Remus, Bastet, and Sirius ended up at a bar on the west end of town and had the time of their lives (even Bastet, who quickly grew fond of the Bloody Marys until Sirius and Remus had to drag her out of the bar). Remus was the only one who'd ended up going back to James and Lily's house later as promised, for Sirius and Bastet loved the night life in the Muggle World and ended up making a date out of their good time.
So, while Sirius and Bastet went out to paint the town red, Remus headed back to James' and Lily's house, which lied at the end of a small gravel road way outside of the downtown area. By the time Remus stepped inside, the party had ceased to exist, and now all that remained of it was a few plates of leftover pasties, and wrapping paper scattered on the floor. Peter had apparently left a while ago, and Lily was putting Harry to sleep in Sirius' crib, now set up in a room off to the side. Remus smiled as he stood in the doorway. Harry appeared at peace, clearly worn out from all of the excitement. So much excitement and activity had buzzed around him all day; of course it was very exhausting for a 5-day-old baby to handle.
The mood in the bedroom seemed dismal, so Remus decided it wasn't the right time to spring the news on the family of his new job. Remus had always harbored a gift for reading the general mood of a room. But even if he didn't, it wasn't hard to tell. James had lost his fatherly glow that had clearly been shining earlier, and Lily was solemnly singing Harry to sleep on his first night home. Lily, while not an exceptional singer, had a clear soprano not unlike a flute's whistle. She sang a somber song about an Auror's lament or something along those lines…
And she cried as he lied,
Her dear lover's story was untrue,
He rightfully belonged in Azkaban,
What more could she do?
So thus ends this Auror's lament,
Her feelings she did no longer hide,
For as her lover rotted in Azkaban,
She sat right there by his side…
"What a gloomy lullaby!" Remus remarked."Usually 'Hush Little Baby' did the trick for me when I was an infant…" Lily looked up at him. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were blotchy. James didn't look much better.
"Remus, I didn't hear you come in," Lily said, her voice cracked while trying very hard to sound happier. Remus looked back and forth from Lily to James three times, suddenly sensing the change in mood. His shoulders tensed.
"What's happened?" he asked as soon as he came into the room. James and Lily looked at each other with worried faces. "Something's wrong, and where's Wormtail?"
Lily sighed. "He…he had some news for us," she said. "He'd been to Order Headquarters."
"Would you like some pumpkin juice, Remus? We need to talk. Where's the others?" asked James. Remus shrugged.
"They decided to spend the night out. Bastet got a little too much drink in her belly," said Remus. "And no thanks, I'm fine."
"Let's let Harry get some sleep," Lily said, leading the men out of the room and quietly closing the door behind her.
When they were safe in the living room, James lit a lamp and sat down next to Lily on the floral-patterned sofa, putting his hand on her knee. It was obvious that whatever Peter had told them, it wasn't nice news. Had something happened concerning the war? Was the Order of the Phoenix disposed of? Or was it a more personal piece of depressing news? Remus sat across from them in an armchair. James clicked his teeth together a few times before he spoke. Lily's leg was involuntarily bouncing up and down out of nervousness.
"Let's not beat round the bush, my friend. Peter said he found out some disturbing news that will affect us all," said James. "The Dark Lord, there's been a prophesy made against him, predicting his downfall."
"Oh? Wh…who is it, then? You, Prongs? Lily? Padfoot?"
James shook his head. "It said that the one who will be Voldemort's equal and rival was born as the seventh month of this year died to parents who've already defied him 3 times, and one cannot live while the other lives."
"Peter told us this because he knew, he knew that our Harry fit every qualification…"
Remus was so surprised, he could barely sputter out the news. "But…born this year? A baby like Harry as Voldemort's rival? Impossible!" Remus remarked, his heartbeat picking up speed rapidly."Who made the prediction?"
"Sybil Trelawney," answered Lily. Remus rolled his eyes.
"That annoying bird couldn't predict the end of a movie!" Remus protested. Lily nodded with a slight smile, even though the smile lacked any meaning.
"The prophesy, even if not an accurate one, is very dangerous. You KNOW that The Dark Lord will take this seriously," said James. "We are in danger because of it. Voldemort knows of this prophesy now. What he will do next, well…it's too horrible to even think of it!"
Remus felt his heart pound. "So, are you saying, Harry will destroy Voldemort? He's the child of the prophesy?"
"Maybe not," said Lily reassuringly. "Merlin help me for hoping for such a terrible thing on such good people, but there is another boy who was born just a day prior to Harry who fits the bill as well. Do you remember Frank and Alice Longbottom?"
"Certainly," said Remus.
"They've had a son too. Neville," Lily elaborated.
"Good for them. Good people, the Longbottoms," Remus noted.
"Yes. So maybe there's still hope for us. But, this still puts Harry, us, Sirius and Bastet in a lot of danger. If Harry becomes the Chosen One…" Lily couldn't finish her sentence, the tears of fear filled her eyes. James comforted his wife with a strong, firm embrace.
"Will you go into hiding?" asked Remus. James shook his head.
"Not yet. Voldemort could pass over Harry for Neville, and there may be others as well. We're going to live life as if no prophesy was made at all, for Harry's sake. I'd trust all four of you, Peter, Bastet, Sirius, and yourself, with our lives. No one around here had a connection to the dark One anyhow. Voldemort might not even realize Harry exists if we are careful."
"He was born in a Muggle hospital, right?" asked Remus. Lily nodded.
"I'm afraid, though."
"We need to keep a low profile. But we won't do anything extreme until we hear more information," said James.
"And how did Peter come by this information? Did Dumbledore tell him?" Remus asked.
"No. He said Minerva McGonagall told him while he was in the Leaky Cauldron having a pint a few nights back, after an Order meeting. I don't know why he didn't come to us as soon as he found out this prophesy was made…"
"Maybe he felt that because of my condition, it would end up being too much for us to deal with," Lily suggested. "Peter, out of anybody, would be the least likely to put us in harm's path."
"Maybe so," James nodded.
Remus stood up. "James, when we were in school, you, Sirius, Lily, Bastet, and Peter all came to my aid whenever I needed it during….that time of the month. I assure you that all four of us would stand between Voldemort and yourselves in an instant. We'll be your protectors. I know I'd die for you, and so would the others," vowed Remus. "Little Harry will not have so much as a scar on his face as long as all of us remain as we have been for so long. A family."
"You make me feel so much better," said Lily, getting up and putting her hand on Remus' shoulder. "We will get through this without endangering ANYONE'S lives. I'm sure the Order of the Phoenix and the Aurors are all at work tracking The Dark Lord and preparing for battle at this very instant."
"Lily's right. He'll have countless barriers to get through before he gets to us!" James said with confidence.
"We will be your Aurors, James," Remus promised. James smiled and hugged Remus. "We will defend you, Lily, and Harry to the death."
"Although we must pray that it doesn't come to that," Lily said seriously. A moment of silence ensued, each of the adults in the room envisioning and fearing the worst.
"Voldemort…defeated by a baby! Who would have thought to would come to that?" Remus remarked.
"It didn't say that he'd be DEFEATED," said James. "The prophesy merely said that one couldn't co-exist with the other. Either the child will kill Voldemort…or Voldemort would simply kill the child."
"And which do YOU think sounds more likely to happen?" Lily said, her lower lip trembling in fear as her eyes darted back to the baby's room.
"Come, Lily, I think we need to turn in early," said James. He looked back at Remus. "Be careful going back home, alright? You don't know who could be on the streets now, even in Muggle territory," he warned.
"Like a drunken Bastet running free about the city and a wild Sirius trying to chase after her!" Remus said, trying to lighten the spirit in the room. Lily smiled, and James laughed.
"One can only hope that's all," James muttered. He and Lily then turned to go into their bedroom, and Remus let himself out onto the street.
