent will not be happy about that, but what's done is done. I suggest you go to the ministry and register Harry as your son and the son of your deceased husband. We don't want him known as a Bastard. I fear he will have enough trouble as it is."

"What do you mean?"

"Did Oberon ever tell you what the pact the fae made with the wizards was?"

"He mentioned it a few times, but he said that it had become mostly unnecessary over the past hundred years or so."

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Indeed it has. You see, the wizards were producing many squibs about five hundred years ago. The magic in certain bloodlines had become so week even those that had enough to wield a wand were only able to cast the simplest of spells. The Council of Wizards researched the problem and discovered that it was caused by pureblood families inbreeding to frequently. Unbeknownst to us, the Seelie court had begun having similar issues for similar reasons.

Oberon decided to help us for some reason. He went to certain families and offered them a deal. He would take their squib child and would give them a fae child in its place. Even weakened, the fae would have enough magic to pass as a relatively strong wizard. Not wanting the shame of having a squib in their family, most wizarding families agreed. Thus, the inbreeding issue was solved for the wizards and the Seelie. Thanks to Oberon, wizarding bloodlines are stronger than ever and the purebloods learned that breeding amongst relatives was a bad thing."

Lily looked down at Harry. "But what about the fae. How did they know how they were treated and what happened to the squibs? How did Voldemort come to power if the Purebloods learned that inbreeding was a bad idea?"

"The squibs eventually became fae and gained magic. As for the fae children left here, Oberon was very firm. He was very selective in the families that were chosen for the exchange. As a matter-of-fact, some wizarding and fae lines died out because they mistreated the children left in their care. Coincidentally or not, no family that was going to have ties to Voldemort was given a child, not that they would've accepted it." Reaching over his desk, Dumbledore placed a hand on Lily's arm. "You should be proud of your husband. He was an honorable man. I have no doubt that your son will grow up to make his Father proud."

Lily swallowed painfully. "Thank you," she croaked. Clearing her throat, she asked. "What's happened while I've been gone? Has there been any new developments in the war?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "It's only been five days, my dear. Nothing has changed." He paused staring at her. "Well, that's not true. Tell me, what month was your son born?"

"Month?" Lily blinked at him. "What are you talking about? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Humor an old man."

Lily scowled. She hated it when Dumbledore got like this. "He was born at Midnight on June 21st."

Dumbledore relaxed. "That's good," he said smiling at her. "That means he couldn't be the one."

"The one? What on earth are you babbling about?"

"I interviewed a teacher for the post of divination a few days ago. She seemed like a… well…" he stopped looking flustered.

"Like a fraud?"

"Quite, anyway, I was just finishing up and getting ready to tell her that I was going to remove the class from the curriculum. when something most peculiar happened. She went into a trance and said something about a child being born at the end of the seventh month. This child would supposedly have the power to vanquish Voldemort."

Lily's forehead wrinkled in concentration. "Vanquish? That's pretty vague. Vanquish means to defeat thoroughly. It doesn't necessarily mean kill."

"True," Dumbledore said, "but if this child can put Voldemort out of action, it may give the magical community a chance to recover."

Lily looked at Dumbledore. Most wouldn't see it, but her transformation and her years among the fae had made her eyes very sharp. She could see the hope in Dumbledore's blue eyes. He honestly believed what this woman had told him. "Don't get your hopes up, Albus," she said gently. "Oberon never put much stock in prophecy or divination. He said that knowing the future could change it and that prophecies were hardly ever understood before coming to pass. He believed that the only true prophets were sent from Heaven and that all others were just as likely to be wrong as they were to be right."

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "You are probably right, but it would be nice if this war was over. Also, we have a problem."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Someone overheard part of the prophecy. It was one of Voldemort's followers I'm sure he has been told about it by now."

"That changes things."

"I am afraid so. Even if the prophecy isn't true, Voldemort's actions could make it so."

"Bloody hell," Lily swore hugging Harry close.

Dumbledore glanced at the clock. "It's after midnight. Why don't you head to bed? I'll tell Filius that you are ill and explain that you need some rest. I'll let you explain things to him shall I?"

Lily smiled sadly, a tear running down her cheek. "I think that would be best. She kissed Harry's forehead. "It's not like I'm going to be able to hide this little guy."

Dumbledore flicked his wand causing the door to swing open. "I wish you good night and pleasant dreams."

XXX

"Gone," Bagnold bellowed. "What do you mean gone?"

Dumbledore remained calm. "Oberon closed the gates to protect his son."

"Damn it, Albus, we had a deal with the fae. With the gates closed, what are we supposed to do with our squibs?"

"Millicent," Dumbledore said placatingly. "The number of squibs born have decreased drastically. There are hardly any squibs in the wizarding world."

"That's not the point," Bagnold said, her nostrils flaring. "Can you guarantee that there won't be any squibs born ever again?"

Dumbledore remained silent allowing the minister to vent.

Sinking back in her chair, Millicent Bagnold ran her fingers through her grey hair. Her steel grey eyes were fixed unblinkingly on Dumbledore's face. "I assume you have a solution. Otherwise, you would not have woken me up at almost one in the morning to tell me this."

"We need to put an article in the paper," Dumbledore said firmly. "The people need to know what has happened and why."

"It will cause a panic," Bagnold nearly wailed.

"Better that than people thinking the fae have broken our deal."

Bagnold pursed her lips. "All this to protect one little brat," she muttered.

Dumbledore frowned at her, his blue eyes turning steely. "That brat was his only son. A son, I might add, that he tried for centuries to have."

Bagnold rubbed her eyes tiredly. "You are right of course." She stood. "There is no way we can make the morning addition and this sort of thing isn't good to tell people in the evening. Will Wednesday morning be soon enough for you?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "That'll be fine."

"Good," Bagnold said. "Now if you don't mind, get out of my office. I'd like to get back home and at least try to get a little more sleep."

XXX

The torches around the throne room were guttering.

Aeval frowned. They were supposed to burn eternally. Was this a side effect Oberon's closing of the gate? She looked down at the man kneeling before her.

"News," she barked.

Percival bowed before the queen. He had heard of royalty killing the messenger that brought them bad news, but he hoped his solution would buy him a little time.

"There is nothing I can do," he said gruffly. "The king's magic has bound the doors shut. There is no possible way to open them."

"So you're telling me that the fae are stuck here?"

Percival ran a hand through his reddish gold hair. "I am afraid so."

Aeval restrained the urge to snap his neck with great difficulty. It wasn't his fault the gates were closed and he was answering her questions even though he had been loyal to her husband. Taking a deep breath, she asked her next question.

"You were once a human wizard before my husband rescued you and your daughter. Is there any magic that you know of that would enable us to break free? I will gladly pay any price, even if it means sacrificing one of my limbs."

Percival shook his head. "I am afraid nothing with fae blood can pass through the doors. However, it may be possible for you to influence the mortal world."

Aeval leaned forward, fixing her gaze on Percival's face. "How?"

"Tis true that nothing of Faerie can pass through the gate, but we can bring someone here and make him an agent of Faerie. It was done in olden times. We used to have mortal champions for each court."

"I'm listening," Aeval said eagerly.

XXX

Percival returned to his quarters half an hour later. As he sat down beside the fire, a young girl about fifteen or so appeared out of the small kitchen and handed him a bowl of soup.

"I do not understand why you aided her," she said disapprovingly. We owe Oberon, not her."

Percival sipped his soup. "I do not agree with anything the queen has done, but I am bound by my oath. I swore to aid the monarch of Faerie if ever they had need of me. That time has come."

"She'll kill the rightful heir to the thrown and the true queen of Faerie."

"Perhaps, but she cannot directly attack him and I know who she will choose as an agent. I have seen her choice and so have you. There will be time for Queen Lily to prepare the prince for what is to come."

XXX

Alice Longbottom ran her fingers through the babies blue hair. "He definitely has his Father's hair," she said dryly. "Are you going to hide this?"

"No," Lily said firmly. "He will be proud of his fae heritage. I do not intend to tell him he is a prince right away, but he will know that his Father loved him enough to give his life to protect him."

James approached hesitantly. "May I?" he asked gesturing at the baby in Alice's arms.

Lily smiled. "Of course."

James lifted the baby from Alice and looked down into his green eyes. "He's a handsome kid," he said lips twitching slightly. "Harry, you named him after your Father?"

Lily smiled. "I think so." She pointed at Alice's bulging stomach. "When are you due?"

"The healers say towards the end of July," Alice said stroking her belly.

"I can't wait to see him," Lily patted Alice's belly.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Him? How do you know it's not a girl?"

Lily smirked. "Trust me, it's not a girl."

James handed Harry back to Lily. "Thank you," he said. "I have to get going." He turned to Alice. "If Frank needs anything, just let me know."

Alice smiled at James. "I will, say hi to Sirius for me."

James left the house, closing the door quietly behind him.

"He still loves you, you know?" Alice said softly.

Lily shrugged. "I don't mean to be cold, but I've moved on. I am still fond of him, and we did have a few good years, but things just didn't work out. All the problems that existed when we were together are still present. I can't give him a child and now there's Harry. He would be a constant reminder of what I was able to give someone else, but couldn't give him. James would come to resent him and while I can understand that, I will not put my son through that sort of situation."

Alice patted her leg reassuringly. "I understand. You really have grown haven't you?"

"Five years in a strange land will do that for you," Lily said quietly.

The two women sat in comfortable silence for a long time. "Are you worried?" Alice asked. "I mean, the wizarding public probably won't be too pleased with Harry. I'm sure by now Dumbledore has informed Bagnold of what has happened."

"The wizarding public can go screw themselves," Lily said acidly. "I'm sure Harry will find some friends that will accept him, and if not, there are other countries."

Lily stood, gathering a sleeping Harry and wrapping him in her cloak. "I've got to get back to Hogwarts."

Alice stood as well. She gently drew Lily into a hug. "Keep in touch. I want to see my godson as much as possible."

Lily kissed her cheek. "Don't worry. With everything going on, I am definitely going to need a friend." She grinned. "Besides, you know what a workhorse Flitwick can be sometimes. I'm sure I'll need a break."

XXX

The Daily Prophet had taken longer to publish than either Dumbledore or Bagnold had expected. Thus, it was Friday morning before the wizarding Public discovered the gates of Faerie were closed.

The news had caused a slight panic among the pure-bloods, especially expecting Mothers. There were many trips to Healers in a vain attempt to discover if their children were magical or not.

By the start of the following week, the uproar had died down and Lily felt comfortable taking Harry out in public. Attitudes towards Harry were not actively hostile, but they were definitely cool. Lily had spoken to Dumbledore about it.

"I hope it will pass," he'd said. "It is a shame that the public can blame a child for something that wasn't his fault."

"I'm going to start saving my money," Lily said. "If things don't change, I'm taking Harry and leaving the country. I'm sure he will fit in fine in the Muggle world. They'll just question my sanity in dying his hair blue."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "If that happens, please be sure to keep in touch. I hope you do not find it necessary, but I understand your need to protect your son."

XXX

Voldemort looked out the window watching the birds soaring over the forest outside his small cottage. He ran a hand through his greying hair and turned back to the Death Eater still kneeling in the center of the room.

"Tell me Severus," he began his voice light and friendly. "Why did you not bring this to my attention months ago? Here it is the middle of August, and I'm just now hearing about this prophecy."

The man shifted, brushing greasy black hair away from his face. "My lord, when I heard the prophecy, I had no idea who it could refer to. As you know, I have a few contacts in Saint Mungos. I thought it prudent to wait until after the seventh month of the year and see which children were born towards the end of the month."

"And?" Voldemort said his blue eyes focused unblinkingly on Snape's bowed head. "What have you found?"

Snape looked up, his black eyes meeting Voldemort's blue ones. "My lord, only one child fits the description. His name is Neville Longbottom and he was born on July Thirtieth, 1980."

Voldemort was silent. He turned and began staring out the window again. He stood there for several minutes before speaking. "I don't like this," he said finally. "I've done many terrible things. I've killed men, women, the young, and the old, but I have never raised my wand to a child. Now, the time has come for me to cross a line I swore I'd never cross."

"My lord," Snape said quietly. "There are Death Eaters that would be more than happy to perform this task for you."

"I'm sure there would be," Voldemort said. "Some of my followers are using this war to live out their most depraved fantasies. I imagine they'd probably have a go at his Mother while they were at it." He rubbed his face tiredly. "If I didn't need followers, I'd kill all those that would take a woman by force. No, Severus, I will take care of this myself. If I am going to damn myself to save our world from the sickness that is the muggle-born, I will do it by my own hand."

Snape was silent. When his master was in one of his moods, it was best to let it run its course. After a moment, Voldemort continued.

"I expect they will use the Fidelius charm. Find out who the secret keeper is and bring them to me. I have a plan."

"You intend to use the spy?" Snape asked.

Voldemort nodded. "Yes, it's time he proved his loyalties once and for all."

XXX

"Why didn't you warn us about this before, Albus?" Frank asked angrily. "My son's life is in danger."

"I didn't know for sure," Dumbledore said, "Not until your son was born. He is the only one the prophecy could refer to. He was the only magical child born at the end of July."

"So what do we do now," Alice asked, hugging her baby close.

"He needs as much protection as possible. I think we should have Lily, James and Sirius move in here with you if they are agreeable. I assume your Mother will be the secret keeper?"

Frank nodded.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said. "Now, Lily, James, and Sirius will be the last line of defense in case the worst were to occur."

Lily raised her hand. "I don't know about this," she said hesitantly. "If the worst happens, we are all going to die. What about Harry and Neville? The babies don't need to be in that kind of danger."

"If Voldemort comes here, we only need you to hold him off until reinforcements can arrive. With your unique abilities, you will be able to dodge most spells. If the others fall, you will be able to protect the children long enough for the aurors and myself to aid you."

Lily looked down at Harry. The baby grinned up at her, showing a perfect row of gleaming white teeth.

"Alright," she said finally, "but I want both children wearing Portkeys to Hogwarts at all times. No matter what happens to us, they must be protected."

"I second that motion," Alice said firmly.

"Agreed," Dumbledore said without hesitation.

"If that's settled," Frank said. "I'll call Mother and we can get started."

XXX

Augusta Longbottom woke with a jerk and looked around. "What… where…" she muttered confusedly.

"Easy my dear lady," Voldemort said calmly. He strode in front of her so she could see him. "I don't suppose you would be willing to tell me where your son and daughter-in-law live would you?"

"Go to hell," Augusta snapped.

Voldemort sighed. "I thought you might say that. Fortunately, I have a way to bypass that pesky fidelius charm."

Augusta stared at him, her eyes shining with fear. "You can't," she said frantically. "If I don't tell you the secret, then they are safe."

"Well, you are partially right," Voldemort said pleasantly. "Wormtail," he called.

A small man stepped out of the shadows. His watery eyes were shining with terror. He refused to look at Augusta. Voldemort patted him on the head like a dog that had done a trick.

"Wormtail here has been my servant for a long time." He turned back to Augusta. "I give you one last chance. Tell me what I want to know. I am going to find out anyway," he coaxed. "No one has to know. We can keep you locked up here. For all anyone knows, you had the paper on you when you were captured. It won't be your fault. You can go on living your life without any further interference from me."

Augusta's mind raced. She had to be strong. She would not allow this madman to manipulate her. Her son and daughter-in-law had been safe for the past two months. She would die before allowing harm to come to them now.

"I said no," Augusta said defiantly. "I will not tell you where they are."

Voldemort drew his wand from his cloak. The white wood gleamed like bone in the light of the torches round the room.

"I admire your dedication to your family," he said almost gently. "If there were any other way to get the secret, I would let you live. I could of course torture you, but that's a lot of work for probably not a lot of gain. You are after all, very strong. I believe you would go insane before giving up the secret. No, this is better."

"What are you talking about?" Augusta said her voice shaking slightly.

There was a flash of green light and Augusta slumped to the floor, dead. Voldemort gently closed the old woman's eyes. He turned to one of the masked figures in the shadows.

"Take her back home. Put her in bed, or on a sofa. Do not harm her body or mistreat it in anyway. She was a worthy opponent, and stood up for what she believed in. She deserves our respect for that if nothing else."

"Yes milord," the masked man said. He gently lifted Augusta's body, and with a crack, vanished from the room. Voldemort turned to Wormtail.

"Peter?" he asked. "Where are the Longbottom's located?"

XXX

Lily looked out the window, watching as the children in brightly lit costumes scampered down the street. She smiled as she heard "Trick or treat," being shouted at the top of little lungs.

She looked down at a goggle-eyed Harry, watching the children. "That might be you in a few years," she said kissing the top of his head.

"Assuming we can get out of here," Alice grumbled. "I hope we're not stuck in here forever. I tell you Lily, I don't understand how the refugees from World War II hid all the time."

"They did it because they had to," Lily said, "the same as us. We'll get out of here someday."

Before Alice could reply, there was a polite knock on the door. Both women froze, staring at each other, eyes wide.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Lily mouthed.

"No, were you?" Alice shot back. The knock came again, more insistent this time.

Lily handed Harry to Alice. "Take him to the nursery with Neville," she mouthed. "I'll answer the door."

Before Alice could object, Lily had stood and made her way to the door. "Who is it?" she called once she was close enough.

"Wormtail," a voice squeaked.

Lily frowned, her green eyes turning yellow. Something wasn't right. Why was Wormtail here? Had something happened?

Keeping the door in between her and Wormtail, she slowly pulled it open. Thanks to her caution, the stunning spell shot right passed her, blasting a hole in the wall.

Lily dove in the opposite direction, narrowly avoiding the second stunner. Rolling to her feet from where she'd fallen to the floor, she looked towards the doorway.

Voldemort stood there, his wand raised. A small smile twitched the corner of his mouth. "You are fast," he said admiringly. "I've never seen anyone move that fast. Wormtail was right about the changes in you."

Lily flicked her fingers, sending a bolt of reddish blue light towards the sorcerer.

Voldemort swiped his wand through the air, deflecting the spell into the ceiling. Small bits of plaster and dust rained down from above.

"You'll have to do better than that," he chided gently. "You need far more powerful spells if you hope to defeat me."

"You do love hearing yourself talk don't you?" Lily snarled, throwing a handful of fire at him.

Voldemort leapt back, but the fire twisted in midair and struck him in the chest.

With a slight scowl, Voldemort doused the flames with a wave of his wand. "These were my favorite robes too," he quipped.

Lily growled. It was an animal sound of rage and frustration. Her fingernails were beginning to lengthen into claws. He was toying with her.

"Lily," James said rushing into the room. Before he could say more, Wormtail's stunner struck him in the face and he dropped to the ground.

Lily hadn't moved. Her eyes remained focused on Voldemort's face. The sorcerer nodded in satisfaction.

"You are indeed a worthy adversary. Someone has trained you well, but…" he stopped.

Lily felt an impact on the top of her head and everything went black.

"Not well enough," he finished, kicking the chunk of wood he'd summoned from the broken door aside. He looked down at the unconscious woman. The top of her skull had been dented and her hair was streaked with blood, but as he watched, the wound was already healing. He had to move quickly. Stepping over her prone form, he headed straight for the nursery where he could hear the cries of an infant.

Sirius stepped out onto the landing above him, blocking his path.

"Step aside,' Voldemort commanded.

"No," Sirius said icily. "I will not let you harm the children."

"I don't have time for this," Voldemort hissed. He flicked his wand, there was a burst of green light, and Sirius crumpled to the floor.

Hearing a snarl behind him, he turned just in time to see a creature with the head of a wolf grab Wormtail and sink it's fangs into his back.

Wormtail let out a pitiful squeal before the jaws tightened nearly cutting him in half. Blood splattered the walls and ceiling. The creature rose to its feet. Taking Wormtail's body in its clawed hands, it tossed him at the nearest wall. His body exploded into a bloody pulp on impact. Looking up at Voldemort, the wolf/human hybrid roared in rage.

Voldemort raised his wand and fired the strongest killing curse he could. The flash of green light made the room as bright as day. The wolf creature flew backwards, landing hard on its back. Voldemort could see its chest heaving, but it was stunned for the moment. Turning back to the stairway, he took then two at a time and hurried towards the crying infants.

Entering the room, he saw a woman with long blond hair and blue eyes standing in front of the crib. With a flick of his wand, he sent her flying to the side. She slammed into the wall with a sickening crunch and lay still. He turned back to the crib, just in time to see a well-muscled man with brown hair and brown eyes appear.

The man dropped the silvery cloak to the floor and faced Voldemort. "I guess you've killed my Mother?" he asked calmly.

Voldemort nodded. "She died quickly. I give you my word that she did not suffer."

Frank didn't answer. He just stood there in front of the crib, his arms folded. He made no move to draw his wand.

"I don't suppose you'd step aside?" Voldemort asked.

Frank shook his head. "If you want my son, you're going to have to kill me."

"You and your wife are both pure-bloods," Voldemort said almost pleadingly. "There is no need for you to die. I don't want to do this. I abhor violence against children, I truly do, but the Wizarding world needs me. It needs me to protect it from the Muggles. Look at what they've done to their own world. There's been two world wars in the past century. There's been a total of at least four wars in the past two. They are a stain on this earth that needs to be cleansed before it infects everything."

Frank glared at Voldemort. "You can pretty it up all you like, but we both know why you hate muggles, don't we Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Voldemort's eye twitched, but he gave no other sign that he recognized the name. Frank continued.

"When you take out all the bullshit, the reason you hate muggles can be traced back to your Father. Do I trust Muggles? No, but the Muggle-borns have just as much right to learn magic as we do. Eventually, the muggles will learn of us and we need as many people that can explain our existence to them in a way they can understand."

Frank took a deep breath. "Your vendetta against the muggles isn't to save the wizards, no matter what you tell yourself. It's revenge, pure and simple."

Voldemort slowly nodded. "You may be right," he conceded, "but that doesn't make what I've said any less true. The wizards need me to protect them. I will make sure that no other muggle can abandon their child." He raised his wand. "Step aside."

"No," Frank said lifting his chin.

There was a flash of green light and Frank dropped to the floor.

Voldemort approached the two cribs and looked down at the two babies sleeping there. The one with sapphire blue hair was obviously not Neville Longbottom, so Voldemort ignored him. He turned to the boy with brown hair and blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, my boy." The green light lit up the room.

Voldemort had just enough time for his eyes to widen. Then there was pain. He heard screams, explosions, he smelled fire, and then everything was gone.

XXX

Voldemort became aware of a stone room around him. He could see torches in bronze holders lining the walls. There flickering light shone on a marble thrown with strange unquiet runes carved into it. The runes seemed to move when he wasn't looking.

A woman reclined on the throne, her black hair tied into two pigtails. It took him a minute, but Voldemort noticed the two small horns jutting from her forehead.

"Hello Tom," the woman said. "I have waited a long time to meet you."

Voldemort when to take a step back, and found himself flying backwards. Looking down, he saw his semi-transparent legs were not touching the floor.

The woman chuckled. "My name is Aeval," she continued. "It appears to me that you are in need of a body."

Voldemort looked down at his spectral hands. "I would have to agree with that assessment," he said.

"I can help you with that, for a price."

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "What? Do you want money? Does it look like I have pockets?"

"I have a child that needs killing. I can't do it, but I can strengthen your spirit so you can possess someone and do it for me. Do this, and I'll restore your body, you have my word."

Voldemort laughed mirthlessly. "I'm just supposed to believe you? Look lady, I don't even know you."

"I am Aeval, queen of the Faerie. The fae do not break their word lightly. I can give you a body, but I want this task done first. Do we have a deal?"

Voldemort thought for a few moments. He couldn't exactly say no. After all, he'd just tried to kill one child. He shrugged. What was one more sacrifice for the magical world?

"Deal," he said offering his hand. He winced when he realized that Aeval's hand would pass right through his.

To his shock, Aeval took his hand and shook it solemnly. Her skin was smooth and cool. Leaning forward, she kissed Voldemort's forehead in a motherly way.

"Welcome to Faerie," she said gravely.

A/N Sorry this is so late, I was finishing up part of the outline for this last week and didn't finish it. Good news, I should be able to update every week now.