OCTOBER 31ST, 1981 - GODRIC'S HOLLOW

"Lily, take the kids and go! It's him! Go! RUN! I'll hold him off!" shouted James Potter as the menacing hooded figure approached him from the front door, having blasted it open seconds ago.

The young Potter family had been taken by surprise that night. They had been preparing their two small children for bed after a quiet but enjoyable Halloween feast that Lily had planned for them. She had insisted they celebrate for the children regardless of their own dampened spirits caused by the war raging outside and their inability to step out of the home to do their part.

So Lily had decorated the kitchen with floating jack-o-lanterns and arranged an assortment of sweets and pastries to be enjoyed. To be extra festive, she even transfigured Harry's clothes into a pumpkin costume, much to James' amusement. Not one to be left out, their oldest, Rose, insisted on wearing her father's old Quidditch shirt from his happier days on the Gryffindor team.

The couple's Hogwarts days seemed like decades ago yet it had only been a few years. War had aged the young wizard and his wife mentally. They had graduated, married, and become parents only to be thrown into war.

Shortly after the birth of their daughter, the Potters and their friends joined and began training and fighting for the Order in addition to James' Auror training at the academy and Lily's Healer program at St. Mungos. Their obligations often kept them away from their infant daughter who was left in their parents' care. However, as the war worsened and grew deadlier, the Potters became full-time Order members facing battle after battle and raid after raid against the growing number of Death Eaters.

Then both their parent's died.

Fleamont and Euphemia Potter contracted Dragon Pox and were taken by the illness shortly after. The Evans passed away a year later, Elizabeth Evans went first after a grueling battle with ovarian cancer, and her husband, in his grief and heartbreak, passed away three months later in a peaceful sleep. The small family was devasted but when Lily became pregnant again everything changed. That prophecy changed everything. It was unfair to their children to have to live in hiding and fear over their parent's involvement in the Order and their defiance against the Dark Lord. Their defiance that ultimately marked their youngest child before his birth with a death sentence. So they hid in the enchanted confinements of Godric's Hollow; it had been a year.

Tonight was different. They wouldn't dwell on the war raging outside. They were together and alive so they celebrated, baking pumpkin pasties and carving pumpkins that their dear friend, Peter, had dropped by earlier that week.

As an activity for her eldest, Lily hid chocolate frogs around the house, her daughter's favorite, and watched as she led her father in the search. Rose located the hidden candy instantly and handed each box to James before running to the next spot. There wasn't much they could keep from her anymore, each year her magic grew stronger.

The night had ended in the sitting room where James conjured colorful smoke and bubbles for his children's amusement and delight before Lily collected them for bed. Once his children and wife were upstairs, James leaned back on the settee, stretching his arms out as Lily's cat, Clove, took the opportunity to jump up and curled onto his lap. He rested his eyes contently and scratched Clove behind her ear as his body relaxed.

Lily had been right. They needed this distraction.

For the first time since they had gone into hiding, they felt like a happy, normal family completely at ease. They couldn't step outside the house but, at least, here they were safe and together. They were protected by Dumbledore and their friends.

But the war had found the Potters that night.

Peter had betrayed them.

This was the terrible realization in James' head as he faced Voldemort completely unarmed having minutes ago thrown his wand down where he had sat. The surprise attack left him with no time to properly react. James had sprung to his feet, unconcerned for the cat who ran off scared and hissing, as the front door was blasted open. He had initially been confused by it, after all, no one could get past the magical barriers of the Fidelius Charm. Then, he ran to the door and saw him; tall, menacing, and hooded. Those bloodshot eyes gleamed nefariously from that waxy, pale, gaunt face, and the realization of their perilous situation set in.

He was going to die tonight.

James yelled for his wife to run and inwardly cursed himself for leaving his wand behind.

There was no point in running back, he would be dead before he could even turn away. The young wizard knew that this would be the last face he would see so he thought of his wife and their two children. He imagined their faces to power his courage and prayed to whatever superior force that he could stall the Dark Lord long enough for them to escape.

"You won't win!" He shouted at him. If he was going to die he would die getting the last word in. "Go ahead and kill me, you ugly cunt! But you'll never win!"

Voldemort only smiled sinisterly, amused at the young man's foolish display of courage.

"ACCIO WAND!" shouted James challenging all his magic from his body to achieve the wandless spell in seconds.

The mahogany wand came flying into his hand which he then pointed in the Dark Lord's direction making slashing movements as he cast Sectumsempra.

However, Voldemort was too quick, too powerful, and too skilled. With a flick of his wand, he blocked the curse, sending back the Cruciatus which was blocked. However, Voldemort had done this to purposely distract his opponent for, at the moment James expertly blocked the curse, the Dark Lord cast the Killing Curse so quickly there was no time to react.

The burst of green light hit James square on the chest and he held on desperately to the image of his family as his knees gave away and his surroundings began darkening and fading.

'Lily. Rose. Harry.'

Those were his last thoughts as he fell over succumbing to the fatal curse and, in seconds, James Potter's short life ended.

Lily heard the heavy and sickening thud downstairs, followed by silence, and immediately knew she had just heard James die. She was shaking, she wanted to scream as she imagined her husband's lifeless body laying stiff downstairs but she couldn't dwell on it right now. She didn't have much time, she had to be quick!

Voldemort would be making his way upstairs now; the rocking chair and drawer she pushed up against the nursery door would not hold him back. Quickly, she shook away the thought of James and grabbed her daughter's hand. She led her to the closet, hastily slid the door open, and placed the small girl in between the hanging coats.

"Stay in here, Rosie!" she instructed urgently to the small redhead. "You have to be quiet no matter what! Whatever you hear and whatever happens...," she was shaking as she spoke, her voice threatening to break but she held herself together for Rosie's sake,"..don't come out!"

She looked into her daughter's warm eyes, so like her father's, and took in every feature and detail of her beautiful face. Her Rosie was scared and confused, Lily knew the little girl felt the panic and fear that ran through her mother's mind and body and it made her feel helpless. The young mother doubted she would survive tonight but her children had to! She would have to beg or even offer her own life, Lily didn't care what it took but somehow Rose and Harry had to live.

"I love you so much, Rosie," she choked out as she embraced her eldest and placed a kiss on her forehead before sliding the door closed.

'Please don't look. No matter what you hear!' she thought.

Lily sprung over to Harry's crib where he sat watching the curious interaction between his mother and sister.

As his mother approached the infant reached out his small arms to her. Lily silently wept as she scooped up Harry and held him close to her chest taking in his scent and the feeling of him in her arms.

Harry.

Her Harry.

Her sweet baby boy.

He was so small, so innocent, and so undeserving of this hand that fate had unjustly dealt.

It was their fault alone for fighting against Voldemort alongside the Order, not Harry's.

"Mummy, loves you, Harry," Lily whispered, looking down at those beautiful green eyes. She had been so happy when they had first looked up at her, moments after being pulled from her womb and placed in her arms. It was their special feature that they shared as it was obvious upon birth that he favored James.

"Be safe, Harry. Be strong," she said placing a kiss on his forehead.

There was a loud crashing sound as the nursery door was blown open. The obstructing furniture flew across the room and collided with the opposite wall as the Dark Lord entered. Lily, with her back to the door, had shielded Harry with her body and silently prayed the noise had not scared Rose out of her hiding place.

She could sense the intruder stepping into the room but she kept her back to him and gently set Harry down in his crib. She was unarmed having left her wand on the bathroom sink after drying both children from their bath earlier.

"Step aside, girl!" Voldemort snarled as he took a few steps towards the young woman.

Lily gathered her courage before turning and coming face-to-face with the murderous Lord Voldemort.

"Please, not Harry," she pleaded, her tears flowing down her face.

"Step aside, foolish girl!" Voldemort warned viciously. "You need not die tonight!"

Lily had no time to contemplate his words further from realizing that he had no intention of killing her. It didn't matter, she could never give up her own child for her own life but she could offer it in exchange.

"Not Harry! Please, take me! Kill me instead!" She begged desperately. "Please!" she pleaded again feeling Harry's little hands pull at her loose tresses.

"This is my final warning..." Voldemort snarled impatiently as he raised his wand at her chest.

This was it, Lily knew what would come next and her desperation grew.

"Please...have mercy...have mercy...Not Harry! Please! I'll do anything-" she continued pleaded, losing all composure and all pride.

Voldemort growled in frustration before bringing his wand down in one swift motion followed by a blast of bright, green light that illuminated the room.

Lily Potter's body hit the floor with the same sickening, heavy thud as her husband.

The last thing the young witch saw was a gap in the closet door and a hazel eye peeking out from it before her heart stopped and her vision faded.

Rose Potter watched silently as her mother fell to the bad wizard's curse. She waited for her to stand but she did not move not even when the bad man stepped toward her.

"Stupid Mudblood!" he spat angrily, his cruel voice and words frightening the little girl. 'He won't like this but she was warned. She was rather attractive for a Mudblood but now he can let go of that pathetic infatuation of his.' She heard him muse.

Rose was very frightened, this man scared her and he had hurt her mother so much so that she could not get up nor could Rose hear her thoughts. She willed her magic to enter her mother's mind but there was silence. The only thoughts she could hear belonged to the wizard and so, out of child curiosity, she reached for his mind.

However, she was immediately forced back by strong mental barriers that instantly went up, she had never encountered this with anyone else before. The temptation to push against the blockage was too much to resist for the young girl. Almost at once, she was stopped again and the man turned suddenly in the direction of the closet, his eyes flashing red. He twisted his face into a cruel smile.

"Come out, child!" He ordered sharply.

Rose shifted nervously realizing that he had sensed her and now knew where she was hiding. She did not want to leave the safety of the closet as her mother had instructed but her mother had yet to move much less object against the man's request. There was no other choice than to do what he asked.

Slowly, the girl slid the door open and timidly stepped out into the Dark Lord's view. She looked up at his towering figure trying her best not to cower under his hypnotic blood-red eyes and the wand in his hand that was pointed at her.

Once again but with more force, she reached into the man's mind but was instantly repelled back. Instead, Rose felt her own mind invaded.

The small girl stumbled backward landing on her bottom as the mental assault gripped her with full force bringing forth memories of her short life. Her parents' faces were in almost all of the fleeting images that rushed through.

Herself, Harry and their parents earlier today enjoying the little Halloween feast mummy had prepared.

She and her parents living in their old home.

Her uncle's faces as they all sat down at a large table for dinner.

Mummy telling her that it was impolite to talk about other people's thoughts aloud.

Mummy placing her in the closet, the tears and fear visible on her face, "I love you so much, Rosie."

Rose gave a small cry, feeling as if her head would combust from the painful invasion. Suddenly she was thrown onto her back as the man savagely ripped himself from her mind leaving her dizzy and disoriented.

She sat up and looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes yet there was also a sense of wonder and curiosity.

No one had ever gotten into her mind like that before. Her parents had always said that people born with power like hers were rare but this man had it too!

It took a few seconds for Rose to recover. Shakily she stood and unintentionally felt her own power rush out but this time it was met with his own. He didn't repel her or make any attempts at a second invasion. Instead, what he did took the girl by surprise, he connected both powers.

'Hello, little Rose,' his cold, deep voice echoed in her mind sending a shiver down her spine.

The strange sensation unnerved her but it was overcome by the curiosity to imitate the man's actions, 'Is mummy hurt, sir?' she thought knowing he would hear her in his mind.

The man smirked wickedly before lowering his wand.

'You're a gifted little witch, aren't you?' the Dark Lord remarked mentally before voicing aloud. "What a relief that the taint in your blood did not hinder your magic. We'll need that for future generations. It would certainly be a waste of magical potential to dispose of you."

He wasn't one to spare his victims but the child's power was far too enticing.

Natural born Legilimens were rare, there were one or two recorded births per century, and the capabilities of their magical gift had yet to be fully understood, studied, and tested. Despite its undiscovered capabilities, it was an extremely useful power. Whereas learned Legilimency was limited to memories and interpretation from the practitioner, natural-born was exact and went beyond memories and into psychic empathy or telepathy as the girl had shown.

Being so young, the little witch's ability was rampant and wild subjected to whatever thoughts and memories were presented. It needed to be tamed and trained but nonetheless, it was strong as evident by the prodding he had felt descend upon his own mental barriers.

She was a rarity.

Considering how impressively Bella, another rarity in her own way, had mastered Dark Magic under his instruction as a young adult, the possibility of what he could accomplish with a child so young and special excited him. If he spared the girl he could teach her to control this ability she was gifted with, to force out specific memories and thoughts from others, to know with precise accuracy who were loyal and who were liars, and ultimately use it for his will. He could experiment by testing its limits and strengths; push it to seize full control of the mind and go beyond thoughts and memories. The human mind in its entirety was vastly complex and even he, the greatest trained Legilimens of all time, had yet to fully unravel, seize, and control it. A child and future soldier under his service and tutelage possessing this mental power would be an asset.

A weapon!

She would be his most prized possession. The daughter of his enemies, of Dumbledore's beloved Gryffindors, molded by him into the perfect Death Eater. She would belong to him, serve him, and obey him. He would brand her with his mark and she would accept it willingly as the highest honor of her life. She would come to him when called, bow down to him, kiss the hem of his robes and call him her lord and master.

She will belong to him.

The irony was so sweet! The foolish headmaster had denied him the job he would have excelled at, well now he'll show how great of a teacher he is.

The child was also pretty and he always liked taking trophies from his conquests. Rose Potter would be an asset to his collection. The girl's eyes were like honey and her lips pink and full. Her skin was so fair stained with light pink at each cheek. Her complexion contrasted beautifully against the loose, dark red curls that fell down to her shoulders.

The resemblance to the mother was evident but the daughter was a better version.

A powerful version.

A half-blood with a direct taint in her otherwise pure, magical blood like himself.

She would become powerful under his guidance and one day, come to possess all the desirability of a woman.

"Such a waste," he repeated.

She would be spared, he decided right then and there as he could not dispose of this magical ability. He would take the child after he was done here as his ward. He would not raise her himself, the thought of him, Lord Voldemort, the greatest Dark wizard of all time, parenting was utterly laughable. No, like Muggle Kings he would grant that honor to his servants. In fact, he already had the right Pureblood family for the task who could afford to raise the child in wealth and luxury as well as educate and instill all Pureblood traditions and morals. Most importantly, as his most trusted and valued followers, they would teach the child to be utterly devoted to him.

Yes, it would work, Lucius would gratefully accept this task without question, not that he would be given a choice. After all, Malfoy Manor was the best, safest, and most worthy home to keep his new little flower. He would not even have to be concerned with the child growing up isolated, little Draco would be a superior replacement for the brother she would lose tonight.

Moreover, Narcissa had a natural aptitude for motherhood and, as a Black and Malfoy, would make a far better mother to the girl than the dead Mudblood could have ever hoped to have been.

The Dark Lord looked over at the child's mother to admire their resemblance once more before thinking amusingly of Severus.

'He'll thank me later,' he thought to himself.

"Your mother is dead," he finally answered harshly.

The girl winced at his coldness but, nonetheless, kept her eyes fixed on him.

"Your father is dead." Voldemort continued, "Your brother will soon be dead too. And you, little one, will live under my new regime for I, Lord Voldemort, am a merciful and kind lord. You will obey me and train to fight for me, your Dark Lord. You will live to serve me and our cause. In return, I will ensure you are cared for and I will teach you how to receive the most out of your power. When you're a woman, you will marry a worthy suitor of my choosing and fulfill your duty of contributing to the continuation of our kind." He then stepped over the Mudblood's body to tower menacingly over the small girl before bending over to be mere inches from her. He brought the tip of his wand to her face and tenderly caressed a soft, pink cheek.

His cruel, red eyes bore deep into golden tones and he could feel her fear and mesmerization, he smirked at the latter.

"However if you're ever foolish enough to seek vengeance, I will be waiting for you," he whispered darkly, raising her chin upward with the tip of his wand and allowing his mental shields to come down thereby giving the girl the access she had originally sought.

He brought forth all the memories of the lives he ended for her to see including her own father's death. The terror, the screams, the torture, and the blood filled his mind and poured into hers.

The girl whimpered and recoiled away from him, the fear palpable on her face.

Satisfied, Voldemort made his way to the crib where Harry Potter sat upright, pulling on the limbs of a stuffed Hippogriff, completely unaware of the horrors that had played out before him. The Dark Lord looked down at the baby, at his great threat, and a malicious smile formed across his skeletal face. All the trouble of locating this child would finally be put to rest, no one will ever dare question his invincibility and power again! Most importantly, after tonight, he could go back to his plans. The Ministry would be his within a matter of days. With the dwindling number of Order members, the wizarding population will run to his side, accepting him as their powerful ruler. Those who refuse or attempt to flee would be put to death. Only then will Dumbledore be at his weakest, only then will he strike but it was important that the old fool lose everything and every hope first, starting tonight with his beloved Potters. He looked over his shoulder to ensure the girl was still watching and found that she had not taken her eyes off him.

'Watch now, Rose,' he mentally spoke his first orders to her. She needed to see this, to see what could happen if she ever dares to defy him.

He turned back to his would-be threat and raised his wand.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Greenlight filled the Potter's house for the third time that night but this time the intended target did not die for the curse backfired onto its caster.

Little Rose was thrown across the room, the back of her head slammed painfully against the closet door and she then fell onto the floor.

Pain.

She felt pain, hot pain that traveled all over her body and threaten to tear her mind apart. She wanted to scream but her mind was flooded with agonized screams from the man. Whatever had happened must have hurt him too.

His screams were loud at first, reverberating painfully in her mind but then suddenly ceased leaving only the deafening cries that belonged to Harry echoing in the room.

The room was fading around Rose and with a small cry she called out for her mother before succumbing to her head injury.

Harry was still crying.

She could hear him faintly in the darkness. His cries grew louder and louder as Rose opened her eyes and slowly regained consciousness.

She was on the floor. Harry's crib had been knocked over and he now laid tangled in his blankets. Their mother's body remained in the spot where she had fallen forward. The nursery room had been completely destroyed, the wall separating the room from the hallway no longer stood. The strange wizard was gone. Rose could no longer hear him but he must have been very badly hurt for she had felt his pain and combined with her own had been unbearable to endure.

With great difficulty, Rose crawled over to Harry and quickly untangled him from his blankets. He was hurt. On his forehead, there was a fresh cut where blood was seeping out causing him great pain and discomfort. The emotions coming from her little brother were overwhelming and Rose could sense his yearning for their mother's comfort. She needed to help him.

Grabbing the edge of one of the blankets, little Rose gently placed it over the blood pressing down firmly as she had seen her mother do countless times whenever she had gotten hurt and bled. She lifted her hand to check on the cut, the bleeding had almost ceased and that was all Rose could do until a grown-up came to heal Harry. She located a pacifier in the crib and placed it in Harry's mouth hoping he would find some comfort in that to stop crying. It worked for now but Harry never lasted long with the pacifier.

She looked over at her mother's lifeless form and inched her way over. Lily's opened eyes disturbed the little girl but she yearned to be with her mother. The man said she was dead she remembered. He had said her daddy was dead too. Rose knew what death was, her parents had explained it after her grandparents and Aunt Marlene had died. It meant they were gone forever.

Her heart sank at the thought of her parents being gone. She looked up in the direction of the empty, silent, and frighteningly dark hallway.

"Daddy!" she called out, too scared to leave the room. She waited for him to respond, holding in her tears as she strained her ears to hear her father's footsteps. But there were none, her call went unanswered.

Her daddy always came running when she called for him. She tried reaching his mind but heard nothing and her daddy was always very loud with his thoughts. Suddenly, the image the wizard had shared with her came to her mind. The one of her daddy falling to his curse.

They're dead, came the voice of a small child.

Startled, Rose looked around the room for the source but there was no one except Harry, who she knew could not speak yet.

I'm in here, inside your mind. Don't be frightened, I'm here to be with you and keep you safe. I'm here to be your friend.'

Although it was perturbing there was a sense of comfort knowing she wasn't completely alone.

Rest now, little Rose. Help will come soon.

The little redhead returned her gaze to her mother and gently lifted one of Lily's limp arms to nestle herself next to the still-warm body.

Rose Potter closed her eyes and quickly fell into the darkness.