Escher's Hand

by The Moirae Lachesis and Clotho

The flames of the phoenix core shrouded him in light, squeezed him to enlightening horror. Astral fires of destiny, twining their sins around the boy, until with a fatal hiss and roar, all that stood in his place, were a few dapples of light...

2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Hello! I am Wicked Sapphira! Welcome to the second installment of Escher's Hand. I sincerely apologize for the long wait since I know that a lot of you were getting impatient, according to my co-author, Sophia Supernova. I have just been lacking time and energy lately due to schoolwork and life in general. But, oh well… such is life…. *sigh* I would like to thank all of those who reviewed and/or put this story on their alerts or favorites list. Your support is greatly appreciated by both my co-author and I, and I could not possibly thank you enough for it.

Since the last chapter had to do with Tom's parents, this chapter will be all about James and Lily's relationship. Also, Lily is going to be like Merope Gaunt, and James will be like Tom Riddle Sr.—I mean, concerning their roles. Just like my good friend, S. Supernova, said, everything is reversed. In addition, I am changing something as far as Lily is concerned, so please don't get mad at me. I will explain my reasons for doing so in the author's note at the end of the chapter. One more thing, I was too lazy to make up my own song for the Sorting Hat to sing, so I borrowed the one from "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," and it obviously belongs to J.K.R. Okay, so on with the chapter….

February 1980…

Lily Evans—soon to be Lily Potter in less than an hour's time—stood in front of a full-length mirror examining herself in full bridal attire. Her ivory chiffon gown hugged her curves tightly, making her ever-growing stomach to become even more prominent, and the length was such that it swept towards the floor elegantly, rustling ever so slightly when she walked. Her bright red, normally straight hair was pulled into a chignon with a few curled tendrils framing her pale, heart-shaped face. Lily's emerald green, almond-shaped eyes drank in her own appearance, with which she was rather pleased, including the swelling stomach.

She put a hand over her stomach when she felt a kick, and ran a hand over it soothingly, as if to comfort the unborn child that lay within. Lily still could not believe that she had a piece of her and a piece of James (she sighed when she thought of him) developing in her stomach. However, she was not sure if James truly loved her, seeing as he was under the influence of Amortentia, but she thought that he must love her somewhere in the deep recesses of his heart after all this time. That was why she was planning to stop giving him his regular dose of the love potion after their marriage. Even if he did not love her, she reasoned, he would surely stay for both the baby's sake and the sake of their marriage. She could handle being in a loveless marriage (at least on James' part) as long as she was able to be with him. It would not matter if he did not love her, she could love enough for both of them.

Lily would not have used Amortentia unless she felt it necessary. Before that, she had tried everything she could think of, but to no avail; he still did not even know that she existed. Even back in their school days, he never noticed her. No, he was too preoccupied with his escapades with the other Marauders back in those days. Lily, on the other hand, noticed James on her very first day at Hogwarts. Yes, she remembered well that fateful day….

An eleven-year-old Lily stood on the platform at Hogsmeade Station transfixed by all of the hustling and bustling of the students, both new and old. A burly man with a gruff voice was standing in the middle of all of this commotion calling, "First years! First years, over here! First years, come with me!"

Lily, relieved at finally knowing what she was supposed to do, walked over to the man, who she guessed was a groundskeeper of sorts. There was already a crowd gathering around him, and she recognized the girl that she had been sharing a compartment with, who was unfriendly, and had stopped talking to Lily once she had found out that Lily was a Muggleborn, saying that she as a "future Slytherin" did not associate with "Mudbloods", whatever that was supposed to mean. When it seemed like all the first years were assembled, the man led them to several row boats that were floating on what looked like a black mirror in the moonlight, although it was obviously a gargantuan lake. "Only four in a boat, please," said the man.

Lily found her only friend, Severus Snape, in the crowd, and followed him into one of the boats. They both sat down, and she was about to ask how the train ride went for him, when two boys got into the boat with them, making Severus scowl deeply, for reasons unknown to Lily. "Hey, Snivellus. What are you doing in our boat? Planning to take a dip in the Black Lake? Merlin knows you need one with that greasy hair of yours. When was the last time you even bathed?" the boy with the long black hair quipped cruelly. Severus just ignored him, but Lily could see his eyes flash and his fists clench and unclench almost unnoticeably.

"Leave him alone! What did he ever do to you?" Lily scolded furiously, disliking this boy more every second that passed by.

"Nothing, really. It's just the fact that he exists...," the boy responded.

Narrowing her eyes into her best death-glare, Lily replied, "That does not mean that you get to pick on him."

The boy was about to say something else, but his friend wisely shut him up with, "Sirius, save it for later. You have seven more years to torture him, so lay off, all right?"

"But James—"

"I said, lay off," James repeated with a certain finality and authority, which made Sirius' mouth close with a snap.

No one spoke for a while, and Lily took the opportunity to observe her surroundings. She never really noticed him while he was speaking, but even at the age of eleven, James was one of the most handsome males that she had ever encountered. His untidy, jet-black hair made her fingers long to run through it, and his eyes (although partially obscured by a pair of glasses) reminded her of hot chocolate, which made her want to melt into a puddle of goo. He was so brave, noble, and all the things that she could not be. Although Lily did not recognize the feeling yet, only being very young and inexperienced in such matters, she had fallen in love with James at first sight. Hard.

Lily was snapped out of her observations by the sight of a colossal castle looming in front of them. The view was breath taking, and the lit windows were beacons of light in the darkness, glittering and glowing in all their glory. As they drew nearer to the castle, it became increasingly intimidating in its size with all its turrets and towers, but it also gave Lily a strange feeling of security, although she was feeling rather nervous about the Sorting. There was much conversation about it in the other boats, ranging from the mundane theory of a written exam to the ludicrous idea of having to wrestle a troll. Lily, while not knowing a huge amount about the Wizarding World, knew enough from what Severus had told her to know what the Sorting truly entailed. What was so frightening about put a dingy, old hat on her head? Maybe the fact that it decides what my life will be like for the next seven years, she responded internally to her own silent question.

The boat drifted nearer to a cave opening covered in ivy, and they glided through it. Then the fleet of boats made through a dark, winding tunnel under the school, and into a small harbor. Then they got out of the boat, and made their way into the Entrance Hall—Lily could not help gaping in amazement at the grandeur of Hogwarts. Then a stern-looking witch came out of seemingly nowhere, and the man who had led them there said, "Good evening, Minerva. The first years are ready to be sorted."

"Indeed. You may go, Zacharias," Minerva said, and Zacharias left without another word. Minerva turned to the students and addressed them: "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of the school. Tonight each of you will be sorted into one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. House points are rewarded to those who behave; if there is any rule-breaking, points shall be deducted. Is that clear?" Everyone nodded his or her heads in agreement. Professor McGonagall looked satisfied, and said, "Good. Now come with me."

Lily followed her through the great double doors with the other first years and she gasped in amazement at the sight that awaited her. The Great Hall was filled with students, all of whom were sitting at one of the four massively long tables and staring at the first years that had come in. However, that was not what was so captivating to Lily; it was the ceiling, which had been enchanted to look like the starry night sky outside. I love magic, she thought to herself. Then she noticed a hat on a stool by the staff table, and she assumed that it was the Sorting Hat. Her assumption was proved to be correct when a slit opened by the brim, and a song filled the Great Hall.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I am a Thinking Cap!"

After the hat had completed its song, everyone—including the first years—clapped, and Lily felt a tap on her shoulder and spun around, only to find Severus standing behind her looking a little green. "Are you okay, Sev?" she asked, concerned about his welfare (after all, he was her only friend so far). He shrugged, which Lily took to mean, 'Not really, but I don't want you to know.'

"You know, you better be in Slytherin," he muttered.

"I don't think that I am cut out for it. I'm not cunning or—"

"Trust me, you are. Besides, it's the only House worth being in," Severus interrupted.

Before Lily could respond, Professor McGonagall began to speak: "Now, when I call your name, please come up, sit on the stool, and put on the Sorting Hat. Adams, Jane!"

A trembling girl with glasses and mousy brown hair stepped forth, and placed the Sorting Hat on her head once she had settled on the stool. After about a minute of deliberation, the hat finally called out loudly, "RAVENCLAW!"

The list went on, and Lily could feel her anxiety increase with every student Sorted, her head chock full of questions. What if the hat did not place her in Slytherin? Would she and Severus still be best friends? Would that boy named James be in the same House as her? Suddenly a voice called out, "Evans, Lily!"

Lily stepped forward hesitantly, reluctant to leave the comfort that the crowd of fellow first years provided. She could physically feel the hundreds of pairs of eyes that followed her every movement, sizing her up, and, against her will, her legs started to feel like rubber and her face started to flush. Lily sat down upon the stool once she had reached it and McGonagall placed the hat upon her head.

"Ah, Lily Evans, I presume," said the Sorting Hat inside Lily's head.

"Yes. Will you please put me in Slytherin?" she asked hopefully.

"Now, why should I do that?" the hat replied slyly.

"Because I want to be with my only and best friend."

"But you don't belong there. Yes, I see plenty of cunning, but not much ambition. Not to mention the fact that you are a Muggleborn, and while I do not discriminate, Salazar Slytherin made it nearly impossible for anyone who isn't a half-blood or a pureblood to be in his House. However, you do have a thirst for knowledge, but Ravenclaw won't do. You are not nearly bold and daring enough to be in Gryffindor, although you always stand up for what is right. You possess unwavering loyalty, though, one that would make Helga Hufflepuff proud. Yes, I know just where to put you…," the hat said.

"But—" Lily started.

"I have made my decision. Better be… HUFFLEPUFF!"

Lily, disappointed, walked off towards the Hufflepuff table, where they were giving her a polite round of applause. She sat down, and her eyes automatically searched for both Severus (to see what his reaction would be to her being in Hufflepuff), and James (to stare at him discreetly). She found Severus first, and he was staring at her with a shocked and disappointed expression on his face. Lily wanted to talk to him so badly, to explain, but she knew that that was impossible at the moment, so she mouthed: "I'll talk to you later." He nodded his head to tell her that he understood, and turned back to the Sorting. Then, Lily started to stare at James in earnest when she found that she had nothing better to do.

Lily's heart seemed to skip a beat when the name "Potter, James" was called out, and the object of her interest strode to the stool with his head held high, and pushed his glasses further up his nose as he walked. Please, please let him be in Hufflepuff, she thought. Her hopes were dashed when the Sorting Hat called, "GRYFFINDOR!" a few seconds later. Lily continued to stare at him long after he had sat down at the Gryffindor table, and started making an enthusiastic conversation with the other boy that was in the boat, Sirius Black, who had also been placed in Gryffindor.

When it was Severus' turn to be Sorted, Lily stopped gawking at James Potter (which took much effort), and watched Severus instead. He looked nervous as he sat down on the stool, but Lily was probably the only one who noticed since she knew him better than anyone else did in the room. As soon as the hat touched his head, the hat cried out, "SLYTHERIN!"

Lily let out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding with a 'whoosh'. Now, she truly felt miserable and alone. She did not know anyone in her House, and she could not spend as much as she wanted with either Severus or James. The situation with Severus could be easily remedied since they were already close friends, but it would not be as easy with James. In fact, being in Hufflepuff made it even more difficult to get him to notice her. However, Lily refused to give up. The Sorting Hat was wrong, she realized. She had plenty of ambition, just not for power or anything like that. Lily would do whatever it took to be in James' world, even if it was the last thing that she did.

A sharp wrapping came at the door, plunging Lily out of her reminiscence. One of her bridesmaids came in, clad in a lavender gown with a sweetheart neckline, and said, "Wow! You look great! I was sent to come and get you. Are you ready?"

"Thanks! You do too! Of course I'm ready. You know that I have waited several years for this day to come, and now that it's here, I find that I am sick of waiting," Lily replied, hastily putting on a pair of diamond, teardrop earrings, and a matching necklace. She tried to quell her nervousness by instead concentrating on the excitement that she felt by taking a few deep breaths. Then, Lily grabbed a bouquet (which was abundant with crimson roses and white lilies) from one of the many tables in the room, and headed out the door.

When she arrived to where the ceremony was to be held, she stopped right outside the main door. Then classical music struck up and Lily's bridesmaids started to walk down the aisle, holding their bouquets (all containing red roses). After they had reached the end of the aisle, a bridal march replaced the previous song, and Lily took that as her cue to join the procession. She started down the aisle with her head held high, looking brave, but that was all an illusion; her legs felt like Jell-O and her heart was beating so hard that she was surprised that it did not beat right out of her chest. When she looked at James, though, that feeling seemed to lessen, and he shot her a reassuring smile, as if he had sensed her discomfort. That smile was all it took. Lily's discomfort and nervousness disappeared all together after that, and she knew that everything would be fine. Lily would finally live happily-ever-after, which is what she had wanted for years.

July 31, 1980

Lily roamed the street looking for a place, any place that would help her, clutching her huge stomach as she went, for the pains were getting worse. The sky was darkening, and she knew that she had to find a place soon or she would give birth right in the middle of the road in the dark. Lily knew that it would have been easier to use magic to ease the pain and to find a proper place to have a baby, but she had resolved to never use magic again. Not after her beloved James had abandoned her and their unborn child after she had stopped drugging him with Amortentia. No, never again. Not even to save her own life, if it came to that.

She remembered well that fateful day. James had just walked out on her, even though she was pregnant with his child. Lily had tried to convince him to stay, if not for her, then for the child, but James had said that he refused to be with anyone who would "hoodwink" him like that, and, after that, he had just… left. Where he went, Lily did not know, and she would never find out, for her time on Earth was almost up, although she did not know that.

All of a sudden, a Muggle convent appeared in her line of sight, and she hobbled over to it. Then she banged on the large, oak door with her fist, and an elderly nun answered the door after a minute or two. "What can we help you with, child?" the nun asked, taking in Lily's disheveled appearance.

"Please help me. I am about to give birth, and I don't have anywhere else to go. I—" Lily pleaded, but started to scream mid-sentence when a particularly vicious contraction hit her, and she collapsed on the steps of the convent.

"My word!" exclaimed the nun. "Sister Marie! Sister Marguerite! Help me get this poor woman inside!" When the two other nuns arrived, they helped Lily inside the convent, and laid her on a bed.

"Sister Marguerite, go call Dr. Watkins, if you please," the eldest nun ordered. Turning to Lily, she asked, "What is your name, dearie?"

"Lily. Lily Potter."

"Everything is going to be all right, Lily. I am Sister Abigail, and all of us here at St. Vincent's will take care of you. It is a sign from God that you were sent here," she said soothingly.

By the time that Dr. Watkins (who was a thin, balding, middle-aged man, with a few streaks of gray peppered in with his short brown hair) had arrived, Lily's contractions were occurring more frequently and with more intensity than before. He told her to just breathe, and to push, which she did. It seemed like with every push, her energy was draining faster and faster, and she knew that her lack of magic use was definitely not helping her in the slightest.

When it was close to midnight, the baby was finally born after about six hours of labor. Dr. Watkins declared that Lily's baby was a boy, and, after cleaning up the baby, handed him back to Lily, who was more exhausted than she had ever been in her life. She couldn't even feel the pain anymore, and her vision was blurry, which she had no idea if that was normal or not. Despite her exhaustion, she felt elated to have her son in her arms. She looked down at him, and noticed with a pang that he looked a lot like his father, with his shock of ebony hair, but he had her emerald, almond-shaped eyes.

The doctor was the first to notice the dark purple bruises on Lily's stomach, and he was deeply alarmed by them. "How do you feel, Mrs. Potter?" he asked.

"I… can't even feel pain anymore. Is…is that normal? And my v-vision is blurry. I just feel like closing my eyes, and-and taking a long nap," Lily answered very weakly, confirming the doctor's fears.

"No, that is not normal. Listen to me, Mrs. Potter, whatever you do, do not close your eyes. Do you hear me? Don't close your eyes!" Doctor Watkins ordered. Then he turned to Sister Abigail, who was watching the exchange with worry in her expression, and stated as calmly as possible, "We need to get her to the nearest hospital as soon as possible, or she will die."

Sister Abigail gasped, and asked, "What is wrong with her?"

"She has severe internal bleeding from when she gave birth. I don't know how I could have missed it! This is out of my hands; she needs immediate care, or she will not make it."

Lily, who had heard everything that the doctor had said, whispered, "No. No hospitals."

Doctor Watkins wheeled around in shock, and argued, "Mrs. Potter, you will die if you don't go to a hospital. Die! Do you understand?"

"I und-understand completely. It's just that I don't ha-have anything to li-live for."

The doctor was beside himself at this point. "Nothing to live for?" he exclaimed. "You have YOUR SON! Isn't that enough?"

"Y-you wouldn't understand," Lily whispered evasively, thinking of James and how he had abandoned her, and of her parents, who had recently died in a car crash.

"You're right, I don't understand. HOW COULD YOU D—"

"That's enough," Sister Abigail said, gently putting a hand on Doctor Watkins' arm. "If the girl doesn't want to go a hospital, she doesn't want to go. It's her decision. It is not up to us to decide whether someone lives or dies; that is up to God. And yelling at her about it is not going to help matters."

"But—" the doctor began.

"No buts, my good doctor. In your line of work, it is imperative that you remain professional at all times, but you have not done that tonight. Do not let your personal feelings get in the way of your work. I, too, do not want Lily to die, but, then again, there is nothing that I can do about it," she countered.

"You do have a point. I have not remained completely professional tonight. However, this... this blatant effort to refuse medical care is getting in the way of my doing my job. I also know another thing: While we are arguing, this poor girl is getting closer and closer to dying every second that passes. So, let me do my job properly, and let me take her to a hospital, even if it is against her wishes," Doctor Watkins said.

"I am afraid that I cannot let you do that," Sister Abigail stated firmly.

"Fine, then. I see that my services are no longer needed."

"No, they are not. Would you like me to show you to the door?" she asked.

"I think that I can find my own way out, thanks," he said curtly, slamming the door behind him once he had reached it.

"Oh dear, it seems that I have upset the poor doctor. Oh well... he'll come around eventually," Sister Abigail tutted.

Lily, whose eyes were fighting to stay open, felt even more exhausted than ever, but she felt a kind of peace, or tranquility, if you will. She'd suffered so much in her relatively short existence that she was sure that it was contagious, and she didn't want her son to suffer as much as she had. (Although, Lily never stopped to consider that her death would make her son's life more difficult instead of it being easier.) And now her suffering would end, which is why she felt at peace. If only James would have stayed, this never would have happened, and her son would have grown up to a loving family, but such is the way of the world. Her only regrets were that she would never get to see James' face again, and that she would not live to see her son grow up.

"What are you going to name him?" Sister Abigail asked.

"I th-think that I am go-going name him H-Harry James Potter. 'Harry' after m-my father, and 'James' after l-little Harry's father," Lily replied weakly. "Af-after I die, Harry is t-to go to Vernon and Petunia Dursley in Little Whinging, Surrey. They are h-his la-last living relatives n-now. Here t-take him."

Sister Abigail nodded in ascent, and said, as she took Harry out of her arms, "It shall be done."

Then the darkness seemed too powerful to overcome for Lily, and her last thought was, 'If this is dying, then it is not so bad.' And with that, Lily Potter nee Evans departed from the world of the living, never knowing that she had just given life to one of the darkest wizards who ever lived, Harry James Potter.

Author's Note: Please tell me what you think! Please review! You will make S. Supernova and I very happy authors if you do! Okay, I said I would explain a few things, so that is what I am doing. Most of you are probably wondering why I put Lily in Hufflepuff instead of Gryffindor, and I have several good (I think) reasons for that. Firstly, this is supposed to be the reversal of Merope Gaunt and Lily Evans-Potter. I honestly think that if Merope would have not been a direct descendent of Slytherin, she probably would have been a Hufflepuff (assuming that she ever attended Hogwarts), based on her personality. Merope was loyal (well, maybe not to her father and brother, but, then again, they were awful towards her), and not at all devious and cunning, despite the fact that she came up with a plan to drug Tom Riddle Sr. with Amortentia. Secondly, I feel that a Gryffindor would never give up their life easily, and would fight until the very end, which wouldn't work if Lily had to become like Merope Gaunt. Another thing is... that I am the author! I can pretty much do whatever I want as long as I work within the parameters that JK Rowling has set, and that I have good reasons if I do decide to slightly bend them.

Also, I decided to go with a Muggle convent (even though I am not even slightly religious) instead of an orphanage, because I wanted Harry to end up with the Dursleys and not at an orphanage, since it coincides with the plans that I have for the rest of the story, and it makes it so I am more able to adhere to canon. Oh, and don't worry, Sophia Supernova and I have already picked out Harry's "Dark Lord" name. Yes, it's an anagram, but I am not telling you what it is. You'll just have to read to find out! Mwuahaha! I am so evil!