Ok, so I took awhile to update. I'm sorry. But school has started, and I'm going to be updating a little less frequently, but nevertheless as frequently as possible.

You're welcome for the dedication, Anna B. the Greek

Grace, thanx for the review! Cookies to you :)

I hope this update came fast enough, emily.

soft N' fluffy, thanks for the review. One review means a lot! Maybe you could recommend my stories, and I can recommend yours.


"Have you brought her to me?" a cold voice asked from the back of the dark cavern. The voice came from a cloaked and hooded figure was facing the back wall.

"Yes, Master," a masked man said. He was holding a blue bundle.

"Where is Narcissa?"

"She's waiting outside."

"Well, go get her!" the cold voice ordered.

A petite cloaked and hooded figure stepped into the room.

"Show yourself!" the voice demanded. Narcissa removed her mask and hood, revealing a pale, pointed face that was nonetheless very pretty, and a sheet of white blonde hair.

Satisfied, the master turned back to the wall. "You said you had an idea for the child. Let's hear it," he ordered.

"Well, I've found a family that will take her and raise her as their own. She can go to Hogwarts when the time comes to learn the necessary magic, and, most importantly, be trained completely in your ways. What do you think, my Lord?"

"It is satisfactory. Who is it that you have found to take the brat in?"

"We will," Narcissa said, smiling slightly. She'd always wanted a child, and what better way than this?

The master seemed to find this placement a good idea.

"Hand it to her," he told the masked man, indicating the bundle.

Christine cooed as Narcissa took her in her arms. She wrinkled her pointed nose at her. She wasn't to show this child love and compassion; they are not Lord Voldemort's ways.

"Now go away, and leave me in peace," Voldemort said as he turned his back on them once more, and pointed a long, thin finger towards the cavern door. She swept out of the cavern, the baby in her arms.

There was a glitch in this clever plan, though. Upon Lily's wish, everyone who knew of Christine had their memories rewritten. Christine still existed. Her name was changed to Malfoy. Narcissa and Lucius were made to think of Christine as their own. So their plan of no love, no compassion went dangerously awry. They showered their child with gifts, and were even happier when they realized that Narcissa was expecting a younger sibling for their precious little girl.

Lord Voldemort himself did not know of Christine any more.


June came around, and a very pregnant Lily was exempt from her Auror exams. She would take them after the baby was born. James passed with flying colours, and was recruited by Albus Dumbledore to join the Order of the Phoenix. Lily was as well, but could not partake in any of the activities just yet. Her fantastic mind was put to other uses.

"So have you found anything yet?" Dumbledore asked Lily as she heaved herself from the armchair she was sitting in to find another book.

"No, I haven't. Sorry," she answered vaguely as she skimmed the shelves.

"That is alright. As soon as possible then, so we can continue with this part of the mission."

"Yes, I'm moving as quickly as I can," she snapped irritably.

Dumbledore gave her a reproachful look, and walked out the door with a sigh. He thanked Merlin that he never had children; or even married for that matter. Poor James…

He hurried out of Headquarters, more to escape Lily's mood swings than anything else, and Apparated into Hogsmeade. After stopping by for a quick drink with Madam Rosmerta at The Three Broomsticks, he strode up to Hogwarts.

He walked slowly through the empty halls of Hogwarts. Mere days ago it was filled with students. He reviewed the year, and found it almost empty without the Marauders and their almost daily pranks. He smiled in spite of himself. An effort to keep the peace in the real world was going terribly awry in the miniature world that was Hogwarts. If he couldn't keep the peace at his school… he shuddered at the prospect, and vowed to make more of an effort with rules.

Once in his office, he pulled out his Pensive and began examining the year, comparing it to the previous year. It was something he had always done – something he had done to better the school.

As the mist swirled around inside the stone basin, he saw something unfamiliar, something that most definitely was his…he tried desperately to bring it back to the top of the basin, but it vanished. No matter what he did, he could not make the thought surface.

After several hours of desperate searching for the thought, he gave up. Putting the Pensive away, he stalked from the room, preoccupied and furious at the evasive thought.

He didn't come out of his distracted state until something hit the back of his head. "PEEVES!" he roared, more because the poltergeist had startled him than anything else. "Keep it up, and I'm going to expel you!" he said as he picked chalk out of the hood of his cloak. Peeves zoomed off down the hall, cackling evilly.

He found McGonagall in her office, already beginning work on the letters that needed to be sent to the students, new and old. "Hello, Albus," she said, peering out from behind a huge stack of parchment. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Hello, Minerva," Albus said. "I'm just checking up on the progress of the next mission," he told her, and she proceeded to give him her update.

With everything in order at the school, Dumbledore left.


Over the next several weeks, Dumbledore thought often of the evasive memory in the Pensive. This was all forgotten on July 31st, when Lily and James had a baby boy; Harry James Potter. He was adorable, with his jet black hair and brilliant emerald eyes. Just like Lily's.

After a few weeks of quiet time with Harry, Lily took her Aurors test. She too, passed with top marks. She began active work for the Order, her missions often taking her away from James and Harry. This worried her, but she knew in her heart that they were safe.

Tragedy struck for the couple 6 months after Harry was born. Lily, James and Harry were out for dinner at Remus and Leala's apartment. They were announcing their engagement, and all of the marauders were there, along with a few new friends met at work and from the Order.

Lily and James arrived home late that night to find the Dark Mark hovering over their house. Filled with dread at knowing what was inside, the young couple fled to Headquarters. They found Dumbledore there, and told him what they had seen.

"I never thought that this would happen to us," James said quietly to Lily that evening. "I've read about it in the papers, I've seen it on missions, but they were all nameless, faceless people to me. These are my parents, Lily."

Lily tried to comfort him as best she could, her grief for the people who had taken her into their home almost as strong as her husband's. Much of the first floor was destroyed, and that was the only apparent damage to the house. But the elder Potters were gone.

Their Will stated that James and Lily were the owners of the house. They had no other children, so nearly everything else went to James. Atticus' massive trinket collection went to Dumbledore. Atticus and Dumbledore were good friends; they had worked together in the Order.

With the prospect of the entire house to themselves, Lily and James began to fix it up. They turned the third floor into a floor just for Harry. The second floor was theirs now; with a separate study for each of them, and a massive library at the heart of it all. The first floor contained the kitchen, the dining room, and the parlour, along with a large game room for entertaining their guests.

They did not allow themselves to be consumed by grief. The loss of James' parents merely strengthened their resolve to bring about Lord Voldemort's downfall.

Lily's parents were killed in a car accident on their way to Little Whinging, where they were going to attend Petunia's wedding. She was marrying the horrible man, Vernon Dursley. They'd already had a child, who was a little bit older than their own Harry, and the wedding was planned because of the baby, whom they called Dudley. The wedding continued in light of the tragedy, and Lily was disgusted by this. She could not believe her sister would be so cold, so heartless. She refused to attend the wedding.

A month after their deaths was Harry's birthday. That same night, Dumbledore was interviewing a potential Divination Professor. Days later, a young man came to Dumbledore with some horrifying news.

Severus Snape informed Dumbledore that Voldemort was going after Lily and James Potter. He was going to kill them and their baby too.

He quickly informed the Potters of the evil plan, and set his own protection plan into action. Sirius Black was to be the Secret Keeper. They were going into hiding.


Ok, so this chapter probably wasn't the most exciting one ever. I swear it'll get better. I just needed to set the background information first before I sped along full tilt with the rest of the story. Anyways, I hope you liked!

Happy Reading,
Maybelline