Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter but I might be the first to come up with this idea but I probably can't even claim that. XD

Summary: This is a horrifying take on the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra.

AN: Another of Kamerreon's prompts. She's got such inspiring ones - Blood.

Also, I know they can just will themselves to Harry but they've just died - they're allowed a little stupidity. They're still thinking along human thought patterns - notice they think of willing themselves like apparition. If you didn't know where someone was you'd go to familiar people and places and ask. You're first thought wouldn't be to just go to them. :shrugs:

There was no blood but then that was the thing about the Killing Curse, Lily thought as she looked down at her body. How had she come to be here? Why hadn t she moved on and where were James and Harry?

As if the thought had summoned him, James appeared beside her with the same confused expression upon his face.

"Lily?" was asked in that tone she'd only heard when they were talking of the war - the one that said he was terrified but still trying to be a true Gryffindor and hide it. She threw herself into his arms with a sob. "Lily, what's happening?"

Lily shook her head where it was buried in his chest. "I don't know James. We're dead. I know that. I ... I remember." As she said it the memories of standing in front of Harry, pleading for his life rushed back making her shudder. "Where's Harry?"

James' eyes lit with a spark, "I saw Hagrid take him, he's alive but ... but they didn't see me - Hagrid or Sirius."

Lily felt relief soar through her, enough to make her knees weak; her baby was fine but they still had themselves to worry about. "Then ... then we're not ghosts. They'd have seen you if we had been. What's happened to us James?" Lily asked hesitantly.

James looked uncertain. "Do you think it has something to do with ... with the Killing Curse? I mean, no one has really researched it; there's just never been a safe way to research it."

A frown creased Lily's brow as she nibbled her bottom lip. "I could." A horrifying thought hit here then. "If it does, there must be hundreds of us, especially with the war."

James shook his head. "I don't think so. I don't think it could work with a Muggle. They don't have the magic to create a ghostly form - though," looking down at himself and then to Lily, "we don't look very ghostly."

"We've already covered this James. I don't think we are and maybe the curse puts forth the magic needed. Plus, I read in some of the older books, before the Purebloods, sorry," she shot him an apologetic look that he waved off, "had them banned from school curriculum. Muggles have magic, kind of like Squibs but unlike Squibs they can't access any of it though in some circumstances they've been known to tap into it - like when a mother lifts a car or runs into a burning building for their child but doesn't get hurt. They've used the little magic they have."

"Huh. I didn't know that but that still doesn't help us. Maybe we could go to Dumbledore? He's the most powerful wizard, maybe he could see us." James looked hopeful but Lily didn't.

"He's been around for almost 100 years, if he'd seen something like this before he'd have said something. It probably would have been published somewhere and we'd have been taught about it in DADA. Besides, I want to see Harry." Lily pleaded.

"Alright, love." James consoled. "But how do we find him?"

"Sirius. He should have Harry, right?"

"I don't know. I was a bit disoriented but," James frowned, straining his memory, "I think Sirius left and Hagrid took Harry."

"What? Why would Hagrid take Harry?"

"Well, Voldemort just killed us and probably tried to kill Harry as well, maybe he took him to St. Mungo's or, knowing Hagrid, Dumbledore to make sure he's okay."

Lily gasped, with everything happening so fast Lily hadn't thought of Voldemort trying to kill Harry. She'd died for him and naively thought that that would be it. "James, Hogwarts - now! I want to know Harry's okay. I have to know."

James wrapped his arms around her, "I know, love, I know. How do we get there?"

"You appeared when I thought of you."

"I was thinking of you, too. So we just think we want to be at Hogwarts?"

"Maybe like apparition?"

"It's worth a shot." They wrapped their arms around each other and willed themselves to Hogwarts. Not a second later and they were standing in the entrance hall.

They took off at a fast clip towards Dumbledore's office, only to find him not there when they arrived. A quick check showed McGonagall wasn't there either nor was Hagrid.

"Where could they have taken him?" Lily cried.

"Remus?" James asked doubtfully. He knew even though Remus was listed as one of Harry's guardians, should anything happen to them, the Ministry wouldn't allow a werewolf to raise a child.

Lily's thoughts were along the same lines as she gave a terse shake of her head. "Alice and Frank?" She was out of guesses.

"No, they have Neville. He's left with Frank's mother enough as it is with them being Aurors. They wouldn't take in another, no matter how much they might want to. I'm out of options."

"We have to think like Dumbledore. Who would he trust enough to raise Harry?"

James felt a chill race up his back and exchanging a look with Lily told him she'd felt the same. "Family." was said in unison.

"Dumbledore wouldn't, would he?" Lily asked tremulously.

"It's Dumbledore." As if that explained everything.

They wrapped their arms around on another once more and disappeared, only to reappear moments later on the dark street of Privet Drive. They watched as Harry was laid out on the step and one by one, the others left - none seeing them. Their last hope - vanished.

They held hands as they walked to where Harry laid, tears in their eyes as they looked down on their sleeping little boy, eyes taking in the red lightening bolt cut on his brow.

With a deep breath, they accept their afterlife for what it was - Heaven and Hell. They'd get to watch their little boy grow up, never getting to interact with him and eventually they'd watch him die.

------

Only things didn't turn out as they had expected. They watch their little boy, even all grown up, he was still their little boy, defeat the monster that had killed them and they felt a tug in their very beings.

In another moment, they were buried under a pile of bodies, Sirius' loud bark like laugh echoing around them while Remus' quiet hoarse voice asked where they had been.

Turning to the only company they'd had in far too many years, they smiled. They could wait, for now, the company of their friends was enough but when the time came they would finally, finally, get to meet their little boy.

Fin

I don't know why Lily and James can see each other but not others like them who have been killed by the AK. Maybe because they have such a connection to one another?

They are not ghostly, they have perfectly substantial bodies - others just can't see them. I like to think the killing curse moves the spirit/soul to another plain or pocket of existence - the magic of the one who killed them the only thing keeping them there. Once Voldemort was truly dead, they were allowed to move on.

If anyone wants to write them over the years ... their reactions to Harry's life. Even just small drabbles let me know. I'd love to read them. XD