AN: Longus tempus, non video! That means: long time, no see (with
incorrect grammar and the Latin language)(which is definitely getting to my
head!) Welcome (back), everyone! I did not intend for this chapter to be
very long. It came out the way it did, and that's that. If you are all at
confused about anything that happens in this chapter, feel free to email me
at sb217@comcast.net. I will be more than happy to answer your questions.
Also, note that I have decided to skip to his seventh year, not his fifth. There will be one more chapter and then we will jump to the future. Does anyone know when that was supposed to happen? 1997? Maybe? Thanks!
Lastly, the title for chapters six through eight are from the poem "Tiger, Tiger" by William Blake.
Disclaimer: Again, all Harry Potter materials belong to Goddess JKR and not me. *Sigh* I need a life. If anyone has one for sale, I'll buy it.
Shadow Child
Chapter Seven: Deadly Terrors Clasp
Phoenix Cottage, Godric's Hallow; Saturday, October 31, 1981, 9:00 P.M.
It was too quiet. Sirius peered around the dusty room. The taped up windows and torn apart chairs were only part of the reason the villagers avoided this place.
"Peter?' he called, "Peter?"
There was no reply. The door at the rear of the house was pushed open, ever so slightly.
"Peter, this isn't funny!"
The wind rustled the curtains on the window by the ajar door. The floorboards creaked as Sirius moved across the room, the dust muffling most of the noise. He peaked out the back door. There was no one in sight. It reminded him of the time over five years ago, when the Marauders had first transformed.
/// "Why do I have to go first? I'm not brave enough for this," Peter had whined.
"Because. You're the littlest. Go on!" James cheered.
"I hate being the smallest," he complained. "I always have to do this stuff."
"Just go. Or we'll transform you."
Peter shot his friends an annoyed look, but they waved him on. Peter took a deep breath and transformed into his pudgy rat form.
They all applauded, "Way to go, man!" shouted Sirius.
Peter, or Wormtail, slipped under the boisterous branches to press the knot. The tree stilled. Wormtail crawled into the hole and slid down the path. Sirius gave a whoop of joy and followed his overweight friend down the pipe, after transforming himself into a shaggy black dog, which he called Padfoot.
James slid down last. He came out of the pipe as himself and transformed into a stag, named Prongs, at the other end of the tunnel, for fear that he, his antlers, or some other part of his transformed body would have snagged on the way down.
James pattered over to the door at the rear end of the house. It was already open, so he nudged it further with his muzzle. He put one paw rather ungracefully out in the grass. The others followed him.
"Where do you think he is?" Sirius wanted to ask, but the three of them had not yet worked out how to communicate with each other. So Padfoot assumed the led with Prongs galloping in pursuit and Wormtail left to scurry after them.
Slowly, nervousness began to creep in. Remus was nowhere in sight. He was supposed to be in the Shrieking Shack, not out exploring. It was too dangerous.
Sirius darted off, growling menacingly at the remaining two when they attempted to follow him. The message got through and the trio split.
Padfoot barked. A howl was heard in the part of the Forbidden Forest that lingered at the edge of Hogsmeade. He crept cautiously towards the dark, intriguing place.
The howl came again. The hairs on the dog's back stood up on end. He tensed with his ears perked up and listening for the slightest clue of something out-of-place. He placed one paw in the forest, then the other, then the last two.
Something slithered under one of the trees, leaving a glistening trail of slime. An owl hooted from the treetops. Something even further in the distance seemed to whistle like a Sneak-A-Scope, but with a mysterious threat to it.
A light breeze ruffled the forest floor and carried with it the haunting sounds from all around. The dead leaves quivered ever-so-slightly in the wind and fell softly to the ground.
Padfoot took another step forward. The ground on which he had stepped gave way to a squishy puddle of mud. He pulled his paw up. If he knew how to raise his eyebrow as a dog, he would have. The green muck dripped off his dangling foot giving off a revolting smell of rotten milk and a cat litter box that had not been cleaned for a long time. Even though he had not tried it, or even thought about trying it, the taste lingered on his tongue.
Another growl came from behind him.
Sirius jerked around. There stood Remus, clad with full werewolf attire. Sirius had been so caught up with the sounds around him, that he had almost skipped over the sound of Remus' footsteps.
Remus growled one last time, and then he lunged. His aim was for Sirius' neck, but it was untrue and wavered to hit his friend's collarbone. Sirius barked furiously, fighting off Remus, while trying alert the others to come to his aid.
The two dogs held each other at bay. Then Prongs appeared followed shortly by Peter. But the fight went on.
When the moon finally set, and Remus had finally retransformed and saw whom he was fighting with, he broke into tears.
"It's alright, man, really," Sirius claimed, transforming and massaging his sore neck. "We had to do it. You can't go through this alone."
"Yeah!" chimed Peter. "Friends don't let friends down!"
James bit his tongue to keep from laughing at yet another lame remark of Peter's. "Sure. Friends don't let friends down."
Remus glanced heavenward with tears on his schoolboy face. "Thank you all so much," he said. ///
One more glimpse around the beaten up room told Sirius all he need to know: He had found the traitor from whom Voldemort had been getting all his information, and there was no way out- the Potters had finally been cornered.
* * * * *
Phoenix Cottage, Godric's Hallow; Saturday, October 31, 1981, 8:00 A.M.
Lily watched her little Harry, crawl around in playpen. She pulled the blinds up for the morning and watched her neighbors stroll by without even a glance at Phoenix Cottage. It was what the Fidelius Charm was supposed to do, but it got monotonous after a week of it.
The Fidelius Charm was "an immensely complex spell involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find -- unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. (PoA)"
The spell had been put into effect on the 24th, and Sirius had been picked as their Secret Keeper. James would rather die than pick anyone else. Within the day though, Dumbledore warned Sirius that he, too, was being searched for by Voldemort, and the Potters had been convinced to let Peter be the new Keeper, so Sirius could hide, and since Voldemort would never suspect a weakling like him. Only Sirius and Peter knew of this switch. Their theory was: the fewer who knew, the fewer who could be harmed.
Dumbledore had tried to convince them that he himself would be their best choice for Secret Keeper, but James was stuck on having Sirius as it instead. Dumbledore knew that someone close to them had turned traitor and was keeping Voldemort informed with their movements. Then they had switched, but Sirius still knew, so both would stop by for a visit every now and then.
The only reason Voldemort had not gotten them before was that they had been staying at Hogwarts because James taught there. But James had quit. They had been putting the entire school at risk. So that was when they had performed the charm.
A sudden call from Harry pulled Lily out of her thoughts. "Mommy!" Harry whined.
"Yes, love."
"I hit my head on table," he told her and then hiccupped.
"Oh, come here, baby. I'll kiss it all better." Love light gleamed brightly in her eyes.
"No, I don't want a kiss. The table's hurt. Kiss it, Mommy." He ordered in his tiny naïve voice.
Lily picked up her son and set him on her hip. Then she kissed his forehead. "The table's fine. I promise." She watched Harry wipe her kiss off his forehead. "Love you," she muttered, not knowing it would be the last time she would ever say that to her precious child, whose life was covered by shadows.
* * * * *
Phoenix Cottage, Godric's Hallow Saturday, October 31, 1981, 11:48 P.M.
"Alohomora!" a cold voice whispered as the door to the Potter's house swung slowly open. Two polished black dragon hide boots clomped into the threshold. A soft swishing noise followed as a dark cloak settled around the newcomer's feet. The door slammed shut. A gloved hand reached out and moved quickly through the air; the light shed by candles hovering throughout the hall dimmed as a response to the man's command. Footsteps echoed down the hallway as the person stalked about the passage.
A conversation that was taking place in hushed voices from a room to the left could be heard. The people in that space seemed to be trying to muffle the noises, but unsuccessfully. They whispered in frightened and confused tones.
"It's him, You-Know-Who!" a man cried. "Lily, run! Save yourself!"
"But James-"
"Please, Lily, take Harry and go! It's him!"
"How did h-" Lily started to question.
James cut her off and tried to wave her out of the room, "No time! Go! Run! I'll hold him off! Take Harry and go!" He urged her desperately to leave the path of danger that drew ever closer.
You-Know-Who smirked and entered as Lily was finishing pecking James on the cheek. She gave a silent scream of terror, clutched the small bundle that was baby Harry even more tightly to her chest, and stumbled from the room.
You-Know-Who cackled high and mercilessly at the woman's fear before muttering the spell to lock the doors.
A doorknob rattled twice. A feminine voice whimpered. Lily took the stairs at a run, smoothing Harry's small mass of hair as he stirred fretfully in her arms.
Voldemort whispered a silencing charm on the house; he turned to face James.
"You will not pass!" James cried, his voice quavering. He stepped out to block the doorway.
"Foolish man." Lord Voldemort said quietly. "You do not stand up to ME!" he then added, cresendoing up to the last word, before uttering the curse, which left James Potter dead.
A piercing scream erupted from James' mouth, as he fell to the floor with a thud that echoed softly in the little room.
Voldemort grinned insanely and stepped over the body to walk up the staircase, thinking, one Potter down.
At the top of the staircase, Voldemort glanced around. He knew where the woman would be- where they all went- to the room furthest from him, in the darkest corner, as if they thought he was blind.
The room to the far right looked most likely. The door was closed and the lights were out. Voldemort strode over to the room and kicked the door open. The moon outside was not even at the first quarter mark and only lit up the left side of the room.
It must have been Harry's bedroom, for the walls were a pale baby blue with a trim of sailboats around the ceiling border. A fairly large crib with an adorable pastel green plush elephant and light yellow blanket within it stood hidden by the shadows.
Lily Potter was standing in the far right hand corner, her green eyes gleaming in the moonlight. With her face turned towards Voldemort and her body guarding the precious bundle, she ordered him defiantly, "You will not kill him."
"Says who?" Lord Voldemort tried to forcefully push her around.
"Me!" she screamed, turning back to face the wall.
"Hand me the child," he demanded.
"Never! Take me instead! But not Harry! Not Harry! Please- I'll do anything!" She knew what kind of situation she was in and began to barter for her child's life. "He's your s-"
"You'll turn around and hand me the babe, that's what you'll do!" he snarled, attempting to smother her last words.
The girl stayed quiet. It looked like she was thinking. Maybe she was going to obey. But Lily was setting Harry on the ground behind her, turning around, and gaining her composure. Her red hair seemed to blaze. "I already told you," she repeated, "you will not get him."
"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl," he commanded. "I do not wish to kill you, just the child."
"I have told you, take me instead."
"I'm taking you elsewhere. I need you for something different," Voldemort said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "NOW GIVE ME THE CHILD!" he bellowed, losing his self-control.
Lily shrank back from his gaze, shielding the fifteen-month-old Harry even more. She pleaded, dropping to her knees, "Please! Give mercy! Kill me in his stead. But not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"
"Stand aside, you silly girl. You don't understand what you're doing, so stand aside, now."
"- I understand perfectly well," Lily reasoned.
"No!" Voldemort claimed. "I need you alive," he said, pointing a finger at Lily. "Now give me the boy!" he cried through clenched teeth. His eyes were bulging with anger.
"Please." she begged. "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"
"I SAID."
She was now screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. "Not Harry," she repeated. "Please. spare him. have mercy. don't kill him. have mercy. please!"
Voldemort laughed. The thought of him having mercy was hysterically funny, but no, the boy had lived too long. He had to be disposed of. The woman would provide for his next heir. But here she was, begging at his feet, pleading for hi- no, her child's life. It would never do. If she would not step aside, then he would do what he had to.
Lord Voldemort raised his wand. As he did so, Lily's eyes widened. He was going to kill her. She stood back up and moved closer to Harry, as one last attempt to protect her child.
Voldemort shouted out, "Avada Kedavra!" He owed so much to that curse. There was a rushing sound, as if something vast and invisible was soaring through the air- the sound of speeding death.
Lily shrieked, hands over her heart, and collapsed to the ground, never to breathe again. It was definitely regrettable, but it had to be done.
Voldemort turned and stared at the whimpering Harry. The child looked up at Voldemort through innocent green eyes that so mirrored his own. But he had to do it before he changed his mind. The blinding green flash flew out of his wand, hitting Harry on the forehead. But the spell did not work!
Voldemort had no time to think, nevertheless react, before the spell hit him with full force. It tore his soul from him. The pain was horrific. Fleeing from his destroyed body, Voldemort escaped into the night. But he had achieved his goal- to conquer death. He would spend the next decade looking for someone to help him regain a body. Until then, he would inhabit the bodies of animals to survive.
But at the moment, Voldemort, contorted with pain, summoned all his energy, and tried to do the incantation, "Morsmorde!" But the incantation needed a wand, and his was laying on the floor of Harry's room. So when he tried it, that too, backfired on him. The house from which he had fled fell down, smoldering in flames fed by a light wind.
The new scar on Harry's forehead burned horribly. He howled in misery, oblivious to the ruined house around him. But other than that, he was not hurt in the slightest. Harry was a wizard after all and an heir to the throne of Salazar Slytherin. Voldemort did not care, though. Someday, he would kill the child that had just brought upon his downfall- the child who had the powers to take over for him and had just proved it. But now he had other matters to worry about.
And as he zoomed through the countryside, thinking only about the pain that consumed him and when it would go away, a shadow of Lily Potter haunted his already blurry vision, as she whispered, I told you that you would not get him.
AN: Okies, everybody! First of all, please read ALL reviews.
Again, more on the days of the week can be found at http://www.koshko.com/calendar/perpetual-400year.html. More on the lunar calendar can be found at http://www.calendarzone.com/ and then click on "Celestial." At http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/timeline_potters.html you can find more on the time line from October 24 to November 2.
Also, there was one line that sounded like "Lord of the Rings" so I wanted to inform you that it is not related even a pinch to JRR Tolkien.
The next chapter will be entitled: With Their Tears, and will be the last one before I skip to Harry's seventh year. It should be longer than this, but again, no guarantees.
And to make this clear, because someone told me that it seems similar, this also has NOTHING to do with Star Wars. I have not even seen/read movies/books four through six. Just thought I'd make that clear.
If anyone has suggestions for anything, please feel free to say so in your review or in an email. If you are confused about something, again, I would like to emphasize that I would LOVE to answer your questions. My email is sb217@comcast.net.
Lastly, lots of people did not vote on the day of the week they think I should post on. Please give me your opinion. I will list the summaries again for those who did not vote. So far, the majority (by one vote) is for number three. If you did vote, skip over this, unless you voted for summary five, which I found out is too long.
1. (Original Summary) There is a secret about Harry Potter that has been kept well hidden for many years. Only five people know it, two of whom are dead. This secret concerns Harry's parents. Are his parents really who he thinks they are?
2. A child has been born into shadow. Parents taken by the Dark Side, but in different ways, this adolescent has the power to change the fate of the world, for better, or for worse.
3. Secrets can be kept secret. Mysterious happenings can be kept mysterious- but not forever. Nothing can stay unchanged. No one can remain untouched. Not the secrets, nor the people they concern.
4. The shadow of the Dark Lord drew close many years ago. It draws close again. Its target is innocent, pure, carefree, and most of all, unaware- but not for long.
Thank you again!
houdinishideaway- Oh, yes, more will keep coming. Watch for it!
Gia- I'll keep emailing you! Don't worry! Thanks!
Nagini- Alright, I'll let Nagini get more sleep, but I did say I was going to try and stick with the real Harry Potter storyline as long as possible. Later, it might go to AU.
animegirl-mika- Yeah, I thought so too. Thanks for voting!
angelhitomi- Really! My best! Wow! Thanks! Sorry for the delay. And yes, I will go to Harry's seventh year.
Faith McKay- Thank you for your wonderful assessment! An author can get no higher praise than that!
Googooliebokee- Thanks! My brain doesn't work at 9:00 either (and I do my homework then because.)
tima- Sorry! I meant to update sooner, but this was harder to write than it looks. If you post your email I will email you when I update.
Shades- Sorry again about your story. I won't reveal whether something happens between Harry and Hermione because Hermione plays a major role in this story. You're on the right track.
Raki- Oh! Please, no shrine! I love your story too, but would you email me when you update. Thanks! *wipes away tear* I feel so special; I'm on a favorite's list!
Arikirain- Of course I want you to go insane! (joke) Well, I can't really work on other stories at the moment, 'cause I'm not multi tasked like that, but I do have them all rolling through my head.
________- Ahhh! I feel so bad! I really appreciate the suggestion, but no, I thought it over, and there's no way possible to put in more Tom/Lily/James. I'm so sorry! Thank you for continuing to read, though! *big round of applause*
IndianSpice- Thank you for your nice review! Would you mind preparing me about the "wrath of Priya" because I don't think I shall be able to update often enough, so I might as well know what I'm in for.
For anyone whose review did not show up (at all or in time for this chapter): Thank you for reviewing! Maybe I will be able to give you a better thank you next time around. *sniff* I wish I had seen it before I put this up.
Oh, and for anonymous reviewers, if you put your email I will send out an update notice to you.
Thank you all! Sorry again for the long delay!
Also, note that I have decided to skip to his seventh year, not his fifth. There will be one more chapter and then we will jump to the future. Does anyone know when that was supposed to happen? 1997? Maybe? Thanks!
Lastly, the title for chapters six through eight are from the poem "Tiger, Tiger" by William Blake.
Disclaimer: Again, all Harry Potter materials belong to Goddess JKR and not me. *Sigh* I need a life. If anyone has one for sale, I'll buy it.
Shadow Child
Chapter Seven: Deadly Terrors Clasp
Phoenix Cottage, Godric's Hallow; Saturday, October 31, 1981, 9:00 P.M.
It was too quiet. Sirius peered around the dusty room. The taped up windows and torn apart chairs were only part of the reason the villagers avoided this place.
"Peter?' he called, "Peter?"
There was no reply. The door at the rear of the house was pushed open, ever so slightly.
"Peter, this isn't funny!"
The wind rustled the curtains on the window by the ajar door. The floorboards creaked as Sirius moved across the room, the dust muffling most of the noise. He peaked out the back door. There was no one in sight. It reminded him of the time over five years ago, when the Marauders had first transformed.
/// "Why do I have to go first? I'm not brave enough for this," Peter had whined.
"Because. You're the littlest. Go on!" James cheered.
"I hate being the smallest," he complained. "I always have to do this stuff."
"Just go. Or we'll transform you."
Peter shot his friends an annoyed look, but they waved him on. Peter took a deep breath and transformed into his pudgy rat form.
They all applauded, "Way to go, man!" shouted Sirius.
Peter, or Wormtail, slipped under the boisterous branches to press the knot. The tree stilled. Wormtail crawled into the hole and slid down the path. Sirius gave a whoop of joy and followed his overweight friend down the pipe, after transforming himself into a shaggy black dog, which he called Padfoot.
James slid down last. He came out of the pipe as himself and transformed into a stag, named Prongs, at the other end of the tunnel, for fear that he, his antlers, or some other part of his transformed body would have snagged on the way down.
James pattered over to the door at the rear end of the house. It was already open, so he nudged it further with his muzzle. He put one paw rather ungracefully out in the grass. The others followed him.
"Where do you think he is?" Sirius wanted to ask, but the three of them had not yet worked out how to communicate with each other. So Padfoot assumed the led with Prongs galloping in pursuit and Wormtail left to scurry after them.
Slowly, nervousness began to creep in. Remus was nowhere in sight. He was supposed to be in the Shrieking Shack, not out exploring. It was too dangerous.
Sirius darted off, growling menacingly at the remaining two when they attempted to follow him. The message got through and the trio split.
Padfoot barked. A howl was heard in the part of the Forbidden Forest that lingered at the edge of Hogsmeade. He crept cautiously towards the dark, intriguing place.
The howl came again. The hairs on the dog's back stood up on end. He tensed with his ears perked up and listening for the slightest clue of something out-of-place. He placed one paw in the forest, then the other, then the last two.
Something slithered under one of the trees, leaving a glistening trail of slime. An owl hooted from the treetops. Something even further in the distance seemed to whistle like a Sneak-A-Scope, but with a mysterious threat to it.
A light breeze ruffled the forest floor and carried with it the haunting sounds from all around. The dead leaves quivered ever-so-slightly in the wind and fell softly to the ground.
Padfoot took another step forward. The ground on which he had stepped gave way to a squishy puddle of mud. He pulled his paw up. If he knew how to raise his eyebrow as a dog, he would have. The green muck dripped off his dangling foot giving off a revolting smell of rotten milk and a cat litter box that had not been cleaned for a long time. Even though he had not tried it, or even thought about trying it, the taste lingered on his tongue.
Another growl came from behind him.
Sirius jerked around. There stood Remus, clad with full werewolf attire. Sirius had been so caught up with the sounds around him, that he had almost skipped over the sound of Remus' footsteps.
Remus growled one last time, and then he lunged. His aim was for Sirius' neck, but it was untrue and wavered to hit his friend's collarbone. Sirius barked furiously, fighting off Remus, while trying alert the others to come to his aid.
The two dogs held each other at bay. Then Prongs appeared followed shortly by Peter. But the fight went on.
When the moon finally set, and Remus had finally retransformed and saw whom he was fighting with, he broke into tears.
"It's alright, man, really," Sirius claimed, transforming and massaging his sore neck. "We had to do it. You can't go through this alone."
"Yeah!" chimed Peter. "Friends don't let friends down!"
James bit his tongue to keep from laughing at yet another lame remark of Peter's. "Sure. Friends don't let friends down."
Remus glanced heavenward with tears on his schoolboy face. "Thank you all so much," he said. ///
One more glimpse around the beaten up room told Sirius all he need to know: He had found the traitor from whom Voldemort had been getting all his information, and there was no way out- the Potters had finally been cornered.
* * * * *
Phoenix Cottage, Godric's Hallow; Saturday, October 31, 1981, 8:00 A.M.
Lily watched her little Harry, crawl around in playpen. She pulled the blinds up for the morning and watched her neighbors stroll by without even a glance at Phoenix Cottage. It was what the Fidelius Charm was supposed to do, but it got monotonous after a week of it.
The Fidelius Charm was "an immensely complex spell involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find -- unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. (PoA)"
The spell had been put into effect on the 24th, and Sirius had been picked as their Secret Keeper. James would rather die than pick anyone else. Within the day though, Dumbledore warned Sirius that he, too, was being searched for by Voldemort, and the Potters had been convinced to let Peter be the new Keeper, so Sirius could hide, and since Voldemort would never suspect a weakling like him. Only Sirius and Peter knew of this switch. Their theory was: the fewer who knew, the fewer who could be harmed.
Dumbledore had tried to convince them that he himself would be their best choice for Secret Keeper, but James was stuck on having Sirius as it instead. Dumbledore knew that someone close to them had turned traitor and was keeping Voldemort informed with their movements. Then they had switched, but Sirius still knew, so both would stop by for a visit every now and then.
The only reason Voldemort had not gotten them before was that they had been staying at Hogwarts because James taught there. But James had quit. They had been putting the entire school at risk. So that was when they had performed the charm.
A sudden call from Harry pulled Lily out of her thoughts. "Mommy!" Harry whined.
"Yes, love."
"I hit my head on table," he told her and then hiccupped.
"Oh, come here, baby. I'll kiss it all better." Love light gleamed brightly in her eyes.
"No, I don't want a kiss. The table's hurt. Kiss it, Mommy." He ordered in his tiny naïve voice.
Lily picked up her son and set him on her hip. Then she kissed his forehead. "The table's fine. I promise." She watched Harry wipe her kiss off his forehead. "Love you," she muttered, not knowing it would be the last time she would ever say that to her precious child, whose life was covered by shadows.
* * * * *
Phoenix Cottage, Godric's Hallow Saturday, October 31, 1981, 11:48 P.M.
"Alohomora!" a cold voice whispered as the door to the Potter's house swung slowly open. Two polished black dragon hide boots clomped into the threshold. A soft swishing noise followed as a dark cloak settled around the newcomer's feet. The door slammed shut. A gloved hand reached out and moved quickly through the air; the light shed by candles hovering throughout the hall dimmed as a response to the man's command. Footsteps echoed down the hallway as the person stalked about the passage.
A conversation that was taking place in hushed voices from a room to the left could be heard. The people in that space seemed to be trying to muffle the noises, but unsuccessfully. They whispered in frightened and confused tones.
"It's him, You-Know-Who!" a man cried. "Lily, run! Save yourself!"
"But James-"
"Please, Lily, take Harry and go! It's him!"
"How did h-" Lily started to question.
James cut her off and tried to wave her out of the room, "No time! Go! Run! I'll hold him off! Take Harry and go!" He urged her desperately to leave the path of danger that drew ever closer.
You-Know-Who smirked and entered as Lily was finishing pecking James on the cheek. She gave a silent scream of terror, clutched the small bundle that was baby Harry even more tightly to her chest, and stumbled from the room.
You-Know-Who cackled high and mercilessly at the woman's fear before muttering the spell to lock the doors.
A doorknob rattled twice. A feminine voice whimpered. Lily took the stairs at a run, smoothing Harry's small mass of hair as he stirred fretfully in her arms.
Voldemort whispered a silencing charm on the house; he turned to face James.
"You will not pass!" James cried, his voice quavering. He stepped out to block the doorway.
"Foolish man." Lord Voldemort said quietly. "You do not stand up to ME!" he then added, cresendoing up to the last word, before uttering the curse, which left James Potter dead.
A piercing scream erupted from James' mouth, as he fell to the floor with a thud that echoed softly in the little room.
Voldemort grinned insanely and stepped over the body to walk up the staircase, thinking, one Potter down.
At the top of the staircase, Voldemort glanced around. He knew where the woman would be- where they all went- to the room furthest from him, in the darkest corner, as if they thought he was blind.
The room to the far right looked most likely. The door was closed and the lights were out. Voldemort strode over to the room and kicked the door open. The moon outside was not even at the first quarter mark and only lit up the left side of the room.
It must have been Harry's bedroom, for the walls were a pale baby blue with a trim of sailboats around the ceiling border. A fairly large crib with an adorable pastel green plush elephant and light yellow blanket within it stood hidden by the shadows.
Lily Potter was standing in the far right hand corner, her green eyes gleaming in the moonlight. With her face turned towards Voldemort and her body guarding the precious bundle, she ordered him defiantly, "You will not kill him."
"Says who?" Lord Voldemort tried to forcefully push her around.
"Me!" she screamed, turning back to face the wall.
"Hand me the child," he demanded.
"Never! Take me instead! But not Harry! Not Harry! Please- I'll do anything!" She knew what kind of situation she was in and began to barter for her child's life. "He's your s-"
"You'll turn around and hand me the babe, that's what you'll do!" he snarled, attempting to smother her last words.
The girl stayed quiet. It looked like she was thinking. Maybe she was going to obey. But Lily was setting Harry on the ground behind her, turning around, and gaining her composure. Her red hair seemed to blaze. "I already told you," she repeated, "you will not get him."
"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl," he commanded. "I do not wish to kill you, just the child."
"I have told you, take me instead."
"I'm taking you elsewhere. I need you for something different," Voldemort said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "NOW GIVE ME THE CHILD!" he bellowed, losing his self-control.
Lily shrank back from his gaze, shielding the fifteen-month-old Harry even more. She pleaded, dropping to her knees, "Please! Give mercy! Kill me in his stead. But not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"
"Stand aside, you silly girl. You don't understand what you're doing, so stand aside, now."
"- I understand perfectly well," Lily reasoned.
"No!" Voldemort claimed. "I need you alive," he said, pointing a finger at Lily. "Now give me the boy!" he cried through clenched teeth. His eyes were bulging with anger.
"Please." she begged. "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"
"I SAID."
She was now screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. "Not Harry," she repeated. "Please. spare him. have mercy. don't kill him. have mercy. please!"
Voldemort laughed. The thought of him having mercy was hysterically funny, but no, the boy had lived too long. He had to be disposed of. The woman would provide for his next heir. But here she was, begging at his feet, pleading for hi- no, her child's life. It would never do. If she would not step aside, then he would do what he had to.
Lord Voldemort raised his wand. As he did so, Lily's eyes widened. He was going to kill her. She stood back up and moved closer to Harry, as one last attempt to protect her child.
Voldemort shouted out, "Avada Kedavra!" He owed so much to that curse. There was a rushing sound, as if something vast and invisible was soaring through the air- the sound of speeding death.
Lily shrieked, hands over her heart, and collapsed to the ground, never to breathe again. It was definitely regrettable, but it had to be done.
Voldemort turned and stared at the whimpering Harry. The child looked up at Voldemort through innocent green eyes that so mirrored his own. But he had to do it before he changed his mind. The blinding green flash flew out of his wand, hitting Harry on the forehead. But the spell did not work!
Voldemort had no time to think, nevertheless react, before the spell hit him with full force. It tore his soul from him. The pain was horrific. Fleeing from his destroyed body, Voldemort escaped into the night. But he had achieved his goal- to conquer death. He would spend the next decade looking for someone to help him regain a body. Until then, he would inhabit the bodies of animals to survive.
But at the moment, Voldemort, contorted with pain, summoned all his energy, and tried to do the incantation, "Morsmorde!" But the incantation needed a wand, and his was laying on the floor of Harry's room. So when he tried it, that too, backfired on him. The house from which he had fled fell down, smoldering in flames fed by a light wind.
The new scar on Harry's forehead burned horribly. He howled in misery, oblivious to the ruined house around him. But other than that, he was not hurt in the slightest. Harry was a wizard after all and an heir to the throne of Salazar Slytherin. Voldemort did not care, though. Someday, he would kill the child that had just brought upon his downfall- the child who had the powers to take over for him and had just proved it. But now he had other matters to worry about.
And as he zoomed through the countryside, thinking only about the pain that consumed him and when it would go away, a shadow of Lily Potter haunted his already blurry vision, as she whispered, I told you that you would not get him.
AN: Okies, everybody! First of all, please read ALL reviews.
Again, more on the days of the week can be found at http://www.koshko.com/calendar/perpetual-400year.html. More on the lunar calendar can be found at http://www.calendarzone.com/ and then click on "Celestial." At http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/timeline_potters.html you can find more on the time line from October 24 to November 2.
Also, there was one line that sounded like "Lord of the Rings" so I wanted to inform you that it is not related even a pinch to JRR Tolkien.
The next chapter will be entitled: With Their Tears, and will be the last one before I skip to Harry's seventh year. It should be longer than this, but again, no guarantees.
And to make this clear, because someone told me that it seems similar, this also has NOTHING to do with Star Wars. I have not even seen/read movies/books four through six. Just thought I'd make that clear.
If anyone has suggestions for anything, please feel free to say so in your review or in an email. If you are confused about something, again, I would like to emphasize that I would LOVE to answer your questions. My email is sb217@comcast.net.
Lastly, lots of people did not vote on the day of the week they think I should post on. Please give me your opinion. I will list the summaries again for those who did not vote. So far, the majority (by one vote) is for number three. If you did vote, skip over this, unless you voted for summary five, which I found out is too long.
1. (Original Summary) There is a secret about Harry Potter that has been kept well hidden for many years. Only five people know it, two of whom are dead. This secret concerns Harry's parents. Are his parents really who he thinks they are?
2. A child has been born into shadow. Parents taken by the Dark Side, but in different ways, this adolescent has the power to change the fate of the world, for better, or for worse.
3. Secrets can be kept secret. Mysterious happenings can be kept mysterious- but not forever. Nothing can stay unchanged. No one can remain untouched. Not the secrets, nor the people they concern.
4. The shadow of the Dark Lord drew close many years ago. It draws close again. Its target is innocent, pure, carefree, and most of all, unaware- but not for long.
Thank you again!
houdinishideaway- Oh, yes, more will keep coming. Watch for it!
Gia- I'll keep emailing you! Don't worry! Thanks!
Nagini- Alright, I'll let Nagini get more sleep, but I did say I was going to try and stick with the real Harry Potter storyline as long as possible. Later, it might go to AU.
animegirl-mika- Yeah, I thought so too. Thanks for voting!
angelhitomi- Really! My best! Wow! Thanks! Sorry for the delay. And yes, I will go to Harry's seventh year.
Faith McKay- Thank you for your wonderful assessment! An author can get no higher praise than that!
Googooliebokee- Thanks! My brain doesn't work at 9:00 either (and I do my homework then because.)
tima- Sorry! I meant to update sooner, but this was harder to write than it looks. If you post your email I will email you when I update.
Shades- Sorry again about your story. I won't reveal whether something happens between Harry and Hermione because Hermione plays a major role in this story. You're on the right track.
Raki- Oh! Please, no shrine! I love your story too, but would you email me when you update. Thanks! *wipes away tear* I feel so special; I'm on a favorite's list!
Arikirain- Of course I want you to go insane! (joke) Well, I can't really work on other stories at the moment, 'cause I'm not multi tasked like that, but I do have them all rolling through my head.
________- Ahhh! I feel so bad! I really appreciate the suggestion, but no, I thought it over, and there's no way possible to put in more Tom/Lily/James. I'm so sorry! Thank you for continuing to read, though! *big round of applause*
IndianSpice- Thank you for your nice review! Would you mind preparing me about the "wrath of Priya" because I don't think I shall be able to update often enough, so I might as well know what I'm in for.
For anyone whose review did not show up (at all or in time for this chapter): Thank you for reviewing! Maybe I will be able to give you a better thank you next time around. *sniff* I wish I had seen it before I put this up.
Oh, and for anonymous reviewers, if you put your email I will send out an update notice to you.
Thank you all! Sorry again for the long delay!