Broken

He had come.

But that couldn't be possible. How could he be here, when it was impossible? Their plan was foolproof, there was no way he could be here unless… unless Peter had… No. No. That was out of the question.

"James! James!"

James turned his head, his expression blank, to stare at Lily. Her eyes were wide with emotion, her mouth parted in horror.

"It can't be," he breathed.

"James," said Lily forcefully. "He betrayed us. Listen to me. Peter betrayed us!"

"No," he snapped. "No he–"

"HE'S HERE!" she shouted. "YOU-KNOW-WHO IS HERE!"

Peter, Wormtail, one of his best friends… James's hand clenched into a fist. Lily was right. They had been betrayed.

"Lily," said James, and his voice came out stronger than he could ever have believed possible. "Lily, go."

Her eyes, the most beautiful eyes James had ever seen, locked with his. There were no tears there, only disbelief.

"No," she said. "If you think I'm leaving you… I can fight, too, James."

"Bullshit, Lil," he said sharply. "You're going, right now."

The figure was nearing, ever closer. James had to act quickly, to get Lily and Harry away from him. He would face him, and do everything in his power to save the two things most precious to him.

"Lily…" he half-snarled.

"I WON'T!" she cried out.

"Think of Harry, Lily," he snapped. "I love you and I'm not letting you die. You're not dying and neither is our son. Do you hear me?"

"James," said Lily warningly.

"Harry, Lily," he snapped.

"I lo–"

And the figure was here. James needed her gone, needed her to realise that this was Voldemort – Voldemort – they were dealing with.

"LILY, TAKE HARRY AND GO!" roared James, unable to hear the sound of her voice again. He was scared, scared that anything she said now would prevent him from doing what he had to do. She needed to leave; it was the only way for her to survive. "It's HIM! Go! RUN! I'LL HOLD HIM OFF!"

That was when, in a sudden rush of horror, he realised that he didn't have his wand with him. He was going to die. James shot a fleeting glance back at Lily, hurrying back into the house, her red hair disappearing behind the slammed door, and as Voldemort spoke the two words that would end his life, James Potter thought for the last time of her beautiful, emerald eyes.


James… James… James…

Lily's mind was in agonising turmoil, going over and over and over the sight of the green light that had glinted in the window as she raced upstairs, the image of James collapsing, dead at the feet of Voldemort. Why hadn't he done anything? He could have bought himself more time, but he stood there, waiting for death, not doing anything. How could he do that to himself, to her? Barely able to keep herself from collapsing under the weight of her grief, Lily grappled at the door handle of Harry's room. Moments later, she stumbled inside and scooped up her son, in whose face she saw reflected her own eyes, those eyes James had always loved.

The door burst open.

Lily spun around, holding Harry tight to her chest. Her heart beat faster than ever before, and she felt a raging hatred for the figure standing before her, the wizard who had killed the man she loved. And he would kill her just as easily, and then her son…

No.

He would not get to Harry. He had taken James away from her, and now she would do everything in her power to save her son. She would duel him, kill him… Lily's breath caught in her throat. She had left her wand downstairs, where James had left his. The truth sank in then, deep and terrible. James hadn't done anything to save himself, not because he could not bring himself to, but because he couldn't. He was unarmed and yet he had faced death, in the hope that she and Harry would escape. And now it seemed his sacrifice had been in vain.

Lily gripped her son tighter as Voldemort let out a cackle of high-pitched laughter.

"Lily Evans," spoke the voice that had killed James.

"Please," she whispered. "Please leave."

"You may live," he said, "But I will kill your son."

"No!" she cried. "Please… just leave us. You've killed James already, please don't – please leave Harry, he's only a baby. Please not Harry."

"Stand aside," he commanded softly, raising his wand.

"Not Harry!" she screamed, feeling her son's heart beating fast against her skin. "Not Harry! Please, not Harry!"

Voldemort stepped forwards. "Stand aside, you silly girl."

Kill me, she wanted to beg. Kill me rather than my son. She would sacrifice herself for Harry if that was what it took. Harry would live. Harry would survive, whatever the cost. Please, Merlin, let him survive.

Voldemort advanced further. "Stand aside now."

"Not Harry!" she whimpered. "Please no, take me, kill me instead… NOT HARRY! Please… have mercy… have mercy…"

The shrill voice laughed, and Lily saw the terrible words form on his lips as she curled her back with her final act of love, shielding her son from the blaze of green light that consumed her.

Lily screamed as the spell tore into her, before falling backwards, lying broken on the floor.