A/N: Well, the approach of HBP is nearing and the information I am writing for fan fiction becomes less and less plausible. I have no intention of stopping until I am finished with this (which I am estimating at about 30 chapters). So everyone, enjoy the book. Please review.
Catch My Fall
Chapter 23-The Chosen One
Three months passed and the summer heat slowly shifted into a cool autumn breeze. The leaves on the trees outside were changing colors at a rapid pace. The atmosphere around was slowly easing down. Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus were managing to cope with the fact that they would never see Katy Jones again. They weren't ashamed of her death, but proud. She had died honorable, trying to protect others.
Lily seemed to becoming more and more cheerful as she watched her son grow. Baby Harry was amusing her until she could actually go back to work. The thought scared her, as she had no one to sit him during the day. Yet, subtlety Voldemort was hiding something. The Aurors at the Ministry detected this much as no attacks had been made since Katy Jones. He was nearly begging Lily to rejoin his workforce, as he needed someone with her brilliant mind.
"When do you think you're going to go back?" James asked as he set Harry into his into Lily's arms and grabbed a cup of coffee. Lily began feeding her son a bottle of formula, looking down at him.
"I don't know," she answered honestly. "My best friend was just killed on the job. I don't know if I'm ready to go back yet."
"I can tell you're bored Lily," James told her. "You can't hide it. You're nearly itching to resume your work. Being an Auror means as much to you as it does to me."
Before Lily could retaliate, Sirius Apparated into the house. He looked annoyed and he sat down at the breakfast table angrily.
"Dumbledore's just basically laid me off," Sirius told them, explaining his abrupt entrance. "He said that he thought it would be hazardous at this time for my personal safety to continue working for him. Well, because of the you know-the prophecy."
The two of them nodded. They had tried to forget about the prophecy. It hadn't been mentioned since Alice had come to talk to Lily in the hospital the day Harry had been born. They all looked over at Harry, who had fallen asleep.
"What are you going to do?" James inquired, handing over the crossword puzzle of the Daily Prophet to his best friend.
"Well, it's not like I'm in need of money. I have that. It's too late to become an Auror. Gringrotts has no more openings. No interest in becoming a Healer since, well, Halle died. The hospital just gives me off feelings, is all. I am not one to obey authority 100 percent of the time, basically canceling out any hope of my working at the Ministry. I did want to work in the Magical Games department, but there are no openings yet. Basically, I'm going to sit at home and rot," Sirius told them, putting a sarcastic grin on his face. Harry had woken up and was now giggling at his godfather.
"That's right, buddy," Sirius said. "You know who's the funny one in this house."
"I'll be unemployed as well," Lily regretfully informed him. "Officially, maternity leave is over. I just don't see any way of my staying at home. I have a baby to take care of."
"Wait, Lils," Sirius exclaimed, jumping up. "I can watch Harry!"
Lily paused, considering the idea. "Are you sure you're up to it?"
"Absolutely," Sirius assured her. "I love kids. I'll do anything you need me to do and more. We'll take walks, we'll pick up chicks, even take a ride on my motorcycle."
James chuckled, but Lily smacked Sirius on the arm.
"If you promise me, no, I mean us, not to do that, you can have the job," Lily told him.
"I won't let you down," Sirius promised. "Now, if I'm correct, Moody is basically a heart attack in the making without you. You should probably get started as soon as possible."
Lily smiled. She was so glad she and James had declared Sirius as Harry's godfather. If worst came to worst, she knew he would always be there for her son.
She kissed Harry's forehead and walked into her room to get ready. She was already antsy with anticipation. She was going back to work. She was ready.
.X.
The afternoon of October 31st, Sirius carried Harry into the kitchen and placed the remaining contents of his bottle into the refrigerator. He casually strolled back into the living room to play with his godson. Before he sat down on the couch, he saw a pink outfit with long ears. He gasped.
"They're taking you out as a bunny?" he whispered mostly to himself in shock. "I can't have this. I won't have this. No godson of mine is going to become some nancy boy. We're going shopping, little man."
With that, he found blanket for Harry and nestled him safely into it and carried him in one of his arms as he rode in the sky on the forbidden motorcycle.
.X.
As Lily and James walked into their home laughing, they smiled as they smelled something cooking.
"Halloween dinner?" Sirius proposed, stirring a pan full of spaghetti using his wand. Harry was sitting in a swing in the kitchen. Lily grinned, but then she looked more closely and saw that his hair was mohawked and he was wearing leather.
"Sirius, what did you do to my baby?" Lily asked.
"Doesn't he look cool?" Sirius asked, proud of his work. James was laughing as he saw his baby. Lily smacked him in the arm.
"What happened to the bunny outfit I had out?" Lily inquired. "Now he's going as some biker hoodlum?"
"He likes it," Sirius insisted. "Look at the little fella. He's never been more happy in his life. Plus, a little three year old girl was flirting with him on the street. It was magical. I mean, three years older than him! He's going to get a reputation soon. Harry loves the ladies."
Lily rolled her eyes and couldn't help laughing.
"I have a question," James piped up. "It's very important. How did you control his hair like that? I am in dire need of control."
He pointed up to his mop of raven black untidy hair. Lily ruffled it with her hand and laughed. She was glad that she could have good times with her family and try and move on from the horrible aspects of her past.
.X.
The graveyard that night was calm and quiet. The wind swiftly rustled past and stirred the black cloaks of the Death Eaters circled around Tom Riddle's gravestone. The luminescent glow of their white skeletal masks was all that could be seen apart from the deep scarlet pupils surveying all that stood before him.
He waited as each one approached him, kissing the hem of his robes. He was the most honored man in the entire world to them. He was the most powerful being, the right choice, as well as the leader of the dark world. Lord Voldemort resented the fact that his father was a Muggle, but without that chance to kill the Riddles, he would not have begun his killing spree as successfully.
No one would have expected that half-blooded Head Boy and Prefect Tom Riddle would have grown into the most feared human being the wizarding world had seen. He had long surpassed the legend of Grindelwald. He was in his prime and there was only one thing preventing him from taking over.
A boy. One boy was stopping him from creating a world of darkness.
As he stood, his wand outstretched to the rich earth, he grinned. He knew that the right choice had been made. He had made his choice. He knew which child he would have to kill. All he needed was a faithful servant and the opportune time and place.
"We are all gathered here in honor of what can be considered an epiphany. A dear servant of mine came across the information of a prophecy. A prophecy that predicted my downfall. The power to vanquish me was held between two little boys. Two innocent little boys that have barely made their way into the Earth. Now, one might wonder how I decided between the two? Which boy would be the right choice?
"I work in secrecy, keeping all my plans hidden from the world. Only you all, my servants and family, are my reliable friends. I know that there is not one person in this entire community of wizards that I am afraid of, least of all a little boy.
"My grudge against the Potter family is well known. I resent every single one of them. They make my life more difficult. James Potter has escaped my grasps far too many times. What would torture his noble, Gryffindor heart more than killing his beloved son? When the moment comes, I will strike upon little Harry Potter."
Murmurs could be heard throughout the Death Eaters.
"My Lord," a collected voice said from behind a mask. Lucius Malfoy, a member of Voldemort's inner circle, was usually one who spoke on all the Death Eaters' behalves. "Wouldn't the smart decision be to go with the pureblood?"
"In this case, blood means nothing to me," Voldemort shouted to them all. He could hear their gasps. He was frightening them, something he secretly prided himself on. "Talent. Evans and Potter were two of the most talented wizards to make their way out of Hogwarts. They are both Aurors. They are bigger threats to me than the Longbottoms. I know I can bring both of them down, as well as the world around them, by killing their little pride and joy. All I need is one person to help me through it all."
He knew, even with a mask as a disguise, exactly where Peter Pettigrew was. He used his knowledge of Occlumency to bring out a memory of James and Lily to Wormtail. He nodded in his spy's direction. Peter's heart was racing. He had been hoping that his master would choose Neville Longbottom, opposed to Harry. Yet, he was still willing to pull through for his master.
One person, one who would not be expected to feel so, wasn't completely certain that his master was doing for the best.
.X.
"You asked to meet me, Severus," Professor Dumbledore said as he watched Snape pace through his office. Snape was clutching onto his left arm protectively, cursing under his breath. He knew this was wrong, he knew it was betrayal. Yet, this final straw was the breaking point for him. Killing a little boy was the end of the line. He knew he didn't want to be that kind of person anymore.
"Yes, Professor," Snape said slowly. "I have some information for you."
"Information?" Dumbledore inquired, his face solemn and serious. Yet, anyone that knew him well would know he was smiling. He seemed to know there was something different about Severus Snape. He nodded to encourage Snape to go on.
"I know that you're the only one the Dark Lord has ever been afraid of," Snape started. "I know that you can do something. You see, tonight, I was at a Death Eater's meeting."
He looked up, expecting Dumbledore to judge him. The old man sat, simply interested in what he was saying. No judgment had even crossed his mind.
"At this meeting, the Dark Lord talked about having some sort of epiphany. Only then did I realize I was having one of my own. I looked around me and knew that these people weren't my friends. They would kill me if the Dark Lord told them to do so. I had no trust, no emotion being around these kinds of people," Snape went on, his voice traveling into a rapid pace. "I realized that I didn't want to be a Death Eater anymore. After these years of hurting others, I've managed to hurt myself far worst. The guilt lying within my conscience is agonizing. The blood that's been shed due to my hands is shameful. All my years I knew I would be a Death Eater. It was expected. I was an outcast, a Slytherin, and I had some sort of grudge against the prime source of good, James Potter. It was expected that I would want to join with the dark side. Yet, now, I don't think I should have to live up to everyone's expectations. It is my life. I should have the right to decide how I wish to live it."
"And you do," Dumbledore assured him. "It is never too late, Severus."
"I'm afraid it is," the man said with a trembling voice. "I know of the prophecy."
Dumbledore nodded, not particularly surprised by this statement. He had known due to the attack on the two pregnant Muggle women earlier that year that Voldemort had to have had some sort of knowledge pertaining to the prophecy.
"As much as I hate Potter, I think you need to warn him," Snape said, surprising both himself and Dumbledore. The old man's eyes were wide and alive, magnetically focused on Snape's watery black ones. "The Dark Lord is going to kill his son."
A/N: Well? How'd you like the chapter? Not really long, but it's all I could do. I tried. So, leave a review. Thanks.