Thankyou to those who reviewed the last chapter! =) A quick update, me thinks - although don't expect it to happen more than a few times. Things do come up that intefer with my writing. But I will try to get the chapters up as soon as possible, nonetheless =P
Chapter Two: Memories bring pain – Fifteen Years Later
The cold dark room emitted an eerie atmosphere that clung to the young boy unwaveringly, seated upon a luscious scarlet armchair positioned near a wide rectangular window, looking out to the scenery of a wide expanse garden that seemed to go on for miles. It was encrusted in sunlight that seemed unable to penetrate the window's glass and enter the shadowed room, dark and frightening at first sight. His long fingers were clutching the arms tightly, skin growing white the pressure as his breathing escaped in short ragged breaths. Fear was prominent within his eyes, glinting in the faded firelight emitting from the two torches situated on either side of his chair, almost like soldiers, preventing him from escaping.
It was deadly silent in the room. The young boy dared not remove his gaze from the window to chance a glance at the motionless figure standing at the other end, his back turned to him. Although he didn't necessarily need to meet the Dark Lord's gaze in order to feel terribly anxious and worried. The silence and his mere presence was enough of a problem.
"So, you allowed them to escape?"
The cold, near hissing voice sent shivers running down the young boy's small frame, forcing him to rip his gaze from the window and look at the now turned Lord Voldemort. Blazing crimson eyes bore into his own as the dark wizard steadily began to approach the boy, dark hair flowing in unison with his dark robes in some imaginary wind, contrasting heavily with his near pale skin.
"No, my lord, I swear of it," the boy replied, attempting to keep his voice calm and collected – although his true emotions were nonetheless still evident within his expression and outlook. "I would never allow them to have escaped willingly. They scraped past my barriers, just barely. Johnson would've been eliminated if B…Black hadn't been there to save him…" His voice uncontrollably choked on the latter name as an influx of emotion attacked him, threatening to burst forth. Luckily, Voldemort either didn't notice or chose to ignore this. His blood red orbs were locked expectantly upon the garden scenery, noting the continuous flow of dark shapes emerging from the shadows of the forest ahead.
"I expected better of you, young one. Do not give me a reason to dispose of you…"
The boy froze at that, eyes widening considerably.
"I swear to you, my lord, I promise I will never allow such filth to escape me again," he said frantically, standing up. "You have my word; I will do anything in my power to get rid of him, once and for all. No one dares betray you and gets away with it!"
Thin lips curled into an unpleasant smile as Voldemort turned his gaze back to the boy; crimson red meeting emerald green.
"Ensure you do, Harry."
The Dark Lord swept out of the room with those parting words, leaving behind the shaking boy.
"I will try…if only for their sake…" he whispered quietly to himself before collapsing back into the armchair, long jet black hair falling to obscure his half closed eyes.
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
The crumpled newspaper lay abandoned upon the smooth wooden desk surface, its pictures barely moving with age. A hand clutched the corner of the front page tightly, dulled hazel eyes staring down at the ever imposing headline streaked across the top, large letters appearing to mock him mercilessly.
ATTACK AT POTTER FAMILY HOME
On the 31st of October a truly horrid event occurred. You-know-who made an unexpected visit to the Potter household in Godric's Hallow, killing the occupants of the house. The details of this attack are still being examined, but it has been released for certain that Lily Potter, wife of high ranking Auror James Potter, was brutally murdered within her room. Her body was taken to Healers, who later confirmed the use of the dreaded Killing curse as well as a very brief Cruciatus one. The Potter's one year old son, Harry James Potter, was not found at the scene but the Ministry regret to say that they believe he was killed too at some point. Either that, or was kidnapped, although the possibilities of you-know-who doing such a thing are none according to the Minister.
Investigation is still underway at Godric's Hallow to see whether any helpers of you-know-who were there at the time.
"Anything we can do to bring justice to this terrible tragedy will be greatly appreciated, I'm sure," said Corneilus Fudge, Minister of Magic during this morning's meeting at the Ministry earlier on.
It is safe to say, that after the events of this Halloween night, no one can be too sure about their safety during this time of war. This appeared to be a random attack of such, and is being treated as one until any new information is received. Mr Potter was unavailable to comment on the matter, but one can only guess what he's going through at the moment…
James felt his eyes shut as he reached the end of the article, his body suddenly shaking uncontrollably. His eyes stung as tears threatened to escape, but he held them in determinedly. He had already cried so many times over the past few years – would he even have tears left to shed?
Shaking his head, James upturned the newspaper, shoving it back into his desk drawer. But not even that could rid him of the feeling of hurt, guilt and overwhelming rage that bubbled ferociously within him. The images, the emotions he held that fateful day came rushing back towards him without a seconds warning, encasing his heart in a cage of despair.
The shock of hearing Sirius reveal that Lily was dead…the rush of fear and denial as he apparated back to his manor...the cry of rage as he lay eyes upon his demolished home, smoke still burning from the shattered windows...the tears that poured down his cheeks as he witnessed Lily being levitated from the wreck, a bag covering her slender body from view…the blind hope as he pushed his way through the guarding Aurors and entered his home…the feeling of his heart shattering and his sanity cracking as he broke down in front of an empty crib, the sheets still ruffled and the small white owl lying motionless upon them, deprived of life…
A yell of frustration escaped James as he forced his eyes open, turning aggressively from his office desk. Upsetting a glass of water in the process, he stood, striding towards the other end of the room. He flung open his door, almost jumping in surprise when he came face to face with Sirius. His hand was raised, obviously about to knock.
Upon seeing the unshed tears and grief filling his friend's eyes, Sirius let out a soft sigh, lowering his hand and shaking his head sorrowfully.
"You were looking at the newspaper again," he said quietly. It wasn't a question.
James merely cast him a painful look before pushing past his friend, enough to force Sirius against the wall with a small grunt.
"James," he called. James stopped but didn't turn to face him. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. None of what happened that night was your fault, I keep telling you this-"
Sirius stopped abruptly when a harsh laugh escaped James, ringing off the walls and alarming a few passing people. It sounded odd coming from him.
"Wasn't my fault?" he repeated, turning to face Sirius with wide eyes. "Not my fault?! It is my fault, Sirius! If I had just been there for them, if I had just said no…" He trailed off, clutching his hair tightly. "They would've…would've still been here…" His emotions seemed to run amuck as he repeated the same words he had been explaining in response to the comfort his friends offered for so many months, years, weeks…
Sirius' eyes darkened as he approached James, placing a comforting hand upon his shoulder.
"They would've still been here…I would've…I would've protected them, with my life, with my…everything…" he continued, his shaking growing violent. James suddenly lost the hold he had on his tears and allowed them to trail down his cheeks, soaking his robes in dark droplets.
"They would've been proud of you James…" James glanced up, clear confusion mingling with his distress. "You saved Amelia's family that night."
James sighed. "The Aurors would've been able to handle that on their own. Anyone could've done what I did…
"Not as bravely and courageously as you though. They had plenty of chances to enter the house, but they were too afraid of getting burnt to have the guts. Come on, James, trust me. I'm sure Lily and Harry are proud of you, as a husband and father…"
James' eyes suddenly hardened and he tensed under Sirius' hand.
"James?" Sirius asked with a frown, withdrawing his hand and looking at his friend in concern. "Are you alright?"
James nodded tensely. "Yeah…yeah I'm fine. Tell the Minister I'm leaving early. Michaels can cover for me…" And with that, James grabbed his cloak and nearly ran to the front doors, leaving behind an extremely concerned Sirius.
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
The frost covered grass felt sharp to James as he stepped forward, gaze locked upon the large tombstone in front of him. He shivered discretely as he read the words engraved upon the stone, glinting in the faded light.
LILY EVANS POTTER
January 30 1960 – October 31 1981
Devoted wife and mother.
May her spirit live on until the end of time and forever lie in peace and harmony.
Lily's soul would never live in peace and harmony – not until her killer was finally wiped off the face of the earth. And James, with a sinking heart, had to admit that the chances of that happening any time soon were very slim.
Reluctantly, he allowed his eyes to travel slowly to the side, focussing upon the small gravestone next to his wife's which appeared to vanish any self control left within him.
HARRY JAMES POTTER
James resisted the urge to cry out as the name struck him hard, forcing him to rip his gaze away immediately. That tomb was empty – the stone was there for mere respect. They never found Harry's body, nothing that suggested that he too was subjected to the killing curse provided by Voldemort. James barely stopped himself from lunging at the Aurors when, three months after the mysterious disappearance, they called an end to the searchings. He was certain, hoping that Harry was still alive, still breathing, probably staying somewhere in desperate need. But the Ministry were adamant that a small one year old couldn't have possibly survived the night alone, especially if he was under the care of Death Eaters, or the Dark Lord himself. James admitted that was a fact, but he nonetheless didn't want them to stop searching. The thought that his son could still be around was the only thing keeping his sanity in check – even after fifteen years he was unwilling to admit defeat.
Taking a deep shuddering breath, James slowly turned and began to make his way towards the cemetery entrance. He had already spent half an hour there – everyday it was the same routine. Stopping at the gates, he tilted his head lightly to the side, turning for his usual final glance at his broken family – and that's when an odd sight met him.
A frown made its way upon his lips as James turned fully around, gaze locked with the small form of what could only be described as a young boy by his body size. He was leaning over the gravestone of Lily, fingers brushing against the snow that half covered her name. They seemed to tremble, almost as though he were resisting the urge to cry.
Intrigued and a small bit confused, James stepped forward, unintentionally snapping a twig in the process. The boy froze immediately, kneeling still for a moment more before vanishing from view. He had apparated, silently and without a trace. James blinked at the spot he had been, his curiosity peaking with every second. He was certain he wasn't around there earlier. And he was also very certain he had never seen that boy before, yet there was some kind of…familiarity that he couldn't fully explain.
Shaking his head, James cast one last glance around the cemetery before turning and exiting it, finding a good spot to apparate before returning back to his new home. The grief he was in these years sometimes caused him to hallucinate – perhaps what he just saw was caused by that…
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
James slumped down upon his expanded sofa as soon as he entered Potter Manor, exhaustion evident within his expression.
"You know James, you really should take a break from work one of these days…"
Remus' voice broke through James' thoughts but he merely closed his eyes to avoid looking at his friend, the only gesture he gave in response being a simple nod.
"Maybe…but I'd rather not. It's the only thing that takes my mind off…certain things…" He trailed off, hanging his head with barely suppressed emotion. He felt the seat next to him buckle under weight and knew that Remus had sat down.
"It's okay James, allow yourself some peace. I mean come on, you deserve one…us and Sirius will do something together, just for fun. When was the last time you had fun?"
James slowly opened his eyes, the sight of Remus' smiling face catching his attention.
"I appreciate the offer Remus, I really do…but no, thankyou…"
Remus' face fell at that and he emitted a soft sigh, shaking his head sadly at James' still form.
"Well, its always open for you if you ever change your mind," he said softly, rising from the seat.
James merely nodded, shutting his eyes against the blast of afternoon light that shone through the closed curtains opposite him. He heard the trail of a cloak ahead of him and knew Remus was preparing to leave.
"Thankyou for watching the house while I was gone," James added, voice lined with appreciation. He didn't have to look to know that Remus was offering him his usual kind smile.
"Your welcome, any time."
And with that, they bid each other goodbye. The sound of the front door shutting softly behind Remus was the last one heard before the entire house was plunged into deafening silence and James felt his exhausted mind finally give way to the soothing waves of unconsciousness.
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
A blinding flash of green light penetrated his vision, forcing James to sit up in shock. Alert, he carefully looked around his surroundings, hand instinctively reaching for his wand. But his fingers grasped empty air, causing a surge of panic to invade his senses. Where was his wand? He always kept it with him, always! Even when he was sleeping it was always either in his pocket or under his pillow. Quickly, James reached out, intending on checking if it was indeed in the forethought place. But there was no pillow. Only a bare arm rest was his comfort during the night.
Frowning, James glanced around – and that was when he noticed the great difference surrounding him. He wasn't in Potter Manor; he was in Godric's Hallow.
Fear pulsated through his veins as James jumped to his feet, his thoughts getting lost in a whirlwind of emotion. What on earth was he doing there?
Just as that thought flew through his mind, an ear splitting scream suddenly penetrated the surrounding silence, startling James. Breathing heavily, he slowly approached the doorway that led to the staircase, knowing that the scream had emitted from there. Faint banging and the yell of a spell sounded before the door was blasted away, splinters flying in all directions. James immediately tried to cover himself, using his arms to protect his face from the flying shards. But, after nearly a whole minute, he felt nothing. Confused, James lowered his arms and noted the splinters of wood protruding from his skin, drawing a stream of blood that ran down his arm like a waterfall to the carpet below. Although it looked painful, he felt nothing.
Before James could ponder this thought any longer, the scream sounded again, now high pitched and clear without the muffling of the door in the way. James immediately streaked towards the staircase, taking the stairs two at a time. Voices were emitting from the last door at the end of the upstairs corridor, growing louder by the second. He detected a note of annoyance within one, fear emanating from the other heavily.
James stopped at the foot of the stairs, eyes widened as he recognised the owner of the second voice.
Lily…
Feeling a surge of energy enter his system, James ran towards the room, halting dead at the doorway when a horrid scene met his eyes.
Lily was lying on the floor, motionless, her vivid red hair scattered around her. Her emerald eyes were dulled and lifeless, staring at the ceiling in shock and fear. Tear streaks stained her cheeks, continuing to run down her pale skin before disappearing into the rug below.
Although this was horrific, what truly erupted James' fear was the one person standing over his wife's body, a smirk plastered across his thin lips, crimson eyes gleaming in the faded light.
"Aren't you glad you didn't have to watch them die?"
The cold voice of Lord Voldemort sent shivers running down James' back. Suddenly, anger grew within his chest, accompanying his fear. He stepped forward, shaking in barely suppressed rage as the Dark Lord continued to gaze mockingly at him, his smirk never wavering. He was completely unperturbed by the Auror's visible anger, merely watching him in what could only be described as an entertained manner. It was only when James felt the urge to lash out at the man that had ruined his life overwhelm him that he noticed the small bundle held within Voldemort's arms.
Startling emerald orbs stared out at him under a blanket of steadily growing jet black hair, blinking in obvious confusion as they glanced to and from James and Voldemort. Harry's small hands were clasping onto the Dark Lord's robes, his little mind obviously unaware of whom held him.
James' breathing was considerably heavier by this time. He looked up to meet Voldemort's gaze once more, eyes burning with rage.
"Let go of my son!" he yelled, loosing all control and rushing towards the Dark Lord. It was only then that he noticed the raised wand, pointed directly towards Harry's neck. With a resounding snap, Harry's small body fell limp in Voldemort's arms, his head moved unexpectantly to an odd angle. Voldemort immediately let go of the child, allowing him to fall unceremoniously to the ground below.
James cried out and caught Harry before he made full contact, clutching the baby as tight as he could to his chest. The boy's neck had been snapped – he was dead.
Cold laughter rang throughout the room, drawing James back to the cruel wizard before him.
"…why…"
The single word left him in a whisper, his body already shaking with emotion. Broken hazel met gloating crimson as Voldemort turned, giving him one last cruel smirk before heading towards the door.
"The fault lies only with you, James Potter," he sneered before vanishing from sight.
James woke with a start, sweat dripping mercilessly from his forehead. He panted heavily, eyes wide with shock as real tears spilled uncontrollably down his face. It was a dream – only a dream. Yet it seemed so…real. A shudder ran through his body as James heard the cold laughter, the sickening snap, the lifeless emerald orbs…
Quickly, he shot to his feet, straightening his robes unnecessarily. He had fallen asleep upon the sofa. From what it looked like from the darkness outside, it was only for a few hours.
James sighed as he paced the living room, thinking carefully about his next actions before turning and making his way towards the kitchen. One glance at the time told him that it was nearly three in the morning. But he couldn't sleep again – not after that.
His hand shook as James reached out to grab a mug from the above cabinets, flicking his wand to heat the kettle. He desperately needed some tea. At least it'll help a small bit with his rapidly beating heart.
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
Just as the clock announced four in the morning, the fire burst to life, the image of Sirius' face appearing before James as he sat at the kitchen table. Placing down the newly arrived Daily Prophet, James reluctantly stood and walked up to the fireplace, looking down at Sirius with forced calm.
"What's wrong now?"
"What? No good morning?" Sirius returned with a fake pout, earning himself a raised eyebrow from James. He was obviously attempting to act normal for his sake.
"If only it were one…" Sirius' eyes immediately lost their humour and he made to respond, eyes glittering inquisitively within the flames. "Don't worry about it, Sirius. Its nothing…well, serious."
James offered his friend a small smile, receiving one in return.
"Ha, well it better be," Sirius said, giving James one last searching gaze before continuing. "The Ministry requires your presence, Prongs."
James groaned. "What for? Isn't it too early for paperwork…"
Sirius chuckled. "Its not paperwork, it a meeting. Apparently, something's happened."
James was immediately alert. "And what is that something?"
Sirius shrugged. "Dunno. I guess they want everyone to find out themselves at the meeting. But me thinks it has something to do with our dear friends, the Death Eaters and their precious master…"
James' eyes immediately hardened, obviously startling Sirius into stopping his tease.
"James…"
"I'll be there." James cut him off, turning and leaving without a second glance.
"Oh…kay…" Sirius responded confusedly, staring at his spot his friend had just been a second ago before disappearing with a distinct pop.
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
James arrived at the Ministry not ten minutes later, his robes crumpling as he ran down the crowded Atrium.
"Morning, James!"
"Hey, Auror!"
Greetings were sent his way constantly, but James either didn't notice or just replied with a nod of acknowledgment or mumbled hello. He rushed towards the elevator before it closed in, squeezing himself into the partially full lift.
"Oh! Good…good morning, James."
The familiar voice caught James' attention, and he forced his eyes to rip away from the closing elevator doors. Amelia Bones was smiling gently at him, paper work clutched protectively to her chest. James smiled.
"Morning, Amelia."
"Are you alright?" she asked after a small pause, eyeing James' pale skin with barely hidden interest.
James found himself nodding automatically. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just the usual morning feeling, you know..." He shrugged, noting how stretched his smile felt. He only hoped that it didn't appear strained to her.
But Amelia didn't appear to notice, instead sending him another polite smile before flicking through her work distractedly. Ever since that night, she had been acting much more differently with him than previously – her reasons were valid, but James couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, nonetheless.
The rest of the elevator trip went by in silence. It wasn't long before the space started to empty, people streaming out to their designated floors with little enthusiasm. Amelia was the second last to leave, heading towards the wide double doors that led to the trial rooms. She spoke a soft goodbye to James, but he hardly noticed. His eyes were fixed upon the doorway. There could be a Death Eater on trial there right at this moment. It gave him some comfort as he reached the top landing, managing to stumble out as a wave of paper memos flew over his head, clipping it rather painfully with their wings.
"Hey! Watch it!" James called after them, rubbing his head in annoyance.
A familiar bark like laugh erupted from near by and James turned to see Sirius grinning at him, waiting by the door to the meeting room.
"Honestly, James, picking fights with paper isn't going to do your sanity any good," he commented, blue orbs glittering in amusement.
James merely rolled his eyes, playfully pushing Sirius to the side and knocking on the smooth wood with a dignified expression. Sirius chuckled before following his friend in as the door was opened by a small pretty witch with bright blonde hair.
"Hannah," he greeted, tilting an imaginary hat and offering her a dazzling smile.
The witch rose a curious eyebrow at him.
"Take your seat, Mr Black," she responded before moving to the back of the room, clicking the door shut behind him with a flick of her wand.
"I think she likes me," Sirius whispered with a discrete wink to James, who merely smiled, refraining himself from laughing.
The door at the other end of the room opened wide to admit Kingsley Shacklebolt, shuffling papers in his hands as he spoke quietly to a following Nymphadora Tonks. She looked immensely worried, her hair a darker colour than her usual bright pink. At the sight of her, James glanced around the room. He felt a sudden pang of worry.
"Sirius, where's Remus?"
"Oh, I contacted him around five minutes ago. He said he had a few errands to run firstly. He'll be here in a few minutes."
James relaxed at that, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Good…"
Sirius gave him an odd look before turning his full attention to Kingsley as the head Auror seated himself at the head of the table while Tonks took the seat at the furthest end, clasping his hands tightly together in front of him. He reminded James mentally of Dumbledore for a split second before his deep voice rang throughout the room, drawing attention.
"Good morning," he started, offering small smiles towards the room's occupants. It was very brief though. "I understand some of the annoyance this meeting has brought, due to how early it is, but I assure you I wouldn't be calling you at such a time if it didn't require the utmost consideration."
Bleary eyed workers immediately perked up at this, eyes wide and alert as they focussed upon the Auror.
"What's happened?" Johnson, a young Auror with an already balding head, asked cautiously from opposite James. His voice was lined with fear and foreboding – mirroring what everyone in the room was feeling, truthfully.
"It's not as such something's happened," Kingsley responded calmly. "It more that we've found some rather useful information on a group of Death Eaters hiding about the outskirts of London."
"You know we're they're meeting?" James asked, his voice rising in excitement.
"We know one of the possible places they could be meeting. However, it is unlikely this is where you-know-who lies too…"
James' face fell at that and he sat back in his chair, looking irritably at the polished floor below.
"However," Kingsley continued, casting James a wary look. "We can be certain that some of his Inner Circle lie in wait there. Which is why the Minister has requested we call this meeting – for all we know, this could be a trap, so we have to be careful with how we approach this."
James, as much as he disliked the Minister, couldn't help but agree and share in his suspicion. It would be unwise to walk into a Death Eater infested place without any planning beforehand.
"We need a plan that will allow us to enter their place without detection. Taking them by surprise will be the only chance we have at capturing all of them at once…"
James listened intently to every word spoken during the meeting, his attention swerving from one person to another with obvious eagerness. He was itching to dispose of anyone who dared side with that monster – anything that pissed Voldemort off was alright in James' book, and he was planning on being one of the few to add misery to his rage, no matter what happened to him in the process.
A/N: I am aware that not a lot happens in this chapter, but I swear things will get more interesting in later ones =)
Review if you have time! Thankyou!
xxxx