Chapter Eight: I am sorry, Mrs. Potter.

"What do you mean by he did?" Lily was stunned.

"He died for the people he loved.'' Ron whispered barely audible to Lily.

Lily took hold of Ron's collar and shook him."What do you mean? Tell me, tell me." She screamed with tears in her eyes. This is the moment when Lily Evans had realized that she had fallen in love with James Potter. Maybe this was the reason why Ron had time travelled.

''James died trying to protect you and Harry." Ron muttered with tears in his eyes.

"Trying to protect from whom?" Lily asked not letting go of his collar.

"From Voldemort? Why?"

"Let me tell you the full story." And thus began Ronald Bilius Weasley. He told Lily how Snape had eavesdropped Professor Trelawney when she was revealing a prophecy to Dumbledore.

"What was the prophecy?" Lily asked slowly.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh 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 seventh month dies..."

''Snape only heard half of the prophecy and ran to Voldemort to tell it. At that particular moment you and James had defied him three times and had given birth to Harry on July 17th. But there was another couple who had defied him three times and gave birth to a male child as the seventh month died."

"Who are they?"

"Frank and Alice Longbottom."

"What? Frank and Alice? Are they alive?" Lily asked letting go of Ron's collar and was about to faint.

"They are alive." Ron said taking Lily in his arms. He took hold of her wand and produced some water for her.

Lily drank the water and looked up to him."Tell me the truth."

"They are alive but." Ron couldn't go on.

"But what happened?" She asked him.

"They were tortured by the Lestranges and have incurred permanent damage to their brains."

"Why them? What did they do? Is it because of the prophecy?"

"No it was nothing to do with the prophecy. When Voldemort disappeared, the Lestranges tortured them for information regarding him. Apparently, they were aurors at that time." Ron said thinking about Neville."They had a son named Neville who is one of our friends. He had to live with his grandmother after this incident." Ron said with a lump in his throat.

''The Lestrange brothers did this?"

"Rodolphus Lestrange married Bellatrix Black and the three of them did this to Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom." Ron said. His voice was hoarse and he was about to cry, the incident in the St. Mungo's hospital flashed before his eyes."They are still in St Mungo's. Neville used to visit them with his grandma. He has named his children Frank and Alice and takes them to meet their grandparents." Ron was now crying, tears rolled down his freckles and his nose too was running.

''They had go through so much, why do bad things happen to bad people. Frank and Alice are good people. Frank is the only person James respects. They are the head boy and girl right now." She said with tears in her eyes too.

''It is time for you to know the truth, Mrs. Potter."

Lily just nodded asking him to continue.

"After Dumbledore came to know about Snape, he asked you and James to go in hiding with Harry. Dumbledore asked you to name Sirius as your secret keeper but Sirius convinced the Potters to name Peter as their secret keeper because he was sure Voldemort would come after him. But that rat, Peter double crossed and went straight to Voldemort and revealed your secret hiding. Voldemort came personally for the Potters." Ron couldn't go on, his voice was struck and he was hip cupping.

"Here, here." Lily said giving him some water.

"I am sorry, Mrs. Potter. I am sorry that you are not going to see your son grow old. I am sorry that you won't get a chance to see his Hogwarts' letter. I am sorry you won't able to see your grandchildren and I am sorry that you won't able to see your son, the boy who lived defeat the greatest wizard.'' Ron said hugging her tightly and crying out loud.