AN/ Firstly I am so sorry for being gone so long. I promise I have not abandoned this story and it will get finished. There was a massive combo of writer's block, A-Levels and getting used to uni life that stopped me from writing this but I have a chapter for you! Yay! :) Okay so I will try and write chapters much faster now, but no promises. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for everyone who's stuck with me. Also at the bottom there is a little flashback scene that I felt like adding, just to remind people of how Dumbledore found out.
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"Okay, so the cases are packed, all the windows closed, the back door is locked, the fridge is empty. Have I forgotten anything?" Lily asked turning to look at James. Her husband was sitting on the sofa playing with Harry.
"Huh?"
Lily rolled her eyes, "Have I forgotten anything?"
"Didn't you write a list? You always write lists."
"No I don't. Not always. Now where you listening or not? Have I forgotten anything?"
James closed his eyes, going over his own mental check list. There was a small meow beside him and James' eyes shot open.
"Did you tell Bathilda that she needed to feed Misty?"
"Oh crap," Lily groaned. She ran a hand through her hair and spun around. "I need cat food, her bowls and her bed. James, can you help instead of just sitting there?"
"I'm looking after Harry, Lils. I am doing something."
"Of course you are."
Lily disappeared into the kitchen and started looking for everything Misty would need whilst she was staying at Bathilda's. It was finally the beginning of summer and Lily and James had managed to get two weeks off work in order to go away. They were planning on spending both weeks in France. One week would be just the three of them but after that their friends had decided to join them. The doorbell rang just as Lily started up the stairs to get Misty's bed.
"James, can you get that! Don't let Misty out though!"
"I know," James hauled himself off the sofa, and still holding Harry made his way to the door. Misty weaved in and out between his legs forcing James to bend down and pick the cat up. Juggling both the cat and his son, James managed to open the door. To his surprise he saw Dumbledore standing there.
"Professor, this is a surprise. Is there something wrong?"
"Yes. May I come in?"
"Of course," James took a step back allowed his old headmaster in and closed the door. "Lily will be down in a moment. Please sit down."
James indicated towards the living room and Dumbledore went. James followed him, dropping Misty back onto the floor as he did so.
"Is this about the Order? Because we're supposed to be going on holiday."
"Yes, it is."
"James, who was it?" Lily came back down. She dumped a bag in the hallway next to the cases and moved to the cupboard to get the cat carrier.
"Lils, come into the living room."
"Why? Who was at the door?"
"Professor Dumbledore. Lils, come on. He needs to talk to us."
"Oh," Lily appeared in the doorway. "Hello, Professor. We weren't expecting anyone."
"I know but this is urgent."
"Okay, do you want something to drink?"
"No, thank you. I cannot stay long. We have a problem. A prophecy has been made."
"What prophecy? Who made it?"
"A Seer. It is a prophecy about a boy born at the end of July to parents who have defied Voldemort three times. It is said that this boy will be Lord Voldemort's downfall."
"Right, and how does that concern us?" James frowned, bending forwards, being careful not to squash Harry. Lily was also frowning and staring at the floor. Suddenly her head shot up and she stared at Dumbledore.
"A boy born at the end of July? Did the Seer mean Harry? He was born at the end of July."
James' face paled at Lily's suggestion and he turned to stare at Dumbledore, "Professor?"
"It does not specify who the boy is, but Lord Voldemort does believe the prophecy to be about your son."
"So he'll try and kill him," James' face was grim. "We need to do something. Hide Harry or move country. I won't let him kill our son."
"And he won't," Dumbledore's voice was calm. He watched as Lily sat down and pulled Harry into her arms. The little baby grinned up at his mother, not realising how serious the situation was. "There is a spell that can be performed. It is called the Fiddelius Charm and makes the house unplottable. No one will know where it is unless your Secret keeper tells them."
"Our secret keeper?"
"The person you trust most to keep the secret of where you live," Dumbledore explained. He watched the young couple carefully. James was staring at the floor, hands clasped together. Lily on the other hand kept her eyes on Harry, who was still lying in her arms. After several minutes of silence Lily finally looked up.
"I assume we must perform this spell as soon as possible, Professor?"
"Yes, the sooner the better."
"And are you certain that the prophecy was talking about Harry?"
"No, but it has been made clear that Voldemort assumes it is talking about your son," Dumbledore told them, not wanting to elaborate on how he'd gained that piece of information. "However, I will also be making a visit to the Longbottom's after this. There is a chance that their son is also the focus of the prophecy."
"So we go into hiding?" James looked up as well. "Is that the only way we can ensure Harry's safety?"
"Yes. You will both have to stay in the house. It is too dangerous for you to continue going to work."
"What are we meant to do all day then? We need our jobs?"
Dumbledore sighed and got to his feet, "I don't know, Mr Potter, but you cannot go about your normal lives anymore. If you wish to protect your son, you will stay indoors. I will be back tonight to perform the charm. Please, have chosen your secret keeper by then. I would be willing to do it for you, but you can of course choose your own, as long as you trust them not to betray you."
Lily and James nodded and James got to his feet. He walked Dumbledore to the front door and saw him out before he returned to the living room. Lily still hadn't moved but eventually after James had sat down she spoke.
"Well, that was a shock. Might as well unpack the bags again."
She got to her feet and headed for the hallway, still clinging to Harry. James watched her but didn't say anything. His mind was reeling with what Dumbledore had just told them. He couldn't get his head around that his son, who wasn't even a year old was now being hunted by a mass murderer. How could a baby be harmful to a powerful wizard who'd killed hundreds, maybe even thousands of people? James got slowly to his feet and stumbled into the kitchen to make himself and Lily a cup of coffee.
Upstairs, Lily wasn't much better. She was still holding onto Harry, whilst trying to unpack and although knowing that it would go quicker if she set Harry down, Lily couldn't face it. The thought that there was a death sentence hanging over her son for just existing was horrifying. Even now there was a knot of dread starting to form in her stomach. In her arms Harry started to fuss and Lily was forced to sit down on the bed.
"It's okay, Harry," she cooed, bouncing him up and down. "Mummy's here. Everything's going to be okay. Everything-"
Lily faltered and bent her head. Tears prickled in the corner of her eyes and she tried to force them back, but failed. Everything from the past year came crashing down onto her in those few moments. The death of both their parents, the pressure from work and the Order and now the prospect of their son being top on a mass murderer's most wanted list. She didn't know how long she sat there, crying her eyes out but eventually James appeared in the doorway. He watched his wife for a second before moving towards her.
"Hey Lils," he bent down and put a hand on her face. "Stop crying. It's going to be okay."
"Why should I? James, our son is on a hit list. We have to go into hiding and quit our jobs! How is it going to be okay?"
"Because it's us," James placed his other hand on her face and forced her to look at him. "Lily, do you remember what I told you when we left school?"
"Yes."
"Tell me, then. What did I say?"
"That our luck will last forever," Lily's voice dropped.
"Exactly, and our luck will ensure that Harry survives. Trust me."
"I do, James, but just the thought of what Dumbledore told us is…" Lily trailed off and shook her head. "It's too horrible to think about."
"Lily," James moved so that he was sitting next to her and grabbed her hand, being careful not to disturb Harry. "I know it's scary and I am terrified about what might happen to Harry but we need to keep strong. We need to believe that we can do this and keep him safe."
"Okay," Lily nodded, slowly and took in a deep shaky breath.
"Okay, I made coffee, if you want to come downstairs. Put Harry down for his nap."
"No," Lily shook her head. "He is not leaving my sight."
"Okay then, we'll keep him with us. But come on. We need to process the information and then choose our Secret Keeper before Dumbledore gets back."
Lily nodded. She allowed James to help her to her feet and together they made their way downstairs. It took them almost an hour to feel like they could talk reasonably about the bombshell Dumbledore had dropped on them but even then it was a slow conversation. It was almost another two hours before they started on the subject about who would be their Secret Keeper.
"Sirius," James spoke quickly. "Without a doubt. It has to be Sirius. I trust him the most out of all our friends."
"What about Alice though? I trust her with my life."
"I trust her too, Lils, but she's also in danger. Dumbledore will probably suggest the same charm to her and Frank. Neville could also be the boy who is mentioned in the prophecy. Out of the three Maruaders who do you trust the most?"
"I don't know," Lily bit her lip. "What about Remus? I trust him a lot."
"More than Sirius? I know Padfoot would die for us before he gives us away. I'm sure of it."
"And Remus? What about him?"
"I trust him but-" James paused, glancing at the floor and then started again. "but Padfoot is my best friend and he would be my first choice for everything. You know he would do anything for us."
"I know," Lily sighed. "and I know that all three of your friends would give up their lives for us. Being in the order proves that. It's just-" she stopped and shook her head.
"I know," James pulled her into his arms, holding her as tightly as he dared with Harry between them. "It happened so fast and we're meant to be in France right now, but we can do this. We have to do this to keep Harry safe."
Lily took a shaky breath and then nodded, "Okay. Okay, I'll send a message to Sirius and ask him to come here."
It was almost eight that night when Dumbledore returned. He'd been to see Frank and Alice and had informed them of the prophecy. However, he hadn't had them perform the charm that he would cast over the Potter's cottage tonight. The Longbottom's weren't in as much danger as Lily and James so they hadn't needed a charm like the Fiddelius. Yet that didn't mean he'd left them unprotected. He'd performed numerous spells over their house that would protect them to a certain extent. However, Frank would never stop working and therefore the charms would not be as strong. At that moment, however, Dumbledore was more focused on Lily and James.
He watched the couple carefully. Harry was still in Lily's arms and Dumbledore wondered whether she'd actually put her son down at all since he'd left them that morning. Sirius was sitting next to them, a plate of food in his hands. He'd arrived just after lunch and James had explained the situation to him. At first Sirius hadn't said anything. How could his Godson be dangerous to a powerful wizard? Like Lily and James though, it had sunken in after a while but when James had asked him to be their Secret Keeper Sirius had refused.
"Why not?" James asked, staring at his best friend. "You're my best friend, Padfoot and there's no one who I'd trust more with my life and the lives of my wife and child."
"I know," Sirius sighed, exasperated. He didn't know how to properly tell James what he was worried about without making it sound like he was a coward. Sirius wasn't afraid; he would die before he let anything happen to his friends but there would be no doubt that everyone would know who the couple would choose. Sirius was the obvious choice and he finally mentioned it to James.
"So?" his friend asked. "Are you saying you don't want to do it?"
"No, I will, I would but why not use someone else. Volemort will come after me when he realised you've gone into hiding and I'm fine with that, but why not use someone else as your Secret Keeper? Someone they would never suspect."
"Like who?" James demanded, not very happy with this situation.
"Like Peter," Sirius smiled suddenly. "It would be perfect. No one will think of him. It's the perfect plan, James."
James hadn't been so sure but the more he'd thought about it, the more he saw the sense behind it. Sirius was right. Voldemort would go straight to Sirius and although James knew his friend would die before he betrayed them, they would be safer using someone else. Voldemort would spend his time trying to discover their location from Sirius that Peter would be safe. He'd spoken to Lily about it and she'd agreed. Sirius had also suggested that they didn't tell anyone of the swap other than Dumbledore who would be performing the charm for them.
"Shall we begin?" Dumbledore asked, not even sitting down.
"Yes," James nodded, standing up. "but we've made a slight change of plan. Peter will be the Secret Keeper instead of Sirius."
Dumbledore only nodded as Peter appeared from the kitchen.
"Very well then."
It was a stormy night, Dumbledore noted as he Apparated on to the hill. He saw Severus Snape standing in front of him, his back currently facing him. Dumbledore raised his wand not wanting to take any chances. There would be very few reasons why a Death Eater would contact him. The light from Dumbledore's wand caused Snape to fall to the ground and drop his wand.
"Don't kill me!" the man begged as Dumbledore walked around to face him.
"That was not my intention," Dumbledore spoke calmly facing his old student. "Well, Severus? What message does Lord Voldemort have for me?"
"No - no message - I'm here on my own account! I - I come with a warning - no, a request - please-"
Dumbledore flicked his wand at the trees and silence fell around them.
"What request could a Death Eater make of me?" Dumbledore asked, already suspecting what the cowering man wanted. There were two boys, as far as Dumbledore was concerned that the prophecy was talking about and Severus being here meant only one thing.
"The - the prophecy...the prediction...Trelawney…"
"Ah yes. How much did you relay to Lord Voldemort?"
"Everything - everything I heard. That is why - it is for that reason - he thinks it means Lily Evans!"
"The prophecy did not refer to a woman. It spoke of a boy born at the end of July-"
"You know what I mean!" Snape interrupted, now desperate for Dumbledore to understand. "He thinks it means her son, he is going to hunt her down - kill them all-"
"If she means so much to you, surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange for the son?" Dumbledore asked, wanting to know what Snape's answer would be.
"I have - I have asked him-" Snape sounded broken and Dumbledore couldn't keep the contempt and disgust out of his voice when he spoke.
"You disgust me. You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?"
Hide them all, then," Snape tried. He felt ashamed at what he'd asked the Dark Lord and Dumbledore's clear horror towards it, but he needed Lily safe. Even if the only way that Dumbledore would be willing to help was by saving them all, Snape would do it. "Keep her - them - safe. Please."
"And what will you give me in return, Severus?"
"In - in return?" Severus didn't need to think long for that answer. "Anything."
Dumbledore paused for a second before he nodded, "Your loyalty then, to me. Become a spy for me within Lord Voldemort's supporters and I will protect Lily Evans."
Dumbledore waited. He'd expected Severus to take several minutes to answer but his reply came within a few seconds of the request.
"I will do it. Just keep her safe."
Dumbledore nodded and Disapparated. Snape stayed where he was, the noise of the wind a comforting sound after the silence Dumbledore had created. Severus knew he was taking a risk, agreeing to work for Dumbledore but Lily was too important to him. Even if she had stopped caring for him, Severus knew he would love her till the day she died, and maybe even then.
AN/ Just a quick note to say that most of the words in the last section are JK. Rowling's and come from the Deathly Hallows book where Harry is looking at Snape's memories in the pensive. :)
