Chapter 1: Wandering Around

James stayed for a moment, crouched down, staring at the headstone. Then his heart skipped a beat and he jumped up, looking around wildly. What if Lily was alive down there? What if she was trying to get out right this very second? He picked his wand off the ground next to him and stood back from the headstone.

He struggled to remember the spell he wanted, the one that would tell him if Lily were alive beneath him. "Homenum revelio," he said, pointing his wand at the ground. When nothing happened, he collapsed to the ground, tears falling freely down his cheeks. He stayed that way for an hour, letting the tears fall until he had no more left.

After calming his sobs and wiping away the tears, James wandered around the cemetery but came back after a minute to look at the stone above where his beloved Lily lay. He couldn't help but wonder where his friends were. Where was Sirius? Remus? His sister Alana? Harry? What happened to his son? He sobbed silently as he thought of his beloved wife, his Lily. He would never hear her musical laugh again; never again watch her shake her head as he and Sirius planned a new prank or joke.

He knew what happened now. He remembered it clearly. It was Halloween night and they were closed up in their house, still under the protection of the Fidelius Charm. Wormtail betrayed their secret. He told Voldemort their address in Godric's Hollow. Voldemort blasted through the door and he, James, told Lily to take Harry and run. He remembered saying that he would hold Voldemort off, but he didn't have his wand. How stupid he thought. He heard Lily run up the stairs to Harry's room and after that, everything went blank. But Lily hadn't made it… so where was Harry?

Sitting by the stone, he watched the stun rise over the trees. He felt the warm rays on his face and listened as the birds chirped their songs, welcoming in the morning. It was then that he said a farewell to his fair Lily flower and wandered slowly out of the cemetery.

He knew he must have been a sight and was thankful it was still too early for many people to be wandering around. He was covered in dirt and twigs; his once beautiful hair was twisted and knotted; his hazel eyes were bloodshot from crying.

He travelled down the road, and his eyes caught sight of a dilapidated house. The house looked a fright; the roof was caved in in places and there were holes blasted through the walls. It was his house, the house he bought for himself and Lily with part of his inheritance. They were going to make a family, have more children, throw parties, and enjoy life. But that didn't happen. James had heard from others that life didn't always turn out as planned, but everything had been going great for him; he had the love of his life as his wife, he had a fantastic son, and a beautiful home. One prophecy took all that away from him.

James walked up to the fence and looked on as a sign rose from the dirt. He had a strange feeling that only he could see the sign rising. His hand reached out and touched the words that were carved into the wood. He read the scribbles that had been written over the plaque; some carved, others written in everlasting ink. The scribbles read positive comments for Harry, encouragement. James silently wondered why his son needed encouragement from strangers. Why was Harry being called "The-Boy-Who-Lived"? Did that mean he was still alive?

He sniffled as he turned away, not wanting to leave the last place he had memories of his Lily. He felt a smile flicker across his face as he remembered when he and Lily first entered the house. He picked her up and carried her across the threshold, laughing. Wiping his eyes, he silently said another good-bye to his flower as he walked down the road.

"I need to find someone. There has to be someone still around. Alana? Sirius?" He still had his wand, could he apparate? James decided to try it… he didn't know how else to locate a friendly face. Lifting his wand, he decided to try to find Alana, his younger sister. She had to be around, had to be still alive.

He held his wand in his right hand and he pictured her home in his mind, picturing exactly how it looked the last time he saw it; the blue siding with the green shutters and the pink curtains in the living room window and blue curtains in her bedroom. Feeling the familiar pulling and the turning in darkness, he shut his eyes and kept his mind on Alana's house.

He grinned when he opened his eyes and saw the house exactly as he remembered it. How long have I been gone, he thought. Obviously not long enough for her to change anything.

Taking a deep breath, he walked up the sidewalk. Reaching the steps, he placed his right foot on the first step and stopped. Maybe she's not home? What if she doesn't live here anymore?

James shook his head, clearing his thoughts and trying to calm his nerves. He stepped up the three small steps and lifted his hand to knock. He rapped lightly twice and lowered his hand. His heart pounded in his chest and his breath caught in his throat as he heard the lock turning from the inside. He ran his hand through his dirt covered hair.

"Yes. Can I help you," he heard her ask softly as she opened the door. He tried to smile but found he was too nervous.

Alana's eyes met his and he heard her gasp. "Who…" she started.

"Hi 'Lana," he said softly. He reached his left hand up to run through his hair again, but stopped halfway, remembering the dirty feeling.

"J…James," she whispered, her hand covering her mouth.

He nodded and had to move quickly for as soon as his head moved, she fell to the floor.

AN: Wow! 9 reviews on the first chapter! That's amazing! Thank you so much! I'm glad you've all liked it so far, and I hope this chapter went along well with the prologue. I promise, the next chapter will be much longer than this one was :-) So, you know the drill, please review!