Lily Evans Potter sat down at her desk and opened her journal. It was
green, a deep and vibrant green, a color that meant more to her now than it
did when she had received the journal years ago. Every time she saw it,
she was reminded of her darling little boy, Harry. As she picked up a
quill and pulled her long auburn hair behind her ears, she realized that
most of the things that were on her mind she couldn't put on paper. She
recalled from a few days ago James' warning, "You don't know who could get
their hands on it, Lil, so be careful."
So instead of pouring out her concerns, Lily tried to write cheerfully about the new words Harry had learned. In just the past week he had learned "wand", "accio", and "chocolate frog." Smiling, her worries almost forgotten for the moment, except that their weight still rested on her heart, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked into a pair of brilliant blue eyes.
"You've got to do something about that hair, James," she exclaimed playfully.
Her devoted husband tried to smooth his unruly mop of black hair, but in vain. He sighed, "It's no use, Lils. The hair of Gryffindor's heir refuses to be tamed."
Before Lily could reply tersely about how that was not a subject to be joked about, especially now, an owl flew in the window and landed on her desk. She quickly took the letter from the bird and absentmindedly handed it some spare change. As it took off, she opened it and recognized the handwriting of Hogwarts' Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. She silently chided herself for still thinking of him that way- they were equals now, on the same mission.
Dear Lily and James, I must request a meeting with the two of you immediately. Bring the boy with you to our normal meeting place. Yours,
Albus Dumbledore
James, who was reading over Lily's shoulder, immediately went to the next room and picked up a sleeping Harry. "Do we need any of his stuff, Lily?" he called.
"Just grab his niffler," she called back, grabbing a sweater before meeting them in the living room. If she had had time to make sentimental observations, she would have been pleased at the picture James, Harry and the stuffed animal made, but as soon as she joined her husband, they Disapparated and reappeared in an old, run down shack. It was dark, and contained only a rickety desk and a stone fireplace.
Albus was waiting for them. "Hello, Lily, James, Harry. I wish we had time to catch up, but this is terribly urgent. I have just received word that Voldemort is, in fact, actively searching for Harry."
Lily knew it was coming, but couldn't help gasping and holding Harry closer. James put a protective arm around them both and replied, "What should we do, Albus?"
"Your best bet will be with the Fidelius Charm," the older wizard said gravely.
Nodding, Lily replied, "I know of it. That's where one's secret gets place inside of someone else, right?"
It was Albus' turn to nod. "Exactly, Lily. It is a complex charm, but it should pose no difficulties for you. You need only choose your Secret- Keeper, and the spell can be performed immediately."
James held his hand up. "Back up a bit, I'm not really familiar with this charm."
"We pick a Secret-Keeper- the person we trust most in the world- and after the charm is performed, the secret- in our case, our whereabouts- will be hidden inside their soul. No one else will be able to find the information unless the Secret-Keeper chooses to tell it. At that point, anyone who tries to find us would be able to," Lily quickly explained.
"So we need to get Sirius here," James said.
Lily nodded. "The sooner the better."
Albus interrupted. "Are you sure that Mr. Black is the best choice? You know I think someone has been leaking information about you to-"
James cut him off. "It isn't Sirius. I know we can trust him."
After a moment of hesitation, Albus said, "I am perfectly willing to be your Secret-Keeper, you know. We could get it done right now."
Smiling sweetly, Lily softly replied, "We appreciate the offer, Albus, but you are not prepared to give up your life to go into hiding right now. We can trust Sirius, and he can be here shortly."
"If that is what you truly wish," he replied, looking older than ever. He solemnly shook James and Lily's hands in turn, and then let Harry grab his finger and chew vigorously upon it. He smiled, then gently pried his finger away and said, "Let me know if I can help you in any way. I look forward to working with the two of you as soon as this terrible ordeal is over." Without even a pop, he was gone.
"Well, James, you had better get in touch with Sirius and get him here as quick as you can. I'll write Remus and Peter letters to let them know we've gone into hiding. We can't risk going to see them. Time is running out," Lily said.
"I know, darling, but it will all work out," James said, kissing her forehead. He ruffled Harry's hair before going over to the fireplace. Lily saw Sirius' head appear in the open space before sitting down to compose letters to their closest friends. It was one of the most difficult things she had ever had to do, but in a steady hand she wrote:
Dear Remus, This is not how I would like to say goodbye to you, but for now, it is the only solution. Voldemort is coming after Harry, and our only solution is to have the Fidelius Charm performed and to go into hiding. We will be perfectly safe, but we must give up all outside contact until this ordeal is over. Tell Arabella that we said goodbye as well. Love, Lily and PRONGS
As Lily scribbled a similar letter to Peter, she heard two successive pops, one as Sirius' head disappeared from the fireplace, and the next as all of Sirius appeared in the room. Without a word, he rushed to James and embraced him.
"Well hello, Padfoot," James said with a laugh, but Lily could tell he appreciated the gesture more than he could say.
"Hello, Prongs," Sirius replied, tears glistening in his eyes. He turned to Lily and embraced her as well. He ruffled Harry's already messy black hair, and then a determined look appeared on his face.
"You know I would do anything for the three of you," Sirius began. "And I would be honored to be your Secret-Keeper, but that may not be the safest course of action."
James interrupted. "Sirius, we have made our decision. We trust you more than anyone else."
Bowing his head, Sirius replied, "I am honored by that James, but don't you see that everyone knows that?"
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, a bit confused.
"I mean everyone will know that it is me who holds your secret. I think it would be better if you picked someone else who you trust just as much. That way they will be safe from Voldemort as well," Sirius explained, licking his parched lips, as was his habit when he was nervous.
James started to protest again, but Lily interrupted. "James, he has a point. Stop and think about it for a moment."
He didn't look happy about it, but he stopped arguing and started pacing. It didn't take long for him to call Lily to his side, where she happily joined him.
"I understand Sirius' point, Lil. What do you think we should do?" He asked, staring into her eyes.
"I think we should ask Peter or Remus. That way they will safely carry our secret while Sirius willingly assumes the risk involved," Lily said without hesitation.
"Remus is so caught up in his engagement, we can't ask him to go into hiding. But Peter is perfect. We can trust him completely, but he won't be the obvious choice," James stated decisively. Lily nodded in agreement and James motioned Sirius, who was cooing at baby Harry, over.
"Will you take my advice?" he asked eagerly.
Nodding in perfect unison, James and Lily spoke at the same time. "Yes, we will-" Lily laughed when she realized Sirius couldn't have understood a word of what either she or James had said. "Go ahead, darling," she said, pushing the hair back from his eyes.
"We have decided to ask Peter to be our Secret-Keeper," James said seriously. "Will you go and ask him if he will do it? If he doesn't fancy the job, we will depend on you."
"Of course, Prongs, old friend," Sirius replied, trying to look cheerful. "That is an excellent decision, I must say. Shall I have him meet you here?"
Lily nodded. "Yes, as soon as possible. I've already sent him a letter, telling him we were going into hiding, I didn't expect to contact him again."
"I'll explain it all," Sirius replied. "But he'll need a bit of time to get his things in order, if he's going into hiding."
"Twenty-four hours," James said, with an unmistakable air of finality. Lily had to shoo the thought of how attractive she found him when he took charge like this out of her mind. Now was certainly not the time.
"I'll go at once then," Sirius said. "I don't suppose I'll see you three again until this is all over, so I guess this is 'au revior' for awhile." He quickly gave Lily and James hugs and kissed Harry's smooth forehead. He disappeared with a tiny pop.
For the first time since word had come to the Potters that Voldemort was on a mission to destroy the heirs of Godric Gryffindor, Lily felt her spirits sink. Now that there was nothing to do but wait, the full meaning of what was happening to them began to sink in. She sat down heavily.
James immediately noticed the change and came to sit next to her, setting Harry between them.
"We'll be fine," he said reassuringly, placing his muscular arm around her shoulders. "We've got the best friends in the world out there helping to keep us safe, and we-all three of us- have each other to help keep us sane."
Steeling herself, Lily nodded. "You're right. What do we have to worry about?"
A few hours later, she was able to relax a bit more as Sirius' owl arrived with the news that Peter would meet them the next day to become their Secret-Keeper. However, as night fell, Harry decided he didn't like being away from home, and refused to sleep in the strange room. After he finally had fallen asleep, exhausted from resisting, Lily felt more on edge than before.
She and James lay on their thin, ragged blankets, Lily feeling safe in her husband's arms.
"Do you remember when I asked you out for the first time?" James asked softly in Lily's ear.
Smiling, she replied, "How could I forget? You were so nervous you couldn't string two words together! I was about to take you to see Madam Pomfrey when I finally understood what was going on."
James laughed. "I thought that being the quidditch captain had given me the confidence I needed. It had with other girls.but I knew that you were different."
Lily snuggled closer and let him continue.
"By graduation, I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you." he trailed off. "But I never saw this coming. I hate to have put you through this, Lily," his voice filling with passion. "If you had married Arnie Peasgood, you wouldn't be involved in all of this ridiculous Heir stuff!"
Placing her cool hand on James' reddening face, Lily calmly replied, "I don't love Arnie Peasgood, I love you, James Potter. And I would rather be here, with you and Harry, than somewhere safe with anyone else."
Kissing her lips lightly, James smiled. "If you're sure."
But Lily was slipping into sleep, unable to pull herself out to reply. But before she completely surrendered, she felt James kiss her forehead, and hold her closer to himself.
The next day was the worst Lily had experienced. Her agitation and suspense were mounting every minute, even as she tried to read up on the Fidelius Charm. It seemed as if either she or James were flicking back the curtains for a quick look outside every few minutes. As if that wasn't bad enough, Harry was definitely tired of the place, and showed it by crying large, hot tears practically all day. Even his niffler didn't help to distract him.
Lily was rocking him back and forth, cooing, "In a few hours, my darling, we will be back in Godric's Hollow, safe and sound," while James looked quickly outside for any signs of activity, when Peter appeared with a loud pop.
James strode quickly over to welcome Peter, followed by Lily, who thrust the suddenly calm and curious Harry into James' arms.
"Are you ready, Peter?" Lily asked gently, removing her gaze from his mildly shaking hands.
Peter nodded, looking into her eyes.
"I can't tell you how grateful James and I are that you would do this for us," she continued, giving Peter a hug. Her emotions were overflowing, and as she released Peter, she discovered her eyes had welled with tears.
James shook Peter's hand. "Thank you, for giving up your normal life for us, and for Harry."
Peter nodded, casting a glance to Harry's sleeping form lying only a few feet away. Lily followed his gaze and smiled lovingly at her child. He would soon be safe from harm.
"You're quite welcome, you know," Peter said briskly. "Anything for the two of you. Shall we get on with it?"
Lily smiled. "Yes, we mustn't waste time." She briefly explained to Peter how the extremely advanced charm worked by hiding the secret in Peter's soul, and that once she had performed the spell, the Potters would be impossible for anyone to find unless he chose to divulge the information. Then it would be possible for anyone to track them down. Peter nodded a bit nervously.
"Now just stand perfectly still while I perform the spell, Peter," Lily said gently.
Lily watched Peter close his eyes tightly and stand perfectly still. She motioned to James to back away, then raised her wand. As she muttered the spell to cast the Fidelius Charm, a flash of white light shone brightly. Lily fought the urge to cover her eyes.
"It worked," Lily said, feeling extremely proud and defiant, as Peter warily opened his eyes. "We'll be safe now."
James picked up the sleeping Harry, took Lily's hand, and said, "We'll be off now, Wormtail. You had better get to your hideout, too. Stay safe, my friend." Lily smiled at Peter, hoping it showed her true gratitude, then the entire family Apparated away.
At the sight of his familiar surroundings, baby Harry squealed with glee and squirmed out of his father's grasp. Lily sighed contentedly as she watched him break out his favorite toys. Things were going to be just fine now. No one could find them, and with Dumbledore leading the crusade against Voldemort, this ordeal was sure to be over soon.
Preparations for Halloween quickly consumed the Potter residence. There wasn't really much they could do to help their situation, so Lily and James had decided to try to keep things as normal as possible for Harry. This, of course, meant celebrating Halloween in the usual wizard way. Lily planned a huge feast while James decorated the inside of the house. Harry seemed to catch on that something exciting was going to happen, for he grew more anxious every day that passed.
The family hadn't been sitting down to dinner very long that Halloween evening when Lily suddenly felt very exposed. She looked to James, who looked as vexed as she felt. Then came a large noise out in their front yard. Without a word, James left the table to see what was going on. Instinctively, Lily picked Harry up out of his high chair and stood nervously in the dining room.
Then, from the front of the house James yelled, "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"
Lily held Harry closely as she headed swiftly for the back of the house. She heard someone stumble into the front room. The front door sounded as if it had burst open, and she heard high-pitched laughter before a green light engulfed the front of the house.
Knowing what that meant, she shuddered violently, but she knew that nothing could be done for James now. Her mind was focused on saving Harry. As she reached the back door, a cold voice behind her said, "You're holding the last living heir of Godric Gryffindor. But not for long."
She saw his glowing red eyes focusing on her only son from under a hooded cloak. "Not Harry! Not Harry! Please- I'll do anything-" Lily gasped, trying to shield Harry from Voldemort's view.
"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!" he growled, motioning her aside with his long fingers.
Panic stricken, Lily screamed, "Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry."
"Stand aside, you silly girl.stand aside, now." The voice was getting impatient, but Lily did not back down. He wanted Harry, but he wouldn't get him.
"Not Harry, please, no, take me, kill me instead-" she pleaded, heart beating faster than she would have thought possible. She had to protect her son: her love had to be enough. It was the only thing left.
Tears were rolling down Lily's face, but she was not aware of them. "Not Harry! Please.have mercy.have mercy."
Lily's screams blended with Voldemort's high-pitched laughter as he raised his wand and his mouth formed the words "Avada Kedavra."
So instead of pouring out her concerns, Lily tried to write cheerfully about the new words Harry had learned. In just the past week he had learned "wand", "accio", and "chocolate frog." Smiling, her worries almost forgotten for the moment, except that their weight still rested on her heart, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked into a pair of brilliant blue eyes.
"You've got to do something about that hair, James," she exclaimed playfully.
Her devoted husband tried to smooth his unruly mop of black hair, but in vain. He sighed, "It's no use, Lils. The hair of Gryffindor's heir refuses to be tamed."
Before Lily could reply tersely about how that was not a subject to be joked about, especially now, an owl flew in the window and landed on her desk. She quickly took the letter from the bird and absentmindedly handed it some spare change. As it took off, she opened it and recognized the handwriting of Hogwarts' Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. She silently chided herself for still thinking of him that way- they were equals now, on the same mission.
Dear Lily and James, I must request a meeting with the two of you immediately. Bring the boy with you to our normal meeting place. Yours,
Albus Dumbledore
James, who was reading over Lily's shoulder, immediately went to the next room and picked up a sleeping Harry. "Do we need any of his stuff, Lily?" he called.
"Just grab his niffler," she called back, grabbing a sweater before meeting them in the living room. If she had had time to make sentimental observations, she would have been pleased at the picture James, Harry and the stuffed animal made, but as soon as she joined her husband, they Disapparated and reappeared in an old, run down shack. It was dark, and contained only a rickety desk and a stone fireplace.
Albus was waiting for them. "Hello, Lily, James, Harry. I wish we had time to catch up, but this is terribly urgent. I have just received word that Voldemort is, in fact, actively searching for Harry."
Lily knew it was coming, but couldn't help gasping and holding Harry closer. James put a protective arm around them both and replied, "What should we do, Albus?"
"Your best bet will be with the Fidelius Charm," the older wizard said gravely.
Nodding, Lily replied, "I know of it. That's where one's secret gets place inside of someone else, right?"
It was Albus' turn to nod. "Exactly, Lily. It is a complex charm, but it should pose no difficulties for you. You need only choose your Secret- Keeper, and the spell can be performed immediately."
James held his hand up. "Back up a bit, I'm not really familiar with this charm."
"We pick a Secret-Keeper- the person we trust most in the world- and after the charm is performed, the secret- in our case, our whereabouts- will be hidden inside their soul. No one else will be able to find the information unless the Secret-Keeper chooses to tell it. At that point, anyone who tries to find us would be able to," Lily quickly explained.
"So we need to get Sirius here," James said.
Lily nodded. "The sooner the better."
Albus interrupted. "Are you sure that Mr. Black is the best choice? You know I think someone has been leaking information about you to-"
James cut him off. "It isn't Sirius. I know we can trust him."
After a moment of hesitation, Albus said, "I am perfectly willing to be your Secret-Keeper, you know. We could get it done right now."
Smiling sweetly, Lily softly replied, "We appreciate the offer, Albus, but you are not prepared to give up your life to go into hiding right now. We can trust Sirius, and he can be here shortly."
"If that is what you truly wish," he replied, looking older than ever. He solemnly shook James and Lily's hands in turn, and then let Harry grab his finger and chew vigorously upon it. He smiled, then gently pried his finger away and said, "Let me know if I can help you in any way. I look forward to working with the two of you as soon as this terrible ordeal is over." Without even a pop, he was gone.
"Well, James, you had better get in touch with Sirius and get him here as quick as you can. I'll write Remus and Peter letters to let them know we've gone into hiding. We can't risk going to see them. Time is running out," Lily said.
"I know, darling, but it will all work out," James said, kissing her forehead. He ruffled Harry's hair before going over to the fireplace. Lily saw Sirius' head appear in the open space before sitting down to compose letters to their closest friends. It was one of the most difficult things she had ever had to do, but in a steady hand she wrote:
Dear Remus, This is not how I would like to say goodbye to you, but for now, it is the only solution. Voldemort is coming after Harry, and our only solution is to have the Fidelius Charm performed and to go into hiding. We will be perfectly safe, but we must give up all outside contact until this ordeal is over. Tell Arabella that we said goodbye as well. Love, Lily and PRONGS
As Lily scribbled a similar letter to Peter, she heard two successive pops, one as Sirius' head disappeared from the fireplace, and the next as all of Sirius appeared in the room. Without a word, he rushed to James and embraced him.
"Well hello, Padfoot," James said with a laugh, but Lily could tell he appreciated the gesture more than he could say.
"Hello, Prongs," Sirius replied, tears glistening in his eyes. He turned to Lily and embraced her as well. He ruffled Harry's already messy black hair, and then a determined look appeared on his face.
"You know I would do anything for the three of you," Sirius began. "And I would be honored to be your Secret-Keeper, but that may not be the safest course of action."
James interrupted. "Sirius, we have made our decision. We trust you more than anyone else."
Bowing his head, Sirius replied, "I am honored by that James, but don't you see that everyone knows that?"
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, a bit confused.
"I mean everyone will know that it is me who holds your secret. I think it would be better if you picked someone else who you trust just as much. That way they will be safe from Voldemort as well," Sirius explained, licking his parched lips, as was his habit when he was nervous.
James started to protest again, but Lily interrupted. "James, he has a point. Stop and think about it for a moment."
He didn't look happy about it, but he stopped arguing and started pacing. It didn't take long for him to call Lily to his side, where she happily joined him.
"I understand Sirius' point, Lil. What do you think we should do?" He asked, staring into her eyes.
"I think we should ask Peter or Remus. That way they will safely carry our secret while Sirius willingly assumes the risk involved," Lily said without hesitation.
"Remus is so caught up in his engagement, we can't ask him to go into hiding. But Peter is perfect. We can trust him completely, but he won't be the obvious choice," James stated decisively. Lily nodded in agreement and James motioned Sirius, who was cooing at baby Harry, over.
"Will you take my advice?" he asked eagerly.
Nodding in perfect unison, James and Lily spoke at the same time. "Yes, we will-" Lily laughed when she realized Sirius couldn't have understood a word of what either she or James had said. "Go ahead, darling," she said, pushing the hair back from his eyes.
"We have decided to ask Peter to be our Secret-Keeper," James said seriously. "Will you go and ask him if he will do it? If he doesn't fancy the job, we will depend on you."
"Of course, Prongs, old friend," Sirius replied, trying to look cheerful. "That is an excellent decision, I must say. Shall I have him meet you here?"
Lily nodded. "Yes, as soon as possible. I've already sent him a letter, telling him we were going into hiding, I didn't expect to contact him again."
"I'll explain it all," Sirius replied. "But he'll need a bit of time to get his things in order, if he's going into hiding."
"Twenty-four hours," James said, with an unmistakable air of finality. Lily had to shoo the thought of how attractive she found him when he took charge like this out of her mind. Now was certainly not the time.
"I'll go at once then," Sirius said. "I don't suppose I'll see you three again until this is all over, so I guess this is 'au revior' for awhile." He quickly gave Lily and James hugs and kissed Harry's smooth forehead. He disappeared with a tiny pop.
For the first time since word had come to the Potters that Voldemort was on a mission to destroy the heirs of Godric Gryffindor, Lily felt her spirits sink. Now that there was nothing to do but wait, the full meaning of what was happening to them began to sink in. She sat down heavily.
James immediately noticed the change and came to sit next to her, setting Harry between them.
"We'll be fine," he said reassuringly, placing his muscular arm around her shoulders. "We've got the best friends in the world out there helping to keep us safe, and we-all three of us- have each other to help keep us sane."
Steeling herself, Lily nodded. "You're right. What do we have to worry about?"
A few hours later, she was able to relax a bit more as Sirius' owl arrived with the news that Peter would meet them the next day to become their Secret-Keeper. However, as night fell, Harry decided he didn't like being away from home, and refused to sleep in the strange room. After he finally had fallen asleep, exhausted from resisting, Lily felt more on edge than before.
She and James lay on their thin, ragged blankets, Lily feeling safe in her husband's arms.
"Do you remember when I asked you out for the first time?" James asked softly in Lily's ear.
Smiling, she replied, "How could I forget? You were so nervous you couldn't string two words together! I was about to take you to see Madam Pomfrey when I finally understood what was going on."
James laughed. "I thought that being the quidditch captain had given me the confidence I needed. It had with other girls.but I knew that you were different."
Lily snuggled closer and let him continue.
"By graduation, I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you." he trailed off. "But I never saw this coming. I hate to have put you through this, Lily," his voice filling with passion. "If you had married Arnie Peasgood, you wouldn't be involved in all of this ridiculous Heir stuff!"
Placing her cool hand on James' reddening face, Lily calmly replied, "I don't love Arnie Peasgood, I love you, James Potter. And I would rather be here, with you and Harry, than somewhere safe with anyone else."
Kissing her lips lightly, James smiled. "If you're sure."
But Lily was slipping into sleep, unable to pull herself out to reply. But before she completely surrendered, she felt James kiss her forehead, and hold her closer to himself.
The next day was the worst Lily had experienced. Her agitation and suspense were mounting every minute, even as she tried to read up on the Fidelius Charm. It seemed as if either she or James were flicking back the curtains for a quick look outside every few minutes. As if that wasn't bad enough, Harry was definitely tired of the place, and showed it by crying large, hot tears practically all day. Even his niffler didn't help to distract him.
Lily was rocking him back and forth, cooing, "In a few hours, my darling, we will be back in Godric's Hollow, safe and sound," while James looked quickly outside for any signs of activity, when Peter appeared with a loud pop.
James strode quickly over to welcome Peter, followed by Lily, who thrust the suddenly calm and curious Harry into James' arms.
"Are you ready, Peter?" Lily asked gently, removing her gaze from his mildly shaking hands.
Peter nodded, looking into her eyes.
"I can't tell you how grateful James and I are that you would do this for us," she continued, giving Peter a hug. Her emotions were overflowing, and as she released Peter, she discovered her eyes had welled with tears.
James shook Peter's hand. "Thank you, for giving up your normal life for us, and for Harry."
Peter nodded, casting a glance to Harry's sleeping form lying only a few feet away. Lily followed his gaze and smiled lovingly at her child. He would soon be safe from harm.
"You're quite welcome, you know," Peter said briskly. "Anything for the two of you. Shall we get on with it?"
Lily smiled. "Yes, we mustn't waste time." She briefly explained to Peter how the extremely advanced charm worked by hiding the secret in Peter's soul, and that once she had performed the spell, the Potters would be impossible for anyone to find unless he chose to divulge the information. Then it would be possible for anyone to track them down. Peter nodded a bit nervously.
"Now just stand perfectly still while I perform the spell, Peter," Lily said gently.
Lily watched Peter close his eyes tightly and stand perfectly still. She motioned to James to back away, then raised her wand. As she muttered the spell to cast the Fidelius Charm, a flash of white light shone brightly. Lily fought the urge to cover her eyes.
"It worked," Lily said, feeling extremely proud and defiant, as Peter warily opened his eyes. "We'll be safe now."
James picked up the sleeping Harry, took Lily's hand, and said, "We'll be off now, Wormtail. You had better get to your hideout, too. Stay safe, my friend." Lily smiled at Peter, hoping it showed her true gratitude, then the entire family Apparated away.
At the sight of his familiar surroundings, baby Harry squealed with glee and squirmed out of his father's grasp. Lily sighed contentedly as she watched him break out his favorite toys. Things were going to be just fine now. No one could find them, and with Dumbledore leading the crusade against Voldemort, this ordeal was sure to be over soon.
Preparations for Halloween quickly consumed the Potter residence. There wasn't really much they could do to help their situation, so Lily and James had decided to try to keep things as normal as possible for Harry. This, of course, meant celebrating Halloween in the usual wizard way. Lily planned a huge feast while James decorated the inside of the house. Harry seemed to catch on that something exciting was going to happen, for he grew more anxious every day that passed.
The family hadn't been sitting down to dinner very long that Halloween evening when Lily suddenly felt very exposed. She looked to James, who looked as vexed as she felt. Then came a large noise out in their front yard. Without a word, James left the table to see what was going on. Instinctively, Lily picked Harry up out of his high chair and stood nervously in the dining room.
Then, from the front of the house James yelled, "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"
Lily held Harry closely as she headed swiftly for the back of the house. She heard someone stumble into the front room. The front door sounded as if it had burst open, and she heard high-pitched laughter before a green light engulfed the front of the house.
Knowing what that meant, she shuddered violently, but she knew that nothing could be done for James now. Her mind was focused on saving Harry. As she reached the back door, a cold voice behind her said, "You're holding the last living heir of Godric Gryffindor. But not for long."
She saw his glowing red eyes focusing on her only son from under a hooded cloak. "Not Harry! Not Harry! Please- I'll do anything-" Lily gasped, trying to shield Harry from Voldemort's view.
"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!" he growled, motioning her aside with his long fingers.
Panic stricken, Lily screamed, "Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry."
"Stand aside, you silly girl.stand aside, now." The voice was getting impatient, but Lily did not back down. He wanted Harry, but he wouldn't get him.
"Not Harry, please, no, take me, kill me instead-" she pleaded, heart beating faster than she would have thought possible. She had to protect her son: her love had to be enough. It was the only thing left.
Tears were rolling down Lily's face, but she was not aware of them. "Not Harry! Please.have mercy.have mercy."
Lily's screams blended with Voldemort's high-pitched laughter as he raised his wand and his mouth formed the words "Avada Kedavra."
