As time passed, Harry grew like a weed and looked more like James as each
day passed. There was no mistaking who his father was, and once he opened
those bright green eyes you knew who the mother was. James and Lily
couldn't be prouder and with such hard time it was nice to return to a
child who loved to smile and play. By the time Harry was 3, James and Lily
had managed to stay out of Voldemort's clutches 3 times and lost way too
many order members to him.
James entered the house at Godric's hollow very nervous.
"Lily where are you here?" Lily came hurrying out of Harry's room with the child in her arms. Upon seeing him, Harry reached his arms out towards James a large smile on his face.
"Daddy!" Lily moved towards him handing the baby to James who proceeded to clutch at James' glasses and pull them off in curiosity.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I can answer that Lily." answered a familiar voice from behind James.
"Albus, please come in." She moved inside James and Dumbledore following while Harry continued to play with the glasses and then looked to the new man and smiled briefly. Dumbledore looked too little Harry and smiled.
"He looks exactly like you James, except for Lily's eyes of course." He smiled slightly to them. Lily returned the smile and then looked to James' shocked face.
"What's going on? Not that I do not mind seeing you headmaster, but I know in these times you do not often make social calls."
"No unfortunately Lily this is not a social call."
Lily's eyes widened in fear as she glanced to James and than back to Dumbledore.
"What is it? What happened?" Albus took a deep breath before beginning.
"Well we are looking for a new Divination teacher at Hogwarts and I was doing an interview. The women came from a great line of women with a strong gift for telling the future but I knew from sources that this women had very little powers herself. Out of respect I gave her an interview anyway and what I heard was very disturbing." Albus pulled out a small globe and a figure appeared from the top and spoke in an eerie voice-
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the 7th month dies.And the dark lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows not.and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord will be born as the 7th month dies."
All three were silent, even Harry seemed to understand the mood and stopped playing with the glasses.
"What.What is that implying? What do you mean?"
"I think that this prophesy was implying both of you.and Harry." Lily stood angered "Harry?! He is just a baby and you don't know that she was telling the truth. You said yourself Albus that she has been rumored to be wrong!" As Dumbledore met her eyes he saw there was more fear than anger.
"Lily we can't take any risk. We have defied him three times and Harry was born at the end of July." James tried to calm her down as best he could but she would have none of it.
"I can't believe you are taking this so calmly James! This.This Prophesy says that our son Harry, who is no more than 3 years old, must kill Voldemort when no one has been able to do it yet! This is crazy!"
"I am not taking this calmly but I just think we should take extra precautions now."
"The weird thing is that it might not be Harry at all."
At that both James and Lily looked to Albus and Lily looked extremely slightly relieved
"Alice Longbottom also had a son in the same year at the end of July as well. The Longbottom family is also going into hiding."
At that moment Harry began to softly cry and James tried to quiet him whispering gently to him.
"I was thinking that you both should use the Fidilus charm. A secret is hidden in a single person, a secret keeper, and as long as they do not tell where you live Voldemort can walk right in front of your house and will not know you live there. If you both would accept I would personally be glad to be your secret keeper." Dumbledore watched the pair carefully.
"Thank you headmaster but I think we will use Sirius. He would rather die before telling where we live."
"Are you sure that is safe? There might be someone in the group that is not who we think they are."
"I am positive; Sirius and I have been best friends for years. He would never tell." Albus sighed and nodded while rising. He moved to place a hand on Lily's shoulder
"I am so sorry to bring you this news."
"I know."
He smiled to James and Harry before leaving in a slight flash of light.
"Lily?" Before he knew what hit him, Lily was in his arms and crying on his shoulder while he held Harry with his other hand. He silently let her cry herself into exhaustion before she raised her head and met his eyes.
"What are we going to do? How can he be after our Harry?"
"I don't know but I swear to you we will do everything possible to protect ourselves. I will not let anything happen."
She nodded and again placed her head on his shoulder while he ran his fingers down her red hair. Harry had fallen asleep on his other shoulder and at that moment James swore to himself he would do anything to protect his family.
The next morning Sirius and James sat at their table while Lily was taking care of Harry in the other room.
"So Padfoot will you do it for us?"
"Of course I will. Don't ever doubt it for a moment. I guess Lily did not take this news well?"
James shook his head "Not at all. She is so jumpy at every loud noise."
"We should do the charm as soon as possible. I can do it as soon as Lily is ready to perform it."
"I can do it tomorrow" Lily's voice came suddenly from the doorway. Both men nodded.
"Alright it's done." Lily breathed a sigh of relief, this charm was one of the most complicated she had ever done, but it was worth it.
"Good, don't worry the secret is safe with me" Sirius leaned over and gave Lily a friendly kiss on the cheek and shook hands and hugged James "Try and get some sleep tonight will you?" He smiled slightly and disappeared back to his own secret hiding spot.
"I know we can trust Sirius but I am still very nervous" stated Lily as she poked her head out the curtains and looking down the empty street. James put both his hands on her shoulders and nodded
"I feel the same, but we have taken all the precautions."
A few weeks later.
"Its so obvious that I am your secret keeper. James we were best friends in school, he will look for me first to find out where you are. No one will think you that you both switched to Peter, its brilliant."
"I don't know James. Is Peter that trustworthy?" Lily asked cautiously
"I can see what Sirius is pointing at though. Everyone knew we were close in school, and even Remus would be an obvious choice. It has to be Peter." Lily obviously did not agree with it but the next night the Potters switch secret keepers to Peter Pettigrew. When Sirius left that night, it would be the last he saw the Potters alive.
"They are at Godric's Hollow master. The Potters live there with their Son Harry, they made me their secret keepers tonight. Black suggested it and they believed him."
"Good job Pettigrew, you finally did something right. We shall make a social call to the Potters tomorrow evening."
"Lily its him!! Take Harry and run!!" James then faced Voldemort with narrowed eyes.
"You have defied me three times Potter but never again. I will kill you and then your mud blood wife and child."
James rose his wand and screamed out a curse and it barely hit Voldemort. He laughed and pointed his wand at James Potter-
"Avada Kedavra" James Potter fell to the ground without a mark on his body. Voldemort smiled and moved past the body without once more looking back. Lily Potter shut the door in his face and moving from the door Lily covered the screaming Harry with her body. Green sparks light behind the door and the door opened with Voldemort standing in front of her.
"Stand aside girl."
"No please, take me, kill me just leave Harry alone."
"Move aside you silly girl. Its not you I want."
"No!! Please I beg you leave Harry alone." She moved to stand between Harry and Voldemort not even bothering to take her wand.
"This is tiring me- Avada Kedavra" and like her husband before her, Lily Evans fell to the ground without a mark. Harry began to cry and move towards his mom sitting beside her lifeless form and pulling on her shirt.
"Mommie!" He looked up to the man before him a tear falling down his face as he began to cry.
"Stupid girl" His eyes then fell upon Harry and a cold cruel smile curled his lips-
"So you are the little thing that can defeat me! Ha! Goodbye Harry Potter. Avada Kedavra" Only this time the beam hit Harry on the forhead and bounced back returning the blast on himself. Suddenly Voldemort felt his body falling and crumbling and his spirit left the body screaming in agony.
Harry continued to pull on his mother's sleeve and crying for her. She of course did not answer and in annoyance moved away and towards the just as lifeless form of his father. He started pulling off the glasses that always had fascinated him so much and this time his dad did not fight and let him have the glasses.
"Daddy?" And again he started crying and yelling hoping it would catch his parents' attention as it usually did. This time it gained no response until a large man came into the house tears on his face as well.
"'arry? Ahh Dumbledore said you should be 'ere. Hiya little guy."
Hagrid got the boys attention that just held up his dead father's glasses and started screaming again for James. Hagrid moved to pick him up and frowned. He gently tried to take the glasses but the baby fought him. Hagrid let him have them, and slowly moved away from the house and to the street when he heard a loud noise. Hagrid looked to the sky to see Sirius Black on his great big bike.
When it landed Black looked to the house and then Hagrid as tears fell down his face.
"It can't be, Please tell me Hagrid that they are alright."
When Hagrid shook his head slowly Sirius broke down and started sobbing muttering something about "I should not have convinced them." Yes he refused to answer any questions.
"Hagrid give me Harry, I am his godfather I can take care of him. It was my responcibility"
"I cant Sirius, Dumbledore said specifically that Harry must go to him."
"But you know James and Lily.they..they named me Harry's godfather"
"You can't fight Dumbledore."
It was at this point that Harry leaned towards Sirius with his free hand (the other was still holding James' glasses) calling to him "Siri!! Siri!!"
Sirius smiled took his hand gently before turning to Hagrid
"Take my bike, I wont be needing it anymore"
"Are you sure Sirius? You love that thing"
Sirius nodded and smiled to Harry once more. "Go quickly I am sure Dumbledore is waiting"
"Oh yah" and with that Hagrid took to the bike and got on while Harry spread his hands to Sirius still screaming the baby version of his name. Sirius watched Hagrid take off with his bike and knew it was probably the last time he would see Harry.
"Ahh there is he Minerva"
Hagrid lowered the bike in front of Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. He carefully got off and carried the baby to the waiting professors.
"Any problems?"
"Nope, Sirius Black was nice enough to let me borrow his bike." Hagrid handed Dumbledore the now sleeping Harry Potter who then placed him on the doorstep.
"Sir, What should I do with these?" Hagrid handed Dumbledore James' glasses.
"Are these?" Dumbledore's voice shook slightly Hagrid nodded "He wouldn't let them go and kept calling for James. I found him at their bodies trying to wake them." Hagrid began to cry slightly
"Oh god" McGonagall put her hand over her mouth not knowing what to say.
Dumbledore looked again to the sleeping baby and put the glasses in his cloak sighing.
"It is time to go" He looked to Hagrid who was again crying "It's not really goodbye Hagrid."
"I know, he's just such a cute little guy."
James entered the house at Godric's hollow very nervous.
"Lily where are you here?" Lily came hurrying out of Harry's room with the child in her arms. Upon seeing him, Harry reached his arms out towards James a large smile on his face.
"Daddy!" Lily moved towards him handing the baby to James who proceeded to clutch at James' glasses and pull them off in curiosity.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I can answer that Lily." answered a familiar voice from behind James.
"Albus, please come in." She moved inside James and Dumbledore following while Harry continued to play with the glasses and then looked to the new man and smiled briefly. Dumbledore looked too little Harry and smiled.
"He looks exactly like you James, except for Lily's eyes of course." He smiled slightly to them. Lily returned the smile and then looked to James' shocked face.
"What's going on? Not that I do not mind seeing you headmaster, but I know in these times you do not often make social calls."
"No unfortunately Lily this is not a social call."
Lily's eyes widened in fear as she glanced to James and than back to Dumbledore.
"What is it? What happened?" Albus took a deep breath before beginning.
"Well we are looking for a new Divination teacher at Hogwarts and I was doing an interview. The women came from a great line of women with a strong gift for telling the future but I knew from sources that this women had very little powers herself. Out of respect I gave her an interview anyway and what I heard was very disturbing." Albus pulled out a small globe and a figure appeared from the top and spoke in an eerie voice-
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the 7th month dies.And the dark lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows not.and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord will be born as the 7th month dies."
All three were silent, even Harry seemed to understand the mood and stopped playing with the glasses.
"What.What is that implying? What do you mean?"
"I think that this prophesy was implying both of you.and Harry." Lily stood angered "Harry?! He is just a baby and you don't know that she was telling the truth. You said yourself Albus that she has been rumored to be wrong!" As Dumbledore met her eyes he saw there was more fear than anger.
"Lily we can't take any risk. We have defied him three times and Harry was born at the end of July." James tried to calm her down as best he could but she would have none of it.
"I can't believe you are taking this so calmly James! This.This Prophesy says that our son Harry, who is no more than 3 years old, must kill Voldemort when no one has been able to do it yet! This is crazy!"
"I am not taking this calmly but I just think we should take extra precautions now."
"The weird thing is that it might not be Harry at all."
At that both James and Lily looked to Albus and Lily looked extremely slightly relieved
"Alice Longbottom also had a son in the same year at the end of July as well. The Longbottom family is also going into hiding."
At that moment Harry began to softly cry and James tried to quiet him whispering gently to him.
"I was thinking that you both should use the Fidilus charm. A secret is hidden in a single person, a secret keeper, and as long as they do not tell where you live Voldemort can walk right in front of your house and will not know you live there. If you both would accept I would personally be glad to be your secret keeper." Dumbledore watched the pair carefully.
"Thank you headmaster but I think we will use Sirius. He would rather die before telling where we live."
"Are you sure that is safe? There might be someone in the group that is not who we think they are."
"I am positive; Sirius and I have been best friends for years. He would never tell." Albus sighed and nodded while rising. He moved to place a hand on Lily's shoulder
"I am so sorry to bring you this news."
"I know."
He smiled to James and Harry before leaving in a slight flash of light.
"Lily?" Before he knew what hit him, Lily was in his arms and crying on his shoulder while he held Harry with his other hand. He silently let her cry herself into exhaustion before she raised her head and met his eyes.
"What are we going to do? How can he be after our Harry?"
"I don't know but I swear to you we will do everything possible to protect ourselves. I will not let anything happen."
She nodded and again placed her head on his shoulder while he ran his fingers down her red hair. Harry had fallen asleep on his other shoulder and at that moment James swore to himself he would do anything to protect his family.
The next morning Sirius and James sat at their table while Lily was taking care of Harry in the other room.
"So Padfoot will you do it for us?"
"Of course I will. Don't ever doubt it for a moment. I guess Lily did not take this news well?"
James shook his head "Not at all. She is so jumpy at every loud noise."
"We should do the charm as soon as possible. I can do it as soon as Lily is ready to perform it."
"I can do it tomorrow" Lily's voice came suddenly from the doorway. Both men nodded.
"Alright it's done." Lily breathed a sigh of relief, this charm was one of the most complicated she had ever done, but it was worth it.
"Good, don't worry the secret is safe with me" Sirius leaned over and gave Lily a friendly kiss on the cheek and shook hands and hugged James "Try and get some sleep tonight will you?" He smiled slightly and disappeared back to his own secret hiding spot.
"I know we can trust Sirius but I am still very nervous" stated Lily as she poked her head out the curtains and looking down the empty street. James put both his hands on her shoulders and nodded
"I feel the same, but we have taken all the precautions."
A few weeks later.
"Its so obvious that I am your secret keeper. James we were best friends in school, he will look for me first to find out where you are. No one will think you that you both switched to Peter, its brilliant."
"I don't know James. Is Peter that trustworthy?" Lily asked cautiously
"I can see what Sirius is pointing at though. Everyone knew we were close in school, and even Remus would be an obvious choice. It has to be Peter." Lily obviously did not agree with it but the next night the Potters switch secret keepers to Peter Pettigrew. When Sirius left that night, it would be the last he saw the Potters alive.
"They are at Godric's Hollow master. The Potters live there with their Son Harry, they made me their secret keepers tonight. Black suggested it and they believed him."
"Good job Pettigrew, you finally did something right. We shall make a social call to the Potters tomorrow evening."
"Lily its him!! Take Harry and run!!" James then faced Voldemort with narrowed eyes.
"You have defied me three times Potter but never again. I will kill you and then your mud blood wife and child."
James rose his wand and screamed out a curse and it barely hit Voldemort. He laughed and pointed his wand at James Potter-
"Avada Kedavra" James Potter fell to the ground without a mark on his body. Voldemort smiled and moved past the body without once more looking back. Lily Potter shut the door in his face and moving from the door Lily covered the screaming Harry with her body. Green sparks light behind the door and the door opened with Voldemort standing in front of her.
"Stand aside girl."
"No please, take me, kill me just leave Harry alone."
"Move aside you silly girl. Its not you I want."
"No!! Please I beg you leave Harry alone." She moved to stand between Harry and Voldemort not even bothering to take her wand.
"This is tiring me- Avada Kedavra" and like her husband before her, Lily Evans fell to the ground without a mark. Harry began to cry and move towards his mom sitting beside her lifeless form and pulling on her shirt.
"Mommie!" He looked up to the man before him a tear falling down his face as he began to cry.
"Stupid girl" His eyes then fell upon Harry and a cold cruel smile curled his lips-
"So you are the little thing that can defeat me! Ha! Goodbye Harry Potter. Avada Kedavra" Only this time the beam hit Harry on the forhead and bounced back returning the blast on himself. Suddenly Voldemort felt his body falling and crumbling and his spirit left the body screaming in agony.
Harry continued to pull on his mother's sleeve and crying for her. She of course did not answer and in annoyance moved away and towards the just as lifeless form of his father. He started pulling off the glasses that always had fascinated him so much and this time his dad did not fight and let him have the glasses.
"Daddy?" And again he started crying and yelling hoping it would catch his parents' attention as it usually did. This time it gained no response until a large man came into the house tears on his face as well.
"'arry? Ahh Dumbledore said you should be 'ere. Hiya little guy."
Hagrid got the boys attention that just held up his dead father's glasses and started screaming again for James. Hagrid moved to pick him up and frowned. He gently tried to take the glasses but the baby fought him. Hagrid let him have them, and slowly moved away from the house and to the street when he heard a loud noise. Hagrid looked to the sky to see Sirius Black on his great big bike.
When it landed Black looked to the house and then Hagrid as tears fell down his face.
"It can't be, Please tell me Hagrid that they are alright."
When Hagrid shook his head slowly Sirius broke down and started sobbing muttering something about "I should not have convinced them." Yes he refused to answer any questions.
"Hagrid give me Harry, I am his godfather I can take care of him. It was my responcibility"
"I cant Sirius, Dumbledore said specifically that Harry must go to him."
"But you know James and Lily.they..they named me Harry's godfather"
"You can't fight Dumbledore."
It was at this point that Harry leaned towards Sirius with his free hand (the other was still holding James' glasses) calling to him "Siri!! Siri!!"
Sirius smiled took his hand gently before turning to Hagrid
"Take my bike, I wont be needing it anymore"
"Are you sure Sirius? You love that thing"
Sirius nodded and smiled to Harry once more. "Go quickly I am sure Dumbledore is waiting"
"Oh yah" and with that Hagrid took to the bike and got on while Harry spread his hands to Sirius still screaming the baby version of his name. Sirius watched Hagrid take off with his bike and knew it was probably the last time he would see Harry.
"Ahh there is he Minerva"
Hagrid lowered the bike in front of Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. He carefully got off and carried the baby to the waiting professors.
"Any problems?"
"Nope, Sirius Black was nice enough to let me borrow his bike." Hagrid handed Dumbledore the now sleeping Harry Potter who then placed him on the doorstep.
"Sir, What should I do with these?" Hagrid handed Dumbledore James' glasses.
"Are these?" Dumbledore's voice shook slightly Hagrid nodded "He wouldn't let them go and kept calling for James. I found him at their bodies trying to wake them." Hagrid began to cry slightly
"Oh god" McGonagall put her hand over her mouth not knowing what to say.
Dumbledore looked again to the sleeping baby and put the glasses in his cloak sighing.
"It is time to go" He looked to Hagrid who was again crying "It's not really goodbye Hagrid."
"I know, he's just such a cute little guy."