I do not own Harry Potter. All rights go to JK Rowling. This is not a one-shot, either, but rather a new story I am working on. This, like my other story, Daughter of Gryffindor, is an AU, though they are set in different universes.

It all happened one Halloween night.

James and Lily Potter celebrated the holiday in their own special way with their son, Harry. They were in hiding, so they couldn't celebrate the holiday publicly, but they were still determined to have their own fun.

It was Lily who summoned bursts of light with her wand for little Harry to play with in their living room, in his beloved playpen. He giggled and clapped with glee, and kept trying to grab at the lights. He didn't quite understand that he couldn't hold it, but that didn't stop him from trying.

"I think he'll be a Seeker, Lils. We already know he's good on a broom, and he seems to have a knack for catching small things." James said, sitting next to Lily in the pen.

"Good on a broom? The last time he was on one, he nearly ran into the cat! Poor Ashes was terrified all night after that." Lily retorted, trying to be serious. Her facade faded when James smiled at the memory, and she saw her son attempting to eat one of the lights. She burst into laughter, resulting in all of them laughing, though Harry was confused as to what was so funny.

The young couple played with their son for a while longer, then James took him upstairs to bathe him. Harry was a little afraid of being in the bath, so James would make goofy faces to alleviate his fear, which Harry adored.

After that, they gathered in the living room again, where James made puffs of colorful smoke come out from his wand, in an attempt to train Harry for being a Seeker in quidditch when he was older. Harry liked the game and tried his best to catch the smoke, and James was smiling fondly at his son.

Lily then came in and said, "It's someone's bedtime, love. You can make more smoke for him in the morning." She picked up Harry, kissed James on the cheek, and left the room to put Harry to bed.

James smiled and put a hand to his cheek, the one Lily had just kissed. Oh, if only fifteen-year-old James could see him now! Lily was all he wanted back then, that and to be the Captain of Puddlemere United, his favorite quidditch team. Now, all he wanted was for his precious family to be safe and happy, and for this awful war to be over.

He lightly threw his wand to the couch as he got up. Pumpkin juice sounded nice right now. It would be a proper thing to drink on Halloween, after all. He and Lily could have some after she came back from putting Harry to sleep. It'd be like their own little date night.

Just as James was walking to the kitchen, the front door suddenly burst open with a bang. James flinched and knew what this meant.

Voldemort had found them.

Without a moment's hesitation, James yelled, "LILY! HE'S HERE! TAKE HARRY AND GO! GO!" He prayed that she had heard him, and would follow his advice.

James turned towards Voldemort. He was wandless, and unable to defend himself, while Voldemort had a wand, and was arguably one of the most powerful people of the century.

But James was not afraid. He would never be afraid when it came to protecting Lily and Harry.

"I won't let you hurt my family!" He yelled, steeling himself up to appear strong in front of the murderous Dark Lord.

Voldemort only laughed. His eyes lit up as he raised his wand, and cast the Killing Curse.

James's body hit the ground, but his look of strength did not leave him as his life did. His face stayed true to his final expression, a brave, strong man.

Though Severus Snape had just learned of what Voldemort was planning to do that Halloween night, he did not waste any time by wondering what to do next. He apparated to Godric's Hollow and ran all the way to where the Potters resided.

But he was too late to save James Potter. He ran into the house, and only stopped when he saw the lifeless form of a man he had hated. Severus wanted to halt, to think more clearly about the death of his old enemy, he did not. If James was already killed, there was a chance that Lily and Harry were as well.

He heard an explosion from upstairs and sprinted up the staircase as fast as he could.

Please, Lily. Please still be alive. Please.

Severus followed the sounds of a woman pleading with Voldemort to let her son live, his heart hammering in his chest. Lily's voice… it had been so long since he had heard it aloud…. It was as beautiful and fiery as he remembered.

Severus crept behind Voldemort, just far enough away so that he would not hear him approach. His dark clothes and hair kept him hidden well in the shadows. He saw Lily standing in front of a crib, containing her son. As Voldemort told Lily to move aside, Harry locked eyes with Severus.

His eyes.

Lily's eyes.

Severus felt a rush of emotion for the child. He had been a fool to despise Harry for his father, Lily would make sure her son did not end up like James had when they were in school. She would raise her son to be like her.

She would raise her son.

As Voldemort raised his wand and uttered the deadliest of the Unforgivable Curses, Severus cast a spell on Lily herself, with his own wand. It was a wordless one, but the light from his wand was the same as the Killing Curse.

Lily fell to the ground, frozen. Her eyes remained open, giving her the look of a dead woman.

Voldemort turned around and spotted Severus.

"What are you doing here, Snape? You went against my orders?" He asked, holding his wand at his side. Severus knew he had to say his next few words very carefully.

"My Lord, I only wanted to help you. I have just received word that this child is not the one you are looking for. I did not want you to waste your power on worthless excuses for witches and wizards." Severus said, hiding the quiver in his voice.

Voldemort looked amused. "You wanted me to conserve my strength? Do you have any faith in me and my power?" He asked, his voice sounding dangerous.

Severus nodded. "Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort fingered his wand. "Even if you are correct, I have already vanquished his parents. I might as well make an example of the whole family, shouldn't I, Severus?" he asked.

Severus said nothing.

"Or, have you just come here to protect her? I remember you were in love with her when you were young. Is that why you came here tonight? To protect that filthy mudblood?"

Severus felt his blood boil. That word….

He himself raised his wand to Voldemort.

"You will never call Lily Potter that word, ever again."

And with that, Severus Snape and Voldemort fired spell after spell at each other, Severus fighting with a fury even he did not know he possessed. All the while, he had been slowly moving closer and closer to Lily and Harry.

He cast a powerful shield charm around himself and the Potters, careful not to step on Lily, who still lay frozen on the ground. She still possessed her sight, even while under the spell, but would not be able to move herself out of the way for Severus to duel.

Voldemort smiled yet again. He knew Severus's strength was waning, he had been sent out on a mission for him only hours before. And he had used the rest of it in this duel, so he was sure to fall any moment now.

But Severus did no such thing. His spell eventually faded, but he stood tall in front of Harry Potter.

"You shall not hurt this child. Not as long as I love him." He said, looking Voldemort in the eyes.

"Love shall be your undoing, then, Severus." Voldemort cackled. He then struck the brave wizard with a spell, rendering him dead.

Severus fell to the ground, his last sight being Lily's hand as he fell beside it.

Voldemort raised his wand once more and tried to hit Harry with the Killing Curse, but the spell rebounded. Voldemort himself disappeared, leaving Harry Potter as the Boy-Who-Lived.