"Lily! It's him! Take Harry and run!"

Watching James run to the front door while I turn around with Harry in my arms is the most difficult thing I've ever done. I know he didn't even take his wand, that bloody idiotic, noble, self-sacrificing Git. There are too many steps in this house, I have to reach Harry's room, I stupidly left the run-away bag there.

I can feel the killing curse being cast before the words are even out of the monster's mouth, the telling drop in temperature makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. My vision blurs with tears as I close the door and put as many wards as I can on it. Harry knows something's wrong, as soon as I put him in his crib he starts crying, for good reason, I think, as the image of James' lifeless body takes precedence in my brain and I drop my arm as the last spell leaves my wand, I turn around and pick the bag up, it's mostly full of photos and irreplaceable memories made up of silvery wispy strands, from both of us.

I pick Harry up again when I feel the overwhelming power of Tom Riddle starting to break through my hastily cast protections. I spin in place, trying and failing to disapparate. I freeze as my blood starts running cold as ice, the bastard set up anti-apparition wards around the house.

I look into Harry's eyes, he stopped crying when I took him back in my arms.

"I swear you'll be ok, baby."

I put him back in the crib and cast a small numbing charm on his forehead, and, with a loving caress, I flick my wand in the shape of a protection rune. It gets embedded in his forehead, a faint trail of blood starts dripping from it, but Harry resolutely stares up at me. This is the most difficult piece of magic I have ever attempted, but I've got no other choice, I slash my thumb with my wand and press to the scar on my son's forehead, mixing our blood as I start chanting.

"I will never let him kill you, Harry"

Magic starts swivelling around us, I feel my power receding into my son, permeating the scar.

The last of my enchantment on the door fails just as the energy transfer is complete.

"I love you, Harry"

The door gets blasted off its hinges, the cold inhuman voice of Tom riddle rings in my ears, I ignore him.

"Mommy loves you, Harry. Daddy loves you too."

I feel the banishing spell that throws me to the wall, I think I broke my arm as I get up again and put myself in front of the monster.

"Not my son! Take me instead!"

As if I'd ever step aside, I know I can't beat him in a fight, but I won't let him touch my son as long as I breathe.

The temperature drops.

The hair on the back of my neck stands up.

The cold, red eyes grow brilliant.

My son cries in his crib and I can't go hug him.

Green light covers my vision.

Unnatural cold steeps in my bones.

So this is how the killing curse works.

And, despite myself, I die smiling, because I was right.

I smile because Harry will be safe.

And nothing else matters.

I feel the pull of the resurrection stone.

My shade appears in a clearing of the forest.

I hate this, my son, my beautiful, incredible son is walking to his death.

I hate Tom Marvolo Riddle, I hate Albus Dumbledore.

My son reduced to nothing more than a chess piece on their board.

And the power of the stone compels me to push him to make the last step.

Forces me to smile and tell him that it's ok.

But I am Lily Potter, and I get the last laugh.

"We are so proud of you Harry" my will forces the words out "And we love you, so much"

I try to touch his cheek, but my hand passes through, ethereal as it is.

He still leans into the touch.

And I accompany him to his death.

As the curse strikes him, I smile.

I can feel the wretched thing detaching itself from his scar.

And I can feel his soul hasn't passed through yet.

I smile in the face of death once again as my world goes black.