Author's Notes- hiya, y'all! This is chapter 31 of Lily's Lake, in which
Erika is born. Ok, some people may not the like fact that I'm giving Harry
a little sister, but hey, give it a try. It's not all that far fetched.
Anyways, this is the second to last chapter left. You'll all see how it
ends.
To my lovely reviwers- I think I confused quite a few of you. Someone asked about Ruth. I'm not supposed to tell you, but since it doesn't ruin anything, Ruth is Voldemort's grand daughter, and heir. And no body read TorQ's review (no offense), because it gives away the sequel. Well, go read it if you want. Anyway, there will be a lot of characters in the sequel that technically do not exist *please, don't kill me*. Although I think everyone wants to kill Peter, we can't, not until the whole Secret Keeper thing is over, so, yes, Peter's Worse Nightmare, I'll see if I can work it into the sequel. Anyone with problems to that, I am the author! Hahahaha. Allright, I'm done.
Disclamer- I own nothing. Basically all I have to my name are a few books, a few CDs, and a closet full of clothes. That is all! So, don't sue me, cuz I highly doubt you all want my $8.32. It all belongs to the wonderful Harry Potter people!
Without any more of my nonsense chatter, the chapter!
Lily's Lake
Chapter 31
It was mid October. Things were heating up all over England and the world. Voldemort was terrorizing families. There wasn't a day when you couldn't pick up the wizarding newspaper (or even the muggle newspaper for that matter) and read about something horrendous he had done (or "myserious forces" did in the muggle papers). Meanwhile, at our home in Godric's Hollow, James and I were preparing for the birth of our second child. Harry was wobbling around now, much to our pleasure. We knew we wouldn't be left out of Voldemort's rampage for long. We just hoped we would be left alone long enough to put the charm on ourselves.
"JAMES! JAMES POTTER!" I cried, walking into the back yard. "Hi, Lily, dearest," James said. "What are you doing, trying to break his neck?" I asked, scooping Harry up off the ground. I had caught James trying to put Harry on a child broomstick, again. "No. Come on, Lils, he's going to be a Quidditch player, being raised with parents like us," James said. "I don't want him on a broomstick until he's at least six. Those things are dangerous," I protested. "You're only saying that because you can't fly very well," James said, grinning playfully. I rolled my eyes. "Hiya Prongs, Lils!" I turned around to see Sirius strolling across the yard towards us. "Hello, Sirius," I said. "Padfoot, old buddy. When did you get here?" James asked. "Just now. What's happening?" Sirius asked. "Nothing," James answered. "I caught James trying to put Harry on a broomstick, again!" I said. "Ah, Lils, lighten up. Those brooms don't go much higher than three feet, if that," Sirius told me. I rolled my eyes and said, "Where's Anya?" "Probably at her house. How should I know, anyways? We're not on speaking terms right now," Sirius answered. "Did you get in another fight?" I asked, sighing. "You make it sound like a bad thing!" Sirius cried. James and I rolled our eyes. "I'm going to go see her," I said, "I don't know if I can trust you two to keep Harry off a broom." "Lils! I'm surprised! Don't you trust us?" Sirius asked, the two of them grinning. "Together, with broomsticks? Are you kidding? Of course not," I teased, and smiled. I went inside and took out the floo powder. I covered Harry's eyes, and jumped into the fire.
Anya's living room was empty. I set Harry down and looked around. "Anya? Are you home?" I yelled. "LILS!" Anya yelled, running into the room, "Hiya, Harry."
"Hi, Anya. I just decided to escape my house. I caught James trying to put Harry on one of those broomsticks. Honestly, Anya, he's going to break his neck one of these days," I said. "Lily, what do you expect? He's James Potter, he loves Quidditch, he'll want his son to play for the Hogwarts team, and he wants him to ride a broomstick very well," Anya told me. "I know. I just wish he would grow up. Harry can barely even walk," I said. "Lily, you should know this better than anyone. Those two do not grow up," Anya told me. "So, Anya, you and Sirius got in another fight?" I asked. "Who told you that?" Anya countered. "Sirius." "DON'T SAY THAT NAME! URGH!" Anya cried. "Ok, ok, I get the picture," I said, then added, "Honestly, you two fight almost as often as James and I did. and look at us." "LILY EVANS POTTER!" Anya cried, and hit me with a pillow. I grinned.
* * * A few days later As told by Anya Jones
"ANYA! WHERE ARE YOU?" I looked down the stairs to see Remus standing in the fire place. I ran down the stairs. "Hiya, Remus," I said. "Anya, Lily and James have a daughter," Remus said. "Really! That's awesome," I cried, "When was she born?" "This morning," Remus answered. "What's her name?" I asked. "I have no idea. Sirius told me, and I came here and told you. Sirius didn't tell me very much, other than they had a daughter, and she was born this morning," Remus answered. I smiled. "Listen, Anya, I gotta go continue my rounds of announcements to Peter. I gotta go, bye," Remus said. "Bye," I answered. Remus disappeared into the fire again, and I sat down on the couch. Lily and James had a daughter, and Harry had a little sister. "I wonder what they'll name her." I whispered to myself.
* * * The next day As told by Lily E. Potter
I sat in one of the hospital chairs in my room. James was out talking to some of the doctors, and Harry was asleep on the chair next to me. My new daughter is asleep in my arms. "Erika," I whispered. James came into the room, and nodded. "Is it done?" I asked. He nodded, solemly. He reached into the bag beside the chairs, and took out his invisibilty cloak. I handed my daughter to him, and wrapped her in the cloak. "She no longer exists," I whispered, "She is dead." James nodded, then said, "Lils, we know she's not dead. She'll be better off, we know she will." I nodded, and smiled. "Here, I'll take her," I said, and took our daughter from him, placing her in the baby seat we had fashioned for her. I hoped she would sleep, and not wake up crying, which would alarm people. She was supposed to be dead. It was heart breaking. I had a daughter, I finally had a daughter. And now, the world thought she was dead. "Come on, Lils, we got to get going. Dumbledore's expecting us home at five," James said. "Allright," I agreed, and picked up the baby carrier. James picked up Harry, and we went out into the hallway. "Lily, James, we're so sorry," one of the nurses said to us as we walked down the hall. I nodded, barely glancing down at the supposedly emtpy baby carrier. We walked to the fireplace, and took some floo powder. I went first, throwing the powder into the fire and making sure I had a strong wrap on the baby carrier I was holding. I stepped into the fire.
"Lily, so good to see you." I looked up from the fireplace to see Dumbledore sitting on the couch, in his usual robes. I smiled. "Hello, Professor," I said. "Did everything go off as expected?" Dumbledore asked. "So far," I answered, and set the baby carrier on the couch as James and Harry came through the fire place. "Professor," James said, then set Harry down. Harry grinned, and started crawling around. "James," Dumbledore greeted. "Is she allright?" James asked me. I smiled, and took the cloak off. She was still asleep, and looked as cute as ever. I nodded. "She's fine," I answered. "Ah, what a beautiful daughter you have, Lily, James," Dumbledore said, looking over at her. "Isn't she?" I asked. "What's her name?" Dumbledore asked. "Erika," I answered, "Erika Rose Potter." "A good name for a good girl. I do hope you are not backing down," Dumbledore said. "We're still going through with it. In a week, Erika will be gone," I whispered. The sound of pots and pans banging in the kitchen made us all turn around. "Oh no, Harry's gotten into the pots and pans again! Harry!" James cried, and ran into the kitchen.
* * * The next morning As told by Anya Jones
I was doing the dishes in my kitchen, when Sirius and Remus walked in. I smiled at Remus, and scowled at Sirius. "Hey. I was just about to go over to Lily's to see her new daughter, do you want to come?" I asked. "Anya, we have something to tell you," Remus said. "You tell me, I'm still not talking to him," I answered, and motioned in Sirius' direction. Sirius scowled, but sat down. "Lily and James' daughter, Erika I think, died last night, Anya," Remus said quietly. "You're kidding, right? She was barely a day or so old," I said, "You are kidding, right?" "I'm afriad not," Remus said, "We just heard." "Oh, gosh, Lils and James must be so depressed. I'm going to go over and see Lils," I decided. I went into the living room, aware of Sirius and Remus following. I lit a fire with my wand, and used floo powder to get to Lily and James' house.
* * * A moment later As told by Lily Evans Potter
I was sitting in the living room, resting after cleaning. Harry and Erika were napping up in Harry's room, and James was at work. I'd taken the day off since, after all, I was supposed to be in mourning. I heard a swish and turned to see Anya appear in the fire place. I stood up. "LILS! OH, MY GOSH! I JUST HEARD! I'M SO SORRY!" Anya cried, and ran over to hug me. "Huh?" I asked. "I just heard about your daughter. I'm so, so, so sorry. I know you always wanted a son and daughter," Anya whispered. I shrugged. So news travels fast in the wizard world. "What was her name?" Anya asked, "Remus said he thought it was Erika or something." "Her name's Erika Rose Potter," I answered, slowly, careful not to say anything that might suggest Erika was still alive. "That's a pretty name," Anya agreed, "So, um, how did she die?" "There was a problem, even with magic there wasn't much they could do for her," I said, sticking to the story James and I were telling everyone. "Oh, I'm so, so, so, sorry," Anya whispered. I merely nodded. A cry came from upstairs. I knew it wasn't Harry, Harry had a different wail. It was Erika. "Shoot," I thought. "What's that?" Anya asked. "Must be Harry woke up. I'll be right back," I said, and hurried upstairs. Sure enough, Harry was sound asleep. I went over to the other crib, and threw the cloak off. Erika was crying in her crib. "Sh, sh," I whispered, and picked her up. "Hey, Lils, do you have any lemonade?" Anya asked, walking into the room. "Shoot," I whispered. "I have a hankering for some. ah." Anya whispered, and looked from Harry (who was still sound asleep in his crib) to me, to Erika, and back again. "Anya, sit down. I need to explain something," I said. Anya quickly sat down in the rocking chair. "Anya, I'd like you to meet your god-daughter, Erika Rose Potter," I said.
"So, she's not dead?" Anya asked. "Anya, how can she be dead, you're holding her in your arms," I answered. I had just finished explaining the whole Erika thing to Anya, who was in utter shock. "You've got to understand why we couldn't tell you. Dumbledore made it very clear that the less people that know the better. You're not mad, are you?" I asked. "No, I understand. I'm just glad I know now." Anya whispered, and smiled down at Erika. "You can't tell anyone, not even Sirius, Remus, or Peter. Promise?" I asked. "I promise." "We'd better get Erika back under the cloak. She needs some rest now," I whispered. Anya nodded, and handed Erika back over to me. I quickly settled her in the crib, and threw the cloak over it. I stood there for a moment, then turned to Anya, smiling. "Come on, let's go get you that lemonade," I said.
* * * Later
Wormtail walked down a dark hallway, shuddering in the cold. He couldn't help grinning. The Potters were trusting him with their lives, and he would be his master's best servant, since, afterall, he was going to give him something he'd always wanted: the Potters. The huge doors loomed in front of him, and he gathered all his courage, and walked inside. "Wormtail?" "I bring you news, Master, about the Potters," Wormtail said in a loud voice, trying not to shake. His Master's eyes bore down on him. Wormtail was a bit more relaxed now then he was last time. Last time, not only had his master been with him, but his son and grand daughter. Three Riddles were too hard to stand. But this Riddle alone was enough to make a man crack. "I hope it is good news, Wormtail, for your sake." "The Potters had a daughter," Wormtail yelled. "A daughter?" "Yes, but." Wormtail stammered. "WELL? OUT WITH IT!" "She died, Master, shortly after her birth," Wormtail stammered. "Oh, what a pity. Tsk, tsk, what a pity." Wormtail cringed at his Master's black humor. However, he did not want to show it. He knew the punishment well enough. "Is that all, Wormtail?" "Yes, Master, that is all I have right now," Wormtail answered. "Wait, one thing. About the Secret Keeper, they are still using you, Wormtail, correct?" "Ye. yes, Master," Wormtail mummbled. "WHAT WAS THAT?" "Yes, Master," Wormtail yelled. "Good. How much longer?" "A week, I believe," Wormtail answered, "Perhaps sooner." "By November I shall finally have the Potters, and then nothing shall stop me!" Evil laughter filled the room, and Wormtail silently tried to back away. When happy or mad, his Master was a dangerous person. He quickly exited the room to be face to face with another Riddle. "I hope you gave my Lord good news," he said. Wormtail merely nodded. "Good, now run along, Worm," the man said, and ushered past Wormtail into another room. Wormtail hurried away from the hallway and back to the one room where he knew a fire would always be burning, so he could get out of this place soon. "The sacrfices one must make to stay alive these days," he thought, and took out some Floo Powder to exit.
* * * October 30th, 10:00 pm As told by Lily Evans Potter
"Where's Dumbledore? He's late!" I cried, pacing the floor in the living room. "He's not late, it's only ten," Anya said from the couch. "Don't worry, he'll be here," James told me, from where he sat with Erika. "Anya, can you go make sure Harry's asleep?" I asked, turning to look at my best friend. "I did that five minutes ago, remember?" Anya asked. "Oh, yeah. James, do we have everything Erika's bringing?" I asked. "Lils, you packed it. You tell us," James answered. "Oh, right," I whispered. "Come on, sit down. Don't be such a nervous wreck. Everything will be okay," James said. "It's just that, we're dumping our baby into the future, and then tomorrow morning we're going into hiding. WHAT ISN'T THERE TO BE STRESSED ABOUT?" I cried. There was a knock at the door. Anya nodded, and ran into the hallway to look through the peek whole. "It's Dumbledore," she called, and unlatched all the locks to open the door. "Ah, Miss Jones, such a pleasure to see you," Dumbledore said, sweeping into the house. "Same to you, Professor. Everyone's in the living room," I heard Anya say. The next second Dumbledore and Anya walked into the living room. James and I quickly stood. "Ah, Lily, James, good to see you," Dumbledore said. "You too," we mummbled. "Is everything ready?" Dumbledore asked. I nodded, and whispered, "Erika's right here." I motioned down to the baby carrier. "Allright, once I preform the spell you will be sent to London, in the future. You are not to talk to anyone, or let anyone reckognize you. Wear your hoods up at all times, leave Erika, and quickly step into the shadows. After fifteen minutes, wether or not Erika is dropped off or not, I will call you back. There is no way for me to know what is going on, so I can not help you. You are on your own there," Dumbledore said. "Is that clear?" We nodded. "Good, now, on a lighter note, let us begin," Dumbledore said. Anya smiled to us, and sat on the couch. I picked Erika up, and held her in my arms while James took my hand. We stationed ourselves against the back wall. "Ready?" Dumbledore asked, drawing his wand. We nodded. Dumbledore mummbled something, and the next thing I knew was a hard, hard, pulling.
* * * Next Second London, future As told by Lily Evans Potter
The pulling stopped, and I slowly opened my eyes. I wasn't in my living room anymore, I was in a dark alley way. I looked down. Erika was still asleep in my arms. "Lily, come on, we've got to hurry. We're on time limit," James whispered from behind me. I nodded, and handed Erika to James while I pulled up my hood, then took Erika back while James did the same. For once I was glad it was cloudy, and darker than usual. James and I slipped out of the alley and onto the street. The orphanage loomed in front of us. "Well, here we are," I whispered. James nodded, and said, "Lily, we've got to do this. It's best for her." "I know, I know." We walked slowly up to the steps. I kissed Erika on the forehead, tears forming in my eyes, and handed Erika to James, who did the same. "I can't believe I'm doing this," I thought, "I can't believe I'm doing this!" James set Erika down on the steps, wrapped in a blanket so she was warm. I quickly took a note out of my pocket, and read it over. Dear Finder, This is our daughter, Erika Rose Potter. She's a week old, and was born on October 13th. We love our daughter very much, and do not want to give her up. But we can not take care of her. Please, take care of our little girl, and remember, we love her very, very, much. The Potters I knelt down and tucked the note in the blanket, before opening the outer door to the orphanage and putting Erika in the space between the two doors, small, with a bench and light. "We love you, Erika," I whispered, and quietly shut the door. "Come on, Lils, we've got to go," James whispered, and put his arm around me. He led me back to the alley, where I fought back tears for the next few moments, until I felt the pulling again.
* * * The Potters' House, Godrics Hollow The next moment As told by Lily Evans Potter
The next second we were back home, standing against the same wall, Dumbledore pointing his wand at us, and Anya sitting on the couch, staring at us. "Is it done?" Dumbledore asked. "It's done. Erika is gone," I whispered, and turned to James to bury myself in his shoulder to cry. Anya stood and rushed over to me, comforting me. James and Anya were both crying. When I turned to look at Dumbledore, I saw a tear go down his cheek. "My work here is done. I hope to see you soon," Dumbledore said. We nodded. "Thank you," I whispered. Dumbledore nodded, and left.
The next morning James, Peter, Sirius, and I stood in the hallway, getting ready to do the Secret Keeper charm. (A/N- I lost my copy of the third book, so I have no idea what the charm is called.) "Are you sure you guys don't want anything to drink?" I asked. "No, thanks, I'm fine," Sirius whispered. James nodded in agreement. I turned to look at Peter. "How about you, Peter, do you want something to drink?" I aked, and smiled. Peter shook his head, and looked down at his feet. I frowned, but just shrugged. Sirius yawned. "Honestly, I don't know why I have to be here," Sirius yawned. "Oh, you made me make you be here. Besides, you have to cast the spell," James said, and swat Sirius playfully, while grinning. "Details, details," Sirius whispered. "Well, I think we should get this over with, then," I said. Everyone nodded. "I'll go get Harry," I said. A few minutes later James, Harry, and I stood on our doorstep. Peter stood in front of us, on the walkway, with his back to us. Sirius stood in front of all of us, facing us, his wand out. "Is the coast clear?" he asked. We nodded. He raised his wand, and muttered the spell. At first I wasn't sure if it was working. Then I suddenly felt strange, like I was invisible in a way. "Did it work?" I asked. Everyone nodded. "Good," James said, then called, "Anyone up for drinks now, to, you know, celebrate our victory?" Sirius nodded, and grinned. "Actually, I must get going," Peter said, "But I'll see you soon." "Bye, then!" we called, and waved. Peter disapparated with a pop.
* * * A few moments later
Wormtail stood in front of those huge doors, once again. Only this time he felt something different. He had a heavy weight on his shoulders, the lives of three people. One of those people happened to be his best friend, James, and the others were his wive and son, Lily and Harry. He shut his eyes and let out a sigh. He had to do this. He had to. He told the Dark Lord he would, and it was best for him! He was on the right side, the winning side! Why should he worry? With that thought he walked into the room, and looked up at his master. Right away, he began to shake. "Wormtail." His master snarled the name. "Master, they have done it. They have done it, Master. The Potters have made me their Secret Keeper," Wormtail cried. His masters lips formed into a demented type of smile. Wormtail cringed. "Finally, finally, I shall have the Potters. After all this time, all this waiting, I finally have them right where I want them." Wormtail waited. "The wait was not in vain. Very good, Wormtail, very good." Wormtail starred. Praise from his master was very, very rare. Usually, the only one he praised was his son, or his grand daughter, and that was very, very, rare. "We shall strike tonight. By tomorrow, each and every one of the Potters will be dead!" Again, the evil laughter filled the room. And, again, Wormtail backed out, scared of his master, and not believing what he had done. Was he sorry? Of course not, he had just assured his own safety. Even if it meant his best friend's life, he was safe. That was all that matters to him.
Author's Notes- who wants to kill The Rat? *thousands on top of thousands raise their hands*. Ahem, anyways, this was a bit longer. Come back next time for the next chapter. I'm hoping I can get some tears for the next chapter, since everyone knows what happens next (quite unfortunately). Well, I hope you liked how I dealt with Erika. you'll find out more later. There are a lot of holes in this story, but I hope to answer all of them in the sequel. But this story is not done yet! Come back for more! I really hope you liked this chapter. My thanks to my beta-reader, who is awesome. Now, everyone, click the little button thingy that says "REVIEW", and REVIEW!!!
Thanks a ton!
Additional comments can be sent to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com
L/J FOREVER!
To my lovely reviwers- I think I confused quite a few of you. Someone asked about Ruth. I'm not supposed to tell you, but since it doesn't ruin anything, Ruth is Voldemort's grand daughter, and heir. And no body read TorQ's review (no offense), because it gives away the sequel. Well, go read it if you want. Anyway, there will be a lot of characters in the sequel that technically do not exist *please, don't kill me*. Although I think everyone wants to kill Peter, we can't, not until the whole Secret Keeper thing is over, so, yes, Peter's Worse Nightmare, I'll see if I can work it into the sequel. Anyone with problems to that, I am the author! Hahahaha. Allright, I'm done.
Disclamer- I own nothing. Basically all I have to my name are a few books, a few CDs, and a closet full of clothes. That is all! So, don't sue me, cuz I highly doubt you all want my $8.32. It all belongs to the wonderful Harry Potter people!
Without any more of my nonsense chatter, the chapter!
Lily's Lake
Chapter 31
It was mid October. Things were heating up all over England and the world. Voldemort was terrorizing families. There wasn't a day when you couldn't pick up the wizarding newspaper (or even the muggle newspaper for that matter) and read about something horrendous he had done (or "myserious forces" did in the muggle papers). Meanwhile, at our home in Godric's Hollow, James and I were preparing for the birth of our second child. Harry was wobbling around now, much to our pleasure. We knew we wouldn't be left out of Voldemort's rampage for long. We just hoped we would be left alone long enough to put the charm on ourselves.
"JAMES! JAMES POTTER!" I cried, walking into the back yard. "Hi, Lily, dearest," James said. "What are you doing, trying to break his neck?" I asked, scooping Harry up off the ground. I had caught James trying to put Harry on a child broomstick, again. "No. Come on, Lils, he's going to be a Quidditch player, being raised with parents like us," James said. "I don't want him on a broomstick until he's at least six. Those things are dangerous," I protested. "You're only saying that because you can't fly very well," James said, grinning playfully. I rolled my eyes. "Hiya Prongs, Lils!" I turned around to see Sirius strolling across the yard towards us. "Hello, Sirius," I said. "Padfoot, old buddy. When did you get here?" James asked. "Just now. What's happening?" Sirius asked. "Nothing," James answered. "I caught James trying to put Harry on a broomstick, again!" I said. "Ah, Lils, lighten up. Those brooms don't go much higher than three feet, if that," Sirius told me. I rolled my eyes and said, "Where's Anya?" "Probably at her house. How should I know, anyways? We're not on speaking terms right now," Sirius answered. "Did you get in another fight?" I asked, sighing. "You make it sound like a bad thing!" Sirius cried. James and I rolled our eyes. "I'm going to go see her," I said, "I don't know if I can trust you two to keep Harry off a broom." "Lils! I'm surprised! Don't you trust us?" Sirius asked, the two of them grinning. "Together, with broomsticks? Are you kidding? Of course not," I teased, and smiled. I went inside and took out the floo powder. I covered Harry's eyes, and jumped into the fire.
Anya's living room was empty. I set Harry down and looked around. "Anya? Are you home?" I yelled. "LILS!" Anya yelled, running into the room, "Hiya, Harry."
"Hi, Anya. I just decided to escape my house. I caught James trying to put Harry on one of those broomsticks. Honestly, Anya, he's going to break his neck one of these days," I said. "Lily, what do you expect? He's James Potter, he loves Quidditch, he'll want his son to play for the Hogwarts team, and he wants him to ride a broomstick very well," Anya told me. "I know. I just wish he would grow up. Harry can barely even walk," I said. "Lily, you should know this better than anyone. Those two do not grow up," Anya told me. "So, Anya, you and Sirius got in another fight?" I asked. "Who told you that?" Anya countered. "Sirius." "DON'T SAY THAT NAME! URGH!" Anya cried. "Ok, ok, I get the picture," I said, then added, "Honestly, you two fight almost as often as James and I did. and look at us." "LILY EVANS POTTER!" Anya cried, and hit me with a pillow. I grinned.
* * * A few days later As told by Anya Jones
"ANYA! WHERE ARE YOU?" I looked down the stairs to see Remus standing in the fire place. I ran down the stairs. "Hiya, Remus," I said. "Anya, Lily and James have a daughter," Remus said. "Really! That's awesome," I cried, "When was she born?" "This morning," Remus answered. "What's her name?" I asked. "I have no idea. Sirius told me, and I came here and told you. Sirius didn't tell me very much, other than they had a daughter, and she was born this morning," Remus answered. I smiled. "Listen, Anya, I gotta go continue my rounds of announcements to Peter. I gotta go, bye," Remus said. "Bye," I answered. Remus disappeared into the fire again, and I sat down on the couch. Lily and James had a daughter, and Harry had a little sister. "I wonder what they'll name her." I whispered to myself.
* * * The next day As told by Lily E. Potter
I sat in one of the hospital chairs in my room. James was out talking to some of the doctors, and Harry was asleep on the chair next to me. My new daughter is asleep in my arms. "Erika," I whispered. James came into the room, and nodded. "Is it done?" I asked. He nodded, solemly. He reached into the bag beside the chairs, and took out his invisibilty cloak. I handed my daughter to him, and wrapped her in the cloak. "She no longer exists," I whispered, "She is dead." James nodded, then said, "Lils, we know she's not dead. She'll be better off, we know she will." I nodded, and smiled. "Here, I'll take her," I said, and took our daughter from him, placing her in the baby seat we had fashioned for her. I hoped she would sleep, and not wake up crying, which would alarm people. She was supposed to be dead. It was heart breaking. I had a daughter, I finally had a daughter. And now, the world thought she was dead. "Come on, Lils, we got to get going. Dumbledore's expecting us home at five," James said. "Allright," I agreed, and picked up the baby carrier. James picked up Harry, and we went out into the hallway. "Lily, James, we're so sorry," one of the nurses said to us as we walked down the hall. I nodded, barely glancing down at the supposedly emtpy baby carrier. We walked to the fireplace, and took some floo powder. I went first, throwing the powder into the fire and making sure I had a strong wrap on the baby carrier I was holding. I stepped into the fire.
"Lily, so good to see you." I looked up from the fireplace to see Dumbledore sitting on the couch, in his usual robes. I smiled. "Hello, Professor," I said. "Did everything go off as expected?" Dumbledore asked. "So far," I answered, and set the baby carrier on the couch as James and Harry came through the fire place. "Professor," James said, then set Harry down. Harry grinned, and started crawling around. "James," Dumbledore greeted. "Is she allright?" James asked me. I smiled, and took the cloak off. She was still asleep, and looked as cute as ever. I nodded. "She's fine," I answered. "Ah, what a beautiful daughter you have, Lily, James," Dumbledore said, looking over at her. "Isn't she?" I asked. "What's her name?" Dumbledore asked. "Erika," I answered, "Erika Rose Potter." "A good name for a good girl. I do hope you are not backing down," Dumbledore said. "We're still going through with it. In a week, Erika will be gone," I whispered. The sound of pots and pans banging in the kitchen made us all turn around. "Oh no, Harry's gotten into the pots and pans again! Harry!" James cried, and ran into the kitchen.
* * * The next morning As told by Anya Jones
I was doing the dishes in my kitchen, when Sirius and Remus walked in. I smiled at Remus, and scowled at Sirius. "Hey. I was just about to go over to Lily's to see her new daughter, do you want to come?" I asked. "Anya, we have something to tell you," Remus said. "You tell me, I'm still not talking to him," I answered, and motioned in Sirius' direction. Sirius scowled, but sat down. "Lily and James' daughter, Erika I think, died last night, Anya," Remus said quietly. "You're kidding, right? She was barely a day or so old," I said, "You are kidding, right?" "I'm afriad not," Remus said, "We just heard." "Oh, gosh, Lils and James must be so depressed. I'm going to go over and see Lils," I decided. I went into the living room, aware of Sirius and Remus following. I lit a fire with my wand, and used floo powder to get to Lily and James' house.
* * * A moment later As told by Lily Evans Potter
I was sitting in the living room, resting after cleaning. Harry and Erika were napping up in Harry's room, and James was at work. I'd taken the day off since, after all, I was supposed to be in mourning. I heard a swish and turned to see Anya appear in the fire place. I stood up. "LILS! OH, MY GOSH! I JUST HEARD! I'M SO SORRY!" Anya cried, and ran over to hug me. "Huh?" I asked. "I just heard about your daughter. I'm so, so, so sorry. I know you always wanted a son and daughter," Anya whispered. I shrugged. So news travels fast in the wizard world. "What was her name?" Anya asked, "Remus said he thought it was Erika or something." "Her name's Erika Rose Potter," I answered, slowly, careful not to say anything that might suggest Erika was still alive. "That's a pretty name," Anya agreed, "So, um, how did she die?" "There was a problem, even with magic there wasn't much they could do for her," I said, sticking to the story James and I were telling everyone. "Oh, I'm so, so, so, sorry," Anya whispered. I merely nodded. A cry came from upstairs. I knew it wasn't Harry, Harry had a different wail. It was Erika. "Shoot," I thought. "What's that?" Anya asked. "Must be Harry woke up. I'll be right back," I said, and hurried upstairs. Sure enough, Harry was sound asleep. I went over to the other crib, and threw the cloak off. Erika was crying in her crib. "Sh, sh," I whispered, and picked her up. "Hey, Lils, do you have any lemonade?" Anya asked, walking into the room. "Shoot," I whispered. "I have a hankering for some. ah." Anya whispered, and looked from Harry (who was still sound asleep in his crib) to me, to Erika, and back again. "Anya, sit down. I need to explain something," I said. Anya quickly sat down in the rocking chair. "Anya, I'd like you to meet your god-daughter, Erika Rose Potter," I said.
"So, she's not dead?" Anya asked. "Anya, how can she be dead, you're holding her in your arms," I answered. I had just finished explaining the whole Erika thing to Anya, who was in utter shock. "You've got to understand why we couldn't tell you. Dumbledore made it very clear that the less people that know the better. You're not mad, are you?" I asked. "No, I understand. I'm just glad I know now." Anya whispered, and smiled down at Erika. "You can't tell anyone, not even Sirius, Remus, or Peter. Promise?" I asked. "I promise." "We'd better get Erika back under the cloak. She needs some rest now," I whispered. Anya nodded, and handed Erika back over to me. I quickly settled her in the crib, and threw the cloak over it. I stood there for a moment, then turned to Anya, smiling. "Come on, let's go get you that lemonade," I said.
* * * Later
Wormtail walked down a dark hallway, shuddering in the cold. He couldn't help grinning. The Potters were trusting him with their lives, and he would be his master's best servant, since, afterall, he was going to give him something he'd always wanted: the Potters. The huge doors loomed in front of him, and he gathered all his courage, and walked inside. "Wormtail?" "I bring you news, Master, about the Potters," Wormtail said in a loud voice, trying not to shake. His Master's eyes bore down on him. Wormtail was a bit more relaxed now then he was last time. Last time, not only had his master been with him, but his son and grand daughter. Three Riddles were too hard to stand. But this Riddle alone was enough to make a man crack. "I hope it is good news, Wormtail, for your sake." "The Potters had a daughter," Wormtail yelled. "A daughter?" "Yes, but." Wormtail stammered. "WELL? OUT WITH IT!" "She died, Master, shortly after her birth," Wormtail stammered. "Oh, what a pity. Tsk, tsk, what a pity." Wormtail cringed at his Master's black humor. However, he did not want to show it. He knew the punishment well enough. "Is that all, Wormtail?" "Yes, Master, that is all I have right now," Wormtail answered. "Wait, one thing. About the Secret Keeper, they are still using you, Wormtail, correct?" "Ye. yes, Master," Wormtail mummbled. "WHAT WAS THAT?" "Yes, Master," Wormtail yelled. "Good. How much longer?" "A week, I believe," Wormtail answered, "Perhaps sooner." "By November I shall finally have the Potters, and then nothing shall stop me!" Evil laughter filled the room, and Wormtail silently tried to back away. When happy or mad, his Master was a dangerous person. He quickly exited the room to be face to face with another Riddle. "I hope you gave my Lord good news," he said. Wormtail merely nodded. "Good, now run along, Worm," the man said, and ushered past Wormtail into another room. Wormtail hurried away from the hallway and back to the one room where he knew a fire would always be burning, so he could get out of this place soon. "The sacrfices one must make to stay alive these days," he thought, and took out some Floo Powder to exit.
* * * October 30th, 10:00 pm As told by Lily Evans Potter
"Where's Dumbledore? He's late!" I cried, pacing the floor in the living room. "He's not late, it's only ten," Anya said from the couch. "Don't worry, he'll be here," James told me, from where he sat with Erika. "Anya, can you go make sure Harry's asleep?" I asked, turning to look at my best friend. "I did that five minutes ago, remember?" Anya asked. "Oh, yeah. James, do we have everything Erika's bringing?" I asked. "Lils, you packed it. You tell us," James answered. "Oh, right," I whispered. "Come on, sit down. Don't be such a nervous wreck. Everything will be okay," James said. "It's just that, we're dumping our baby into the future, and then tomorrow morning we're going into hiding. WHAT ISN'T THERE TO BE STRESSED ABOUT?" I cried. There was a knock at the door. Anya nodded, and ran into the hallway to look through the peek whole. "It's Dumbledore," she called, and unlatched all the locks to open the door. "Ah, Miss Jones, such a pleasure to see you," Dumbledore said, sweeping into the house. "Same to you, Professor. Everyone's in the living room," I heard Anya say. The next second Dumbledore and Anya walked into the living room. James and I quickly stood. "Ah, Lily, James, good to see you," Dumbledore said. "You too," we mummbled. "Is everything ready?" Dumbledore asked. I nodded, and whispered, "Erika's right here." I motioned down to the baby carrier. "Allright, once I preform the spell you will be sent to London, in the future. You are not to talk to anyone, or let anyone reckognize you. Wear your hoods up at all times, leave Erika, and quickly step into the shadows. After fifteen minutes, wether or not Erika is dropped off or not, I will call you back. There is no way for me to know what is going on, so I can not help you. You are on your own there," Dumbledore said. "Is that clear?" We nodded. "Good, now, on a lighter note, let us begin," Dumbledore said. Anya smiled to us, and sat on the couch. I picked Erika up, and held her in my arms while James took my hand. We stationed ourselves against the back wall. "Ready?" Dumbledore asked, drawing his wand. We nodded. Dumbledore mummbled something, and the next thing I knew was a hard, hard, pulling.
* * * Next Second London, future As told by Lily Evans Potter
The pulling stopped, and I slowly opened my eyes. I wasn't in my living room anymore, I was in a dark alley way. I looked down. Erika was still asleep in my arms. "Lily, come on, we've got to hurry. We're on time limit," James whispered from behind me. I nodded, and handed Erika to James while I pulled up my hood, then took Erika back while James did the same. For once I was glad it was cloudy, and darker than usual. James and I slipped out of the alley and onto the street. The orphanage loomed in front of us. "Well, here we are," I whispered. James nodded, and said, "Lily, we've got to do this. It's best for her." "I know, I know." We walked slowly up to the steps. I kissed Erika on the forehead, tears forming in my eyes, and handed Erika to James, who did the same. "I can't believe I'm doing this," I thought, "I can't believe I'm doing this!" James set Erika down on the steps, wrapped in a blanket so she was warm. I quickly took a note out of my pocket, and read it over. Dear Finder, This is our daughter, Erika Rose Potter. She's a week old, and was born on October 13th. We love our daughter very much, and do not want to give her up. But we can not take care of her. Please, take care of our little girl, and remember, we love her very, very, much. The Potters I knelt down and tucked the note in the blanket, before opening the outer door to the orphanage and putting Erika in the space between the two doors, small, with a bench and light. "We love you, Erika," I whispered, and quietly shut the door. "Come on, Lils, we've got to go," James whispered, and put his arm around me. He led me back to the alley, where I fought back tears for the next few moments, until I felt the pulling again.
* * * The Potters' House, Godrics Hollow The next moment As told by Lily Evans Potter
The next second we were back home, standing against the same wall, Dumbledore pointing his wand at us, and Anya sitting on the couch, staring at us. "Is it done?" Dumbledore asked. "It's done. Erika is gone," I whispered, and turned to James to bury myself in his shoulder to cry. Anya stood and rushed over to me, comforting me. James and Anya were both crying. When I turned to look at Dumbledore, I saw a tear go down his cheek. "My work here is done. I hope to see you soon," Dumbledore said. We nodded. "Thank you," I whispered. Dumbledore nodded, and left.
The next morning James, Peter, Sirius, and I stood in the hallway, getting ready to do the Secret Keeper charm. (A/N- I lost my copy of the third book, so I have no idea what the charm is called.) "Are you sure you guys don't want anything to drink?" I asked. "No, thanks, I'm fine," Sirius whispered. James nodded in agreement. I turned to look at Peter. "How about you, Peter, do you want something to drink?" I aked, and smiled. Peter shook his head, and looked down at his feet. I frowned, but just shrugged. Sirius yawned. "Honestly, I don't know why I have to be here," Sirius yawned. "Oh, you made me make you be here. Besides, you have to cast the spell," James said, and swat Sirius playfully, while grinning. "Details, details," Sirius whispered. "Well, I think we should get this over with, then," I said. Everyone nodded. "I'll go get Harry," I said. A few minutes later James, Harry, and I stood on our doorstep. Peter stood in front of us, on the walkway, with his back to us. Sirius stood in front of all of us, facing us, his wand out. "Is the coast clear?" he asked. We nodded. He raised his wand, and muttered the spell. At first I wasn't sure if it was working. Then I suddenly felt strange, like I was invisible in a way. "Did it work?" I asked. Everyone nodded. "Good," James said, then called, "Anyone up for drinks now, to, you know, celebrate our victory?" Sirius nodded, and grinned. "Actually, I must get going," Peter said, "But I'll see you soon." "Bye, then!" we called, and waved. Peter disapparated with a pop.
* * * A few moments later
Wormtail stood in front of those huge doors, once again. Only this time he felt something different. He had a heavy weight on his shoulders, the lives of three people. One of those people happened to be his best friend, James, and the others were his wive and son, Lily and Harry. He shut his eyes and let out a sigh. He had to do this. He had to. He told the Dark Lord he would, and it was best for him! He was on the right side, the winning side! Why should he worry? With that thought he walked into the room, and looked up at his master. Right away, he began to shake. "Wormtail." His master snarled the name. "Master, they have done it. They have done it, Master. The Potters have made me their Secret Keeper," Wormtail cried. His masters lips formed into a demented type of smile. Wormtail cringed. "Finally, finally, I shall have the Potters. After all this time, all this waiting, I finally have them right where I want them." Wormtail waited. "The wait was not in vain. Very good, Wormtail, very good." Wormtail starred. Praise from his master was very, very rare. Usually, the only one he praised was his son, or his grand daughter, and that was very, very, rare. "We shall strike tonight. By tomorrow, each and every one of the Potters will be dead!" Again, the evil laughter filled the room. And, again, Wormtail backed out, scared of his master, and not believing what he had done. Was he sorry? Of course not, he had just assured his own safety. Even if it meant his best friend's life, he was safe. That was all that matters to him.
Author's Notes- who wants to kill The Rat? *thousands on top of thousands raise their hands*. Ahem, anyways, this was a bit longer. Come back next time for the next chapter. I'm hoping I can get some tears for the next chapter, since everyone knows what happens next (quite unfortunately). Well, I hope you liked how I dealt with Erika. you'll find out more later. There are a lot of holes in this story, but I hope to answer all of them in the sequel. But this story is not done yet! Come back for more! I really hope you liked this chapter. My thanks to my beta-reader, who is awesome. Now, everyone, click the little button thingy that says "REVIEW", and REVIEW!!!
Thanks a ton!
Additional comments can be sent to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com
L/J FOREVER!