Chapter Two

James and Lily had sketched out an outline for the Longbottom's to follow but deviated when it came time to plan. Neither family wanted the other to know where they would possibly hide, just as a precaution. They knew there was a spy in the Order but not who. Each would only use those closest to them to hide. Until their chosen places were warded, they hid out in Hogwarts, on opposite sides with House Elves aiding them. Only the Headmaster would know where they resided. After all, it seemed the Dark Lord feared him the most and no one could stand up to the power of the older wizard, nor had any succeeded in making Albus tell them what they wanted to know, at least not in words they understood.

Speaking of Albus, the bearded man stood in the Common Room quietly speaking to James, "We have warded the Longbottom's chosen house of choice. They have already moved in, as of last week. Next week it shall be your family, James."

James nodded, knowing nothing else would need to be said as Albus walked out, after making sure no human, animal, nor portrait were in the hallway. "James?" He turned away to find a worried Lily stepping out of the children's bedroom.

"They're safe. Next week we move into Godric's Hollow."

"That's not what worries me, James. What worries me is using him."

Not one of the Marauders could understand Lily's sudden distrust of Peter. She always seemed sweet and polite to him but once the topic of using Secret Keepers came she consistently refused his name. "But, Lils, it's perfect. No one will suspect quiet Peter. Everyone, and I mean everyone, will automatically assume I'll use Sirius as he and I are so close, it's almost like we're brothers. Sirius will lead any of the Death Eaters on a wild goose chase while we're safe at home."

Lily had tried for weeks to change her husband's mind. She feared for her family. Yes, it was true that Peter was a quiet. He always was in school, quiet, meek, and stuttering as he followed his three friends around. To her, it seemed he only had a backbone when the Marauders were always together. But she knew James and Sirius left him behind on their many adventures, even at times left behind Remus. She couldn't explain it, but there was just something about Peter that made her very edgy. "James."

He pulled her close into a tight embrace, murmuring in her ear, "Don't worry, Lily. They will be safe. I promise, nothing will happen to our children."

She pulled back, eyeing him closely, determined to find some fault, "Promise?"

He sealed his promise with a deep kiss, whispering against her lips, "Yes."

She nodded, hugging him, trying to believe him but the rational part of her refused. She would have to keep looking. She knew there had to be some spell to save her children and instincts told her it may cost her very life to protect them but it was a price she was willing to make, please, by the gods, please help me keep them safe.

Godric's Hollow-Almost a year later

Lily hummed as she gently rocked her daughter to sleep. Her little girl was looking more like her each day. She was proud of her children, more proud that for almost over a year she had kept her children safe, even if she still worried.

Then a quiet shuffle alerted her distracted attention to her only son, Harry. Albus had been right, after James told her what had been said. Little Harry was nothing like his parents, sure he looked a lot like his father and had his mother's eyes, but nothing else. James was always one for fun and games while Lily was the quiet, serious, studious one, she wasn't as anti-social as her son. Then again, Ember had been the only one besides Remus to make Harry laugh like the little boy he should be.

Other than Ember bringing her brother out of his shell, Harry also seemed so far away. So far, they had yet to hear a single word spill from his lips as Ember talked non-stop. Then there were times that scared her as Harry would sit still staring at nothing, never moving and barely breathing. She had been hysterical the first time she saw that, trying to get him to answer her when Ember called her brother's name. Harry then got up and barely glanced at his sobbing mother as he walked away; James had a tough time consoling her that night.

Now it was a common sight, all they did was call his name softly and once, "Harry."

Bright emerald eyes glanced up from the dancing flames to her then settled on the hallway to the front door, speaking his first sentence and scaring her into a possible heart attack. "He here."

James jumped to his feet, yelling, "Lily!" He was cut off from saying more as Death Eaters suddenly poured inside. Both Potters shoved their children behind them while casting a protective shield, turning to face their enemy.

Ember burrowed against her brother in fear as the battle raged with two parents against the inner circle. She trembled harder when a cold voice suddenly hissed out a spell, forcing the pretty bubble to fall, "Finite." She shrieked as the strange man reached for her with even colder hands, "If it isn't the Potter twins, all wrapped up for me."

"Harry! Ember!" Their parents screamed for them trapped among the jeering Death Eaters.

"No!" Ember did not like his touch nor did she want him to touch her not without Mommy's say so. She wriggled in his clutches until she could reach his left hand, and without a thought or care, she latched on with what little blunt teeth she had.

"You little brat!" He shook her off, flinging her against the armchair that happened to stop her flight from returning to her worried brother. He whipped out a long white stick, a glint in his eyes as he sneered, "Avada Kedavra!"

"No!" Neither parent could do anything but watch the bright green light fly towards their injured little girl.

Ember yelped at the sight, something saying that was very bad but she couldn't move, her leg really hurt. And then her yelp to turn a scream when Harry suddenly appeared over her in an attempt to help her run. "Mine!" She watched with fear as the light hit her brother and he began to fall, as if in a deep sleep.

For a split second it was nothing until she could feel something ripping her brother away, "Mine!" They weren't allowed to have him. She held tightly to her dead brother, screaming one word over and over as the evil man raised his wand once more, this time determined to hit her with the same spell. He wasn't allowed to have Harry, Harry was hers.

"What? Impossible!" Voldemort, as well as the others, could only watch as the green curse, the Killing Curse, suddenly rebounded off a bright shield, hiding the two children.

Ember ignored the sudden pain as the spell hit the pretty bubble, not really knowing she was the one who put it up or that it was there in the first place. All she knew was that someone was trying to keep her Harry from her. She even ignored the pain that raced through her body when part of the spell actually connected. All she wanted was the hand that seemed to be slipping from her grip. In her mind, which to her felt very real, she gripped harder, ignoring the cold pain, as she pulled harder, sobbing, mine! She pulled harder and harder until in the real world the doom that rebounded the curse suddenly exploded, causing the evil man to scream as he was hit with the golden entwined green Killing curse.

Lily and James were stunned as they could only watch, turning away when the bright light brought pain and tears to their eyes. When it faded, all that was seen was a sobbing Ember holding a very still Harry and just half a foot away was the corpse of the darkest Dark Lord known, Voldemort. The Death Eaters immediately tried to flee when Aurors flooded the place, ensuring their capture. "Lily, James!"

Lily ignored Albus' call as she rushed to her children, sighing in relief to find Ember simply passing out with tears shimmering upon pale cheeks. Then she held her breathe, heart racing, as slender fingers reached out for a pulse upon Harry's small throat. "Lily?" She waited, tears coming forth, ready to spill in mourning, when a miracle happened. She felt a slow pulse, steadily rising, "he's alive. They both are."

"Gather them. I'm sure Poppy would wish to look over their injuries."

James had to know, "What about Frank and Alice?"

Albus shook his head, "No, James. They're still safe. Their alarm did not go off like yours. I checked on them before coming here. They will come to Hogwarts by Fawkes should they feel so, as I left Fawkes with them for their safety, just in case."

James and Lily nodded as they gathered their limp children, keeping them close as they inhaled their warm scents, grateful they hadn't lost any part of their family, so sure one if not both had died. Albus and the Aurors remained behind to clean up the mess and take away the Death Eaters.

Hogwart's Infirmary

"Poppy?

The medi-witch smiled tiredly as she finally moved away from the slumbering children, having given them both a mild sleeping draught made especially for small children. She moved away from the curtained off area to worried parents and Headmaster. She opened her mouth when several Ministry workers and two St. Mungo's doctors appeared. "They're sleeping."

Lily questioned, "Why are they here?"

"You have to understand, Lily. I am a qualified nurse but I have not yet completed all the courses needed to fully heal injuries caused by Dark spells as more cures and spells are created. I called them to re-check over the two children. According to your testimonies, two Killing Curses were tossed in their direction by You-Know-Who. I wanted to be sure nothing was endangered." With that, Poppy led the two doctors to the curtained area, and then waited for their examination.

Everyone else waited with bated breath as the three compared notes. They waited with racing hearts as a hushed conversation was held, hearing Harry's name several times. "Oh, James, what could have happened to our children?"

James held his quietly sobbing wife, "I'm sure they're fine. It's probably just a precaution."

"In a way, James." Poppy walked out with her guests, each white knuckled as they held their clipboards close, eyes feverishly glancing back to the slumbering Potter twins. "They are fine, now. Ember did have swelling upon her right ankle and a small fracture. We did find a scar left behind from the curse. Both she and Harry have a curse mark. Ember's is on her face; it seems that she must have turned her head when struck as it scarred part of her right side. She'll have what looks to be a lightning scar upon her right cheek and temple but I'm sure it can be hidden by her hair in later years."

"Oh, my poor baby girl."

"And Harry?"

Poppy continued, "He's…." she paused, not sure what to say.

"Poppy, what is it?"

"He was hit full on by the Killing Curse. As of now, according to each of our scans, little Harry should not be breathing. Ember is safe and sound but Harry should be already dead."

"What?!"

"His entire magical signature was drenched with the Killing Curse as any other victim we have found. He even bears a lightning bolt scar upon his back and left shoulder, possibly where it struck when he tried to save his sister."

The Ministry workers were as stunned as the parents but just as curious, "How is he breathing now?"

Poppy glanced at the two doctors, they nodded. "We came to a conclusion, possibly a theory. Each of our scans did show Ember's magical core being drained very low, any lower and the shock could have killed her. She will need to take it easy over the next couple weeks as it builds back up. We believe that when Harry was struck, she refused to let him die. It is possible that she's the reason he still lives. We think maybe she fought to bring him back. But remember this is all speculation as no one has ever come back from the Killing Curse, not when they were hit and died."

All eyes fell upon the curtains, each wondering the same thing. What had happened back in Godric's Hollow? In the Potter's view, was the shield they saw part of the reason that Ember was able to survive and bring back Harry from death?