Killer of the Dawn

I will always recall the time

Remember every detail so fine

Go over the thoughts and memories

Winding through my grief

There was a moment of stunned silence. Then everything happened at once.

Another resonating bang had the door rocking on its hinges and crashing to the floor. A tall, dark hooded figure outside stepped in, cackling madly.

Amurila and James were had their wands out in a flash. Lily was only a fraction of a second after them. Their worst fears had been realized: Voldemort had managed to bypass the Fidelius Charm.

Oh no, Peter has failed! Amurila wondered miserably what he had done to Peter to gain the information. All Sirius will find later would be a pile of rubble and four dead bodies.

She wrenched herself back to the present at James's frantic voice. "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off –"

James's voice was abruptly cut off as Voldemort pointed his wand at him and sneered, "Silencio."

Lily jumped up and ran towards the nursery, where Harry was currently lying in his cot, where life beckoned. Once she reached the hidden exit there, nothing could get to her. If she could, she would have cheered. Go, Lily, go!

At the same time, Amurila realized with a sinking feeling that she had no time to formulate a plan. It was life or death for James and her. All she could do was to restore James's voice and hope for the best.

"You can't do anything," James spluttered the moment her spell touched him, "my other friends would be here in a few seconds." It was a fluke, but they needed to buy time.

"Pettigrew is working for me. And he has revealed that you do not trust the werewolf."

"But Sirius will!" Amurila shouted, trying to shake off the feeling that a bucket of ice had emptied into her stomach. With a sinking feeling, she realized what Sirius had meant in the phone call.

"He would, if he can escape from the ambush at Peter's hideout," Voldemort drawled, almost pleasantly as both of them flinched, "if I may add, this is entirely impossible. Unless, of course, if he can take on ten Death Eaters at the same time."

There was nothing they could do, besides fight for time. She only hopeed Lily has the sense to run without them.

Voldemort suddenly grinned evilly. "Avada –"

"Protego!" James raised a shield immediately, covering both of them.

"Kedevra." The force of the curse crashed into James's shield, causing him to stumble slightly. That stumble was all Voldemort needed.

"Welcome," a ghost of a smile flickered over his face, "to death."

"No!" Amurila yelled, jumping in front of James.

He shoved her aside and muttered so softly she thought it was her imagination. "Get Lily, and save Harry at all costs."

It was the last thing she heard from him.

Amurila saw James's eyes widening in shock, saw in slow motion as his body curved gracefully backwards, finally landing on the floor with a soft thud. His eyes were open and staring blankly into space. She dropped down onto the ground beside him, her brain too numb to comprehend other things.

James was dead. Voldemort killed him. He would kill everyone else in this house too. Oh please, let Lily and Harry be out in time.

She barely registered Voldemort's gleeful voice as he spoke, "Well, maybe I can help to alleviate that pain – by giving you more. Crucio!"

She never had time to dodge. All of a sudden, her body felt as though it was on fire. Pain beyond anything she had experienced shot through her body; white-hot knives were piercing her side… she was screaming louder than she ever had in her whole life. In her confusion, she dimly noticed Voldemort stepping over her as he strode towards the nursery door.

"Diffindo." With that word came blissful peace, as she was freed from that unbearable pain. But with the pain gone, reality came crashing back. Her best friend, James Potter was dead.

But he asked me to save Harry. I could try to fulfill his last wish. Amurila struggled up just as Voldemort brushed the remains of the nursery door aside. She leant against the wall as a wave of nausea overcame her. Merlin, who invented the Cruciatus?

A cackle of high-pitched laughter brought her back to her senses. Amurila felt her adrenaline pumping through her veins, providing the energy to finish her task. She staggered towards the nursery, but stopped at the sight.

"Nice house." Voldemort commented almost pleasantly. "What a pity it would soon be demolished. Peter certainly failed to report the grandeur here, as well as the unexpected appearance of Amurila Magurall."

"Please, leave Harry alone, I can do anything!" Lily moaned, realizing she had no time to escape.

"Get aside, girl. If you move away now, you actually have a chance of a life – alone."

"Alone?" Lily's eyes widened. "What did you do to James?"

Behind her, Amurila caught her eyes and gave her a sad look. Lily understood immediately.

"No!" she cried, the horror dawning upon her face.

"Yes, and now if you would please move aside," Voldemort leered.

"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please – I'll do anything – "

"Stand aside – stand aside, girl – "

"Never!" Lily yelled, determination in her eyes. Amurila tried to dash forward, but the aftereffects of the Cruciatus was still causing disorientation. She crashed into the doorframe and froze, stunned by both the blow and Voldemort's next words.

"You fool of a Mudblood. Avada Kedevra."

She heard a wand swish. A cruel voice commanding the wand to take yet another life in the matter of minutes. A woman's piercing scream and another soft thud. Then, silence. Managing to muster up enough energy, she wobbled into the room. I failed you, Lily.

Lily was lying on the floor, the hand that had held Harry still shaking slightly from the life that had been in it. The owner of the wand stood watching her with a sneer curled around his lips.

Amurila stood protectively over Harry. She was still shaking with fury and an overwhelming grief. If looks could kill, Voldemort would be dead a thousand times by then. She could not save James. She could not save Lily. But she could try to save Harry.

"Why don't you stand aside as well, girl?" Voldemort suggested with a trace of malice in his voice.

"Maybe later, but not now," Amurila replied. She couldn't care less if she was dead or alive. But James's last wish had to be fulfilled first, and she had a dim idea of how to do that.

A few months ago, Lily had mentioned something reading about an ancient magic using blood of the mother to protect her young, while they were still researching on ways to protect Harry from the prophecy. The only problem was that it had never been tested before, but she was willing to try to. Amurila slid to the floor, feigning shock.

"Why later?" Voldemort purred as Amurila attempted to conceal her movements. She transfigured Lily's wand into a silver dagger, all the while pondering her answer.

"So that James and Lily won't murder me on the other side." That answer came out automatically, as she pricked Lily's wrist, nudging her arm over Harry's forehead. Just a few more seconds ...

"What are you doing, girl?" Voldemort snapped, realising something was wrong.

"Nothing," she lied. A drop of crimson blood fell onto Harry's forehead. Though she could not see it, another precious second passed before it finally disappeared. If the book was correct, tt should be shooting its protection all over Harry's body.

"What are you doing?" Voldemort demanded. Without waiting for an answer, he raised his wand. "Avada – "

Amurila braced herself for that terrifying second before death. But it never came.

"Dying might be too painless for you, though I have never personally believed there are things worse than death. No, I have other plans for meddling fools," Voldemort frowned slightly another evil grin spreading over his face as he muttered something unintelligible.

Amurila tried to move away, but there was no time. She was weak from the Cruciatus, as well as the magic she just performed on Harry. The curse blasted her into an adjoining wall, and she slid to the ground totally disorientated.

She could feel the curse working; she was shrinking rapidly and her body was melting into white feathers. Her eyes enlarged and her arms were pulled into the shape of wings. Her legs grew hard as talons emerged from the end and was covered in scales. She suddenly understood curse he used.

She was a snowy owl, the very same one which was her Animagus form. Oh no, that was not good.

Voldemort laughed, a cruel, cold laugh devoid of any human kindness, "I know what you are thinking, that an hour later, you'll be back to normal. But I have another plan. Enjoy your new life as you watch all your friends die, girl." With that, he pulled out another wand, sticking the first one back into his robes.

"Avada Kedevra!" he cried, believing that he was fulfilling his wildest dreams. However, it was not to be so. Voldemort watched, astounded, as the spell bounced off Harry's forehead.

And shot right at him. His eyes widened and spun on Amurila-the-owl, yelling, "You will never return until I come back!"

Voldemort stood completely still for a moment before he let loose a bloodcurdling scream and burst into flames, sizzling with malevolent power and firing green sparks randomly. The house began to shake violently. Large blocks of stone fell from the ceiling as the room began to cave in around them.

She watched emotionlessly as Voldemort finally disappeared into a puff of smoke. She was exhausted beyond belief, and slumped backward just as the familiar loud bang not unlike a gunshot heralded the arrival of one Sirius Black.