Disclaimer : This work is a fanfiction based off of the Harry Potter Universe created by J.K Rowling. Any Characters, plots and settings already established in this universe belong exclusively to her. I do not nor will I ever claim ownership over them.

I'd also like to point out that the formatting of the location, time and date of each scene is taken from ACI100 with his permission, somebody that I follow on Discord. His stories are truly a work of art and inspired me to write my own so I'd advise also checking his profile out on this site. This will eventually turn into a Multi POV story like his so it is there so as to not completely confuse people. His formatting makes sense and is easy to follow.

Feel free to leave reviews letting me know your thoughts on each chapter or on the story as a whole as I dive further into it. Praise and constructive criticism are both welcome, though outright insults over my writing are not. Anyone who has attempted to write a story knows how much harder it is than it looks and we are all nervous to put our work into the world. We don't need to be made to feel like crap.

The same goes for any mistakes you may find like punctuation, grammar or spelling. I do make it a point to re-read my work thoroughly but there may be things I miss because I am not a robot so feel free to point out things I may have missed if you spot anything. Don't go batshit insane over it like I've seen some people do on here for other works.

Thanks and Enjoy.

Harry Potter and The Forsaken's Awakening

By

Year One - The Diverging Paths

Chapter One - May Merlin Have Mercy On Your Souls

31st October, 1981

Godric's Hollow

9:21 pm

Halloween had always been a holiday that she disliked, for as long as she could remember celebrating it.

She certainly didn't hate it. It was a holiday, after all. It just didn't appeal to her like it did to apparently everyone else. She really didn't know what all the hype was about.

There were many reasons she disliked Halloween, the first being the time of year it took place in. Autumn was by far her least favourite season of the four. It marked the end of the glorious, sunny days filled with warm and clear-blue skies, bringing dull grey days and chilly weather, yet not cold enough to wear a winter jacket without sweating like a pig in a slaughterhouse.

Trudging through piles of damp leaves was the absolute worst. She wasn't the tallest for a woman, only being five foot five, and she often got caught deep in the leaves when they were in her path. It frustrated her to no end when the leaves would get stuck underneath her shoes, on her clothes or in her hair. How other people willingly jumped into them with massive grins on their faces, she would never know.

At least with winter, there was the appeal of gorgeous layers of snow, and it was cold enough that wrapping up insulated just enough heat so that you were warm without feeling as though you were an ice lolly just waiting to melt into a puddle of goo.

The second reason for her hatred of Halloween was that it was celebrated only at night. For as long as she could remember, darkness had been a fear of hers. Not the biggest - not since she was six anyway - but a pretty big one nonetheless.

Only when she had started sleeping alongside her dormmates in Gryffindor tower had she been able to sleep without any lights on.

The dark always put her on edge, like it was just waiting for her to relax before swallowing her whole and claiming her soul.

It made her shiver just thinking about it; every time she had to go outside at night for whatever reason was a mentally draining challenge in of itself. Her senses were always hyperactive, just waiting for the slightest sign of danger so that she could start running or even apparate home. Her thoughts flying a million miles an hour. Her hand tightly gripping the wand in her pocket.

The third reason was trick-or-treating. She was convinced that whoever had made up that stupid tradition was a psychopath. Who voluntarily wanted to be scared by adults answering their door in costumes and sometimes masks?

She hadn't enjoyed that bit before she found out she was a witch. Now, with the death eaters and Voldemort running around, it would cause her to instantly lash out with her wand and curse the person standing before her, magical or not.

Then there were the people that fully decided to take part in Halloween, dress up in ridiculous costumes and everything, and then not give out any sweets. Like, seriously? What is the point? You get kids hopes up like that acting like a complete idiot for their entertainment only to disappoint them? Twats.

That's why she didn't bother, and hadn't since she'd turned eleven and gone to Hogwarts. She'd been let down more than a few times by adults like that and honestly, the sweets were the only saving grace of the entire thing. She just didn't see the appeal without them.

And don't even get her started on Samhain …

That was even more pointless. All wizarding traditions were, in her opinion. They were old, boring and outdated.

Then again, everything in the wizarding world was pretty backwards. Parchment and quills and marriage contracts and Noble Houses and robes of all things. It was like living in the bloody middle ages, if the brief muggle history lessons she'd had were anything to go by.

At least women were treated much better then they would've been back then. They had jobs, even high up in the government, and most definitely had a voice and options. They most certainly weren't expected to be married and with child as they hit their teenage years either, which could only be a bonus.

Still, it wouldn't kill the wizarding world to be more progressive, like the muggle world. Writing with quills and parchment when pen and paper were available was just plain ignorance. And she doubted she'd find a pureblood who had a clue about electricity, and that had been around for ages.

James and Sirius had been in awe when she introduced it to them.

Those thoughts hadn't endeared Lily to many purebloods at Hogwarts, nor the more traditional halfbloods, not that she had cared much. She'd never been afraid to speak her mind. If she took issue with something or someone she would say something.

It was her bravery that sorted her into Gryffindor, after all.

Luckily though, James had been completely taken with her, and she him, from early in her Hogwarts years. He was always so goddamn attractive in her eyes, but she had, with difficulty, managed to restrain herself long enough for him to become as amazing on the inside as he was on the outside. She had insulted him until he got the hint, as much as it pained her to do so.

She had never hated him, despite what everyone else believed, and actually had found some of his pranks quite funny, when there wasn't malicious intent involved.

It had become rather obvious from the get go that it would be almost impossible for her to become anybody in the Wizarding World without a pureblood backing her. That wasn't to say that she had only married him for his name, because she very much loved him and the life they were building together, but it certainly didn't hurt that doors which were previously closed because of the stigma against muggleborns, were now open.

But things were different now. All because of fucking Voldemort.

The war raging across Britain meant that going out into magical areas these days was dangerous, especially for somebody like her, who abhorred everything Voldemort and the Death Eaters (Voldemort's followers) stood for.

The fear and terror instilled in everyone meant that most people were afraid to even say Voldemort's name, let alone fight. They were being picked off one by one. Too many of their fighters were dead, their political support crippled and their organisation believed to be infiltrated by one of Voldemort's spies. It was hard not to think that it was simply over a matter of time before they lost.

The only thing keeping them from that reality was Albus Dumbledore.

Brilliant Dumbledore, who had managed to halt Voldemort by himself on numerous occasions. Dumbledore, who had done everything he could to keep them safe. Dumbledore, whom she trusted in completely. Dumbledore, who had managed to keep the contents of the prophecy away from Voldemort.

Ah, the prophecy …

It was the bane of her existence. The antithesis of everything she believed in. How was she supposed to feel about the fact that war was in her children's futures? Despite the fact that only one of them was the prophecy child, she was sure they would grow up at the hip and be inseparable, because she would make sure of it. There was no way one of them would leave the other to fight a war alone.

Lily had absolutely zero wish for her babies' relationship to be anything like her and Petunia's one.

She didn't know what was worse. The fact that Voldemort believed in the prophecy and had now started coming after her family personally, or that it would take decades of relentless training before either of her sons were able and ready to stand against Voldemort, as she knew they would.

Maybe it was actually the fact that Voldemort was willing to kill an innocent baby just because of a mad woman's ramblings. She had seen Voldemort with her very own eyes, and simply couldn't understand how someone so … beautiful could be so monstrous.

And why did it have to be her children? Why couldn't it be someone else's child? As bad as it sounded, she would put another child in Voldemort's sights in an instant if it kept her babies away from that monster.

Regardless, Voldemort coming after them meant that they had to hide under the Fidelius Charm, thus resulting in their current situation.

Now she barely left the house, and when she did it was only for an hour or so when they needed food or things for her boys.

It was suffocating and stifling them.

Neither she nor James were very introverted people. They both loved being outside and doing things with their lives. James was getting restless and becoming frustrated and Lily couldn't say that she wasn't either. They were getting into pointless arguments over nothing, though both knew the other never meant anything of it and they never ever went to sleep angry with the other. The situation, no matter how necessary, was draining the life out of them and they hated it.

Being locked up in hiding was no way to raise children, either. Neither Harry nor Evan had any interaction with other children, and she dreaded to think what their social skills would be like at Hogwarts if she and James had to keep hiding for another ten years.

What was the point of living in the admittedly beautiful village of Godric's Hollow if they couldn't even go out and enjoy it?

At least they had their friends who came around often enough that they didn't go completely insane with boredom. Remus, Peter, Sirius and Diana.

Remus was often out trying to convince the werewolves to join the fight against Voldemort, which wasn't going as well as hoped, for about a month at a time. He'd been away for three weeks, and he wouldn't be back for another week or so.

Peter came over after work once or twice a week. Most days he scoured Knockturn Alley after his work hours gathering intel for them from the Death Eaters and their sympathisers that gathered there. His animagus form was rather useful and unassuming for that kind of job.

Sirius was over more often than not. Maybe because Diana - his girlfriend for over a year now - liked coming over. Maybe it was because he missed James at the Auror department, a job which she still wasn't sure how he'd managed to get in the first place with the way he messed around. It was rare for Sirius to come over less than four times a week.

It was Diana who came over the most, though. A new friend of theirs that they had met seventeen months ago roughly (a couple months before her twins had been born) when she had joined the Order. All of them had been rather distrusting of her, Dumbledore especially for some reason, but she had more than proved her loyalty since. Within three months she and Sirius were dating, and she had somehow kept him grounded ever since.

Maybe it was because she had come from seemingly out of nowhere and had graduated at Durmstrang that Dumbledore had trusted her so little to begin with, a school known for teaching the Dark Arts.

Lily doubted it though, if only for the rather strange fact of Dumbledore needing the physical evidence of her O.W.L and N.E.W.T scores and had followed up with the Highmaster of the school before beginning to accept her as a member. And if Dumbledore could accept her, then she could, too.

And there was no denying that Diana had been extremely valuable to their side, more so than anybody else. She had single handedly brought down entire safehouses belonging to top Death Eaters and Voldemort. Where Diana managed to get her information, Lily had no idea. She suspected Diana used her skills learnt from Durmstrang to do so. Whatever it was seemed to be between herself and Dumbledore.

It was a smart move on her part, what with there seemingly being a leak within the Order which had led to Diana's capture by Voldemort in her own home. She had been tortured for three days before being rescued only on her own prior information about the place she was being held at.

Yet despite suffering at Voldemort's hands, she hadn't broken, hadn't said anything that could hurt the Order or its members. Yes, Diana had more than proved her worth to the entire Order. Dumbledore had trusted her fully after that, she was certain.

Diana absolutely loved kids, hers in particular. Lily often thought that they were the reason she came over so often, and to be honest, they probably were, seeing how Diana had told her in confidence that she couldn't have the children she had always wanted. The woman adored Harry, which Lily could understand.

There was just something about him that drew you in.

He was special, Lily knew. Deep in her heart, she knew that he was the one the prophecy described. He was always so in tune with everything and only cried when he was tired or hungry, unlike Evan who cried what felt like all the time.

His eyes, a darker shade of green than her own, seemed to hold so much knowledge in them already, even though it should be impossible. He was still a baby, after all, but it felt like he always knew what was going on.

It didn't help that he was a beautiful baby, either. Both boys were, to be fair to Evan, and he would be handsome when he grew up. But Harry would truly be a heartbreaker, she could tell. She would have to keep the girls away from him with a stick soon enough.

Although, maybe the little one that had already been growing inside her for three months could help with that.

She couldn't wait to watch them all grow up. Seeing them off to Hogwarts would be one for the memory book, and hopefully she would be going with them as a teacher, probably in Runes, Arithmancy or Muggle Studies, seeing as Flitwick had no plans to retire anytime soon.

Her boys would be sorted into Gryffindor together, obviously. Sharing a dorm together they would be best friends. Them and little Neville Longbottom. She would be able to see them thriving in their classes, because how could they not, being hers and James's? She would see them navigate through their teenage years and start noticing girls. Potentially she could watch them fall in love and she would watch them graduate and start their adult lives in whatever fields they chose. She would watch them marry and have children of their own.

That would be the hardest part of it all, Lily thought. She was easily the woman they replied upon the most right now, being their mother, but one day she wouldn't be. Their wives would take over that role when the time came. The day they no longer needed her would be tough to deal with.

That was years and years away, though, so there was no point thinking about it just yet. For now they were simply her little angels.

Smiling at that thought, Lily re-entered the living room, having left to use the bathroom, and the sight before her only pulled her cheek muscles up further.

James and Sirius were sitting beside each other on the couch chatting animatedly, the former bouncing a giggling Evan on his thigh while Sirius was conjuring bubbles that glinted through the colours of the rainbow in the light which Evan was trying to catch in his tiny little fists.

Diana was on the armchair next to them, a sleeping Harry in her arms. He always seemed extra motivated to expend as much energy as possible whenever he was with her so that he could fall asleep in her arms. Like her being there pushed him to try harder. It was almost eerie and yet so endearing at the same time.

There was a look of pure adoration on Diana's face when she looked down at him. If she were anybody outside of her own circle, she would think that Diana was Harry's mother, the way the woman looked at him. Harry loved her and she loved him. She trusted Diana with his life.

It was why she had asked her to be Harry's godmother.

A quick glance of the clock hung up on the wall above the fireplace told her that it was coming up to half nine, her babies' bedtime.

Her entering of the room again drew the attention of the other adults.

"Bedtime, my little angels," she sing-sung. James quickly stood and handed Evan to her after she'd held her hands out for him, knowing the other woman would bring Harry.

She got to the door before she realised that Diana hadn't moved yet.

"Are you coming, Diana?"

As she turned, Lily noticed Diana fiddling slightly with the ring on the finger that she had received from her mother on her seventeenth birthday.

"Yes, sorry. Harry was playing with my ring earlier as usual so it was the wrong way round. I didn't want to accidentally hurt him when I picked him up."

Diana stood, cradling Harry in her arms and followed after her.

The walk to the bedroom didn't take long. The silence was comfortable between them as they entered the boys room together.

Lily had just laid Evan down and had taken Harry from Diana's arms when there was an almighty crash coming from below and after a moment, the love of her life shouted a phrase that caused her heart to clench in fear.

"Lily, Diana, it's them! Take the boys and run! We'll hold them off!"

For a moment she couldn't move. Couldn't even breathe.

It was a moment that was broken by Diana.

"I'll help them buy you time. Get the boys and go."

Then she was gone.

Lily burst into action and moved like a woman possessed, snatching up her children, who were now both awake, and raced over to the portkey she kept up here, hidden high and well enough that her boys would never accidently find and move it, for they would never know the passcode to activate it. She despised the thought of leaving her husband and friends behind, but her children always had and always would be the most important things in her life since the moment they had been born and their safety would always come first.

Even at the cost of their lives.

They all knew that the children would always be the first priority no matter what. No matter how bad it made her feel. No matter how much she wanted to cry at the injustice of it all. Of knowing that she would probably never see the man she loved ever again.

As she went to activate the portkey, her eyes already watering, Lily could only think two thoughts.

The first, was that she hoped that merlin would have mercy on their souls.

The second …

She fucking hated Halloween.

Author's Endnotes :

Hopefully other AN's will not be nearly as long as this one, perhaps a comment or two about the chapter, but seeing as this is the very first chapter, I wanted to make some things clear going forward.

Many of the characters in this story starting out will be advanced for their age, speech wise and competence wise in things like politics, etiquette, customs, etc. I can't write an eleven year old and the closest thing I have to interacting with one is my eight year old sibling who is exceptionally intelligent and advanced for her age, to the point where she teaches me things that most adults don't know, like coding and graphic animation, to name a couple things.

This story is going to follow a lot of the tropes commonly associated with a WBWL fanfiction, simply because they are some of my favourite stories to read when it isn't mindless bashing of everyone in the most childish way possible (Dumb-as-a-Door/Dumbles).

This will not be a WBWL fanfiction. As you can tell from the summary, Harry is not the BWL, nor will he ever be the BWL. There is no ambiguity or debate about it. Evan Potter is the BWL in this story.

Speaking of Evan Potter, he won't be completely incompetent in this story like most WBWL fanfics tend to portray Harry's twin as. He will be competent in certain areas at the beginning, in some areas I might not show straight away, and his competency will only grow as the story goes on. That's true for most of the characters in this story. In canon, I honestly felt like only ten characters maximum were shown to have any degree of competency when it comes to casting magic in all seven books. Only three of those were students, and they were Hermione, Fred and George. I am willing to debate this with people if they particularly aggrieved by that.

In this story, the majority of the characters will be more competent all the way through. Not bumped up to the level that some characters will be, but they will be better. There will also be more magic thrown around then the Unforgivables, Expelliarmus, Stupefy, Protego and Expecto Patronum.

I will try to keep the original cast as close to their canon counterparts in terms of personality as I can manage with some exceptions for the sake of the story, because some characters' intentions will be different, and there will be character development so some people will definitely move away from how they are shown in canon.

This will be a long, slow paced story. If that isn't your thing, don't rant at me in the reviews, because that isn't going to change. If a particular scene feels out of place or lacks flow, you can bring it up in a respectful way. The next few chapters will feel like an absolute slog, because they have been done to death and are so cliched at this point, but I will try my best to subvert them and make the inevitable Diagon Alley and Hogwarts Express and Sorting Chapters as unique as I can because they are necessary for the story.

As for updating this story if that is something people want, I can't give a definitive time frame because of other obligations that life unfortunately brings, but I will get them out when I can, so stick around and an update will come. I don't have any plans to abandon the story.

And lastly, I want to shout out some fanfics that have had the most influence on this one for one reason or another:

Harry Potter and the Ashes of Chaos by ACI100

Crashing Into Darkness by Sectumus Prince

Harry Potter and The Zodiac Charms by PulsarDragon

Harry's Secret Friend by James Spookie

Harry Potter and The Lightning Lord by Colt01

Power, Freedom and a French Flower by Mari99

Until Next time.