Lily wandered around her childhood home in Cokesworth, absorbed in memories. James had awoke only a short while ago and had taken Harry upstairs to the guest room to put him to bed. The home, which she hadn't set foot in since shortly after Harry was born, was exactly as she remembered it. The dishes that had been left to dry the night of her parents passing remained in the rack next to the sink. In the den the scent of her father's aftershave shave remained, lingering in the fabric on his chair and in the pages of the books that lined his office walls. His spectacles laid open upon the newspaper, which was sprawled across his desk, sat waiting for him as if he would return any moment and pick up where he had left off. She reminisced, looking around all the rooms, bringing the memories that remained to the forefront of her mind.

James looked down at his son who was softly whimpering in his sleep. Seeing him lay there, and then looking around the walls he was reminded of the life that had been stripped from his son before he was even born. All around him were pictures, ones of his wife with her sister on numerous first days of school, Lily sitting on her fathers lap indulged in a book, and baking in the kitchen with her mother wearing a huge grin on her face. He saw in all of them the normal childhood he and Lily had yearned for their son— his son who had no clue in the world what had really taken place that night or what it would do to the rest of his life. Besides the scar serving as a reminder of the night's events, James was having a hard time grasping the reality of it all. From what he gained from Lily's recollection of the night, his son was the lone wizard to have survived the lucid killing curse. He would be remembered for something he wouldn't even remember doing. Harry had faced and vanquished the Darkest Wizard of all time as just a toddler. Everywhere he will go from now on, he would be mobbed and asked questions he would never have the answers to. James couldn't help but feel that it was his fault that the weight of the world rested on his sons shoulders. None of it seemed fair to give to a 15-month old. He glanced back down at his sleeping son once more before slipping out of the door.

He searched around the upstairs floor, trying to play a game with himself as he tried to guess which room belonged to who. He slipped into the first room, which was just past the one his infant son was snoozing in. The room was a light pink colour and had white carpets on the floor. A bed sat, perfectly made against the focal wall in the room. Not a thing in this room was out of line— he assumed this room belonged to Lily's sister, Petunia. Across from the bed was a window, which overlooked the back yard. He could imagine Petunia sitting at her desk, watching Lily experiment with her accidental magic in the back yard, torn by the love she had for her sister and her hate of things unordinary. He never knew what the love of a sibling felt like, but he sensed that it still lingered in this room. Gently sliding open the desk drawer, he found himself staring at a wooden box labeled, "Lily". Inside the box were sketches, and pictures of the two young girls, along with lots and lots of notes shared between the two; included were all of the letters that Lily had ever sent home from Hogwarts, including the pictures of her with her friends roaming the castle's halls. He slipped the box back in the desk before making his way out of the room quietly so his wife wouldn't know where he had been. The next door he came to he recognized as his wife's. It was as clean as Petunia's with everything in its proper place, but mixed in with all of her muggle belongings were her connections to the magical world. Both moving and non-moving pictures dawned the photo frames hung around the room. A piece of fabric with the infamous Hogwarts crest was pinned neatly to the middle of the bulletin board above her desk, and her Gryffindor scarf was draped softly over the back of the chair. Across the room, her window too looked out into the yard and on into the neighborhood park that their house backed up onto. On the other side of the river, which divided the Cokesworth neighborhood, he made out the backs of a few houses. Looking along the windowsill, his hands grazed across some scribbles in the woods. Taking a closer look he realized they were a code of sorts, but nothing that he would know. Sitting at the corner of the dresser, nearest the window sat an old flashlight. He picked it up from its place, and ran his finger over the switch. It was worn out from use, sliding with too much ease, but the light still shone brightly able to shine across the way. He set it down softly just as he saw the figure of his wife make her way into the hall.

"Sev and I used to use those lights to talk to each other late at night, during school breaks and in the summer we first met. He lives there," she said quietly, pointing to the middle house of three on the other side of the riverbank, as she made her way across the room. "His parents were rather strict, and he wasn't often allowed outside after nightfall, so we came up with this as a way to continue our conversations. It was rather genius really."

"How did you know what the other was saying?" he asked, curious about the system.

She thought for a second, then made her way to the nightstand. Opening the drawer she pulled out a wooden box, much like Petunia's, except it had lilies engraved into its surface. She brought it over to the window and pulled the lid off. It too had many notes and pictures of her and her family and friends, and a few of them together. "This," she began, as she picked at the corner's of a piece of green parchment that was attached the lid, "was our code book. What you were looking at on the windowsill was the days and times that we agreed on. We would always be there at those times, no matter what else was going on. On here though, are the number of times you flick the light on and off in conjunction with simple words. Regular flickers of lights were simpler words, where as long phrases were normally timed with longer flickers. It's a lot simpler than it sounds. I spent a lot of time sitting here. It all drove Tuney crazy of course, but she never got outraged at it, at least not to my face."

Her expression of joy changed gradually to one of sadness as she recalled her childhood days in this room. James, not wanting to hurt her sat in silence, glancing up at his wife as she held the box in her hands.

"How is he?" she questioned.

"He's sound asleep, unharmed. He's not in any pain, I checked, and as for the scar, it is what it seems to be, but no further damage has been inflicted because of it. We're all going to be ok."

"Yes, right."

"Hey… why don't you uh, go, get some sleep. You've had a long night, Lils…"

"I don't know if I can. I can't get the thoughts out of my head. His face, I see it every time I close my eyes, and it terrifies me. He was in our house."

"I know."

"What are we going to do, James? Harry, he's fine physically, but he's not the same little boy I rocked to sleep last night. Everything is changing."

"All we can do right now is keep him safe, and away from that world for now. Right now though," he whispered, placing his hands on her arms, "you need rest. I'll stay up, and protect the house. Go…"

She kissed him softly, running her fingers through his untamable hair before leaving, making her way out of the room.

She had nightmares about those blood red eyes, eyeing down her son with a thirst for his death. The images of that night played on an endless loop in her mind, never parting her for a minute. James often woke her up from her nightmares, having himself woken up after hearing her whimper, "Not Harry, please, not Harry."

She had gotten up, not long after falling back asleep, and went downstairs into her parent's kitchen. James stayed asleep upstairs, next to his son whose crib was next to their bed. Filling up the pot with the coffee grind's she turned it on, before moving to the window to see the sun begin to make its way up into the sky and through the alleyways of Cokesworth. Searching through the kitchen she found there was little to eat, as they had finished up what food they had gotten from the store, just last evening. She grabbed her mug and made her way to the back of the house, opening the door quietly before stepping out into the damp morning air. It was warm for November. Puddles covered the terrace and the lawn, puddles she was sure her young son would want to splash around in aimlessly as soon as he got the chance. Stepping down off the porch, she felt her feet push into the dewy ground, outlining her footprints with each step she took. She wandered all the way to the edge of the river, constantly looking around to make sure no Death Eaters were near. She glanced across the river to where the Snape's house still stood and wondered when the last time was that he was here—whether or not he too came down to the riverside and reminisced about their childhood together. She was silly to think that he would do such a thing though. He was a Death Eater after all, caught up in Voldemort's crowd, doing his biddings for him. He wouldn't care to remember those times; she was in his eyes after all a filthy little mudblood. She turned her gaze from the Snape house, and back towards her own. The light is the upstairs hallway just flicked on, meaning that James had woken up. She started walking back across the park and into her own yard, determined to make it in the door before he had even noticed she had left the house.

James came into the kitchen just as Lily had sat down, carrying a happy little Harry in his arms. "This one was practically jumping up and down in his crib, waiting to get up. I think he knows it rained last night, he has his puddle jumping face on." James said, chuckling a little before passing Harry off to Lily, whose arms were waiting for the little boy.
Harry practically leapt into her arms, curling into her. His eyes lit up further when he saw past her head and out the window, where he could finally see the puddles that had appeared on the porch overnight. "Out! Out!" he exclaimed, wriggling his way out of Lily's arms and onto the ground, making his way to the kitchen doors. "Mummy, play!"

"I think he wants to go outside, Lils," James said, stating the obvious while throwing a wink Lily's way.

"Really, James, hadn't noticed…" she said sarcastically before she made her way over to him and slipped her arms around his waste, leaning her head on his shoulder. "James?"

"Yes?"

"I think we have to go."

"I know. We'll leave for London this afternoon," James said, hugging her back, assuring her.

The little toddler ran around the home giggling, as his mother chased him. Lily had just gotten off work at the hospital and was excited to come home to her husband and son. Harry was now three-years old, and was the happiest child in the neighborhood. Every time they took him out for a walk the neighbors who were out and about would always come up to him and play little games, like peek-a-boo, with the infectious infant. The Potters had decided to move to London a week after the attack on their home in Godric's Hollow. James and Lily wanted to escape the magical world, and find a place that would allow them to raise their son without interference from the magical world who was waiting to get a glimpse of The-Boy-Who-Lived.
They bought a two-story brick home in the Knightsbridge area of London. The area had tons of parks that they frequently visited with Harry who enjoyed the various ponds where he liked to make quacking sounds alongside the ducks. Near their home was also one of the best schools in London, the Sussex School, where they planned to send Harry until the time would come where he would go away to Hogwarts and re-enter the magical world. Neither of them had told him anything about their past, deciding it would be the safest for him not to know until it was time. They knew not knowing would not affect his schooling at Hogwarts, because he would be just like any other muggle born wizard entering the school. He was always happy, and they spent as much time with him as they could, knowing how lucky they were that on that night in Godric's Hollow that they all survived. They were doing the right thing, raising him this way, they just hoped that Harry would never be angry at them for their decision to keep him away from the world that they loved so much.

Harry sat up and looked around his room while he reached for his glasses, which lay on the nightstand. The sun was just making its way through the trees at the park at the end of the street when he decided he would start getting dressed. Looking in the mirror, he eyed yet again, the odd scar on his forehead, running his fingers over it. It was his favourite thing about his appearance. Aside from his scar he was a spitting image of his father, James, except for his eyes, those were all his mother's.
He wandered down the hall to his parent's room, wondering whether or not they were awake yet. He knew they had both taken the day off work to celebrate with him like they did every year. Pushing the door open slightly, he could hear his father's quiet snores. Sticking his head into the opening, he saw that his father was the only one in bed. Looking around he saw that across the room from their bed, the light in the bathroom was off. His mother was nowhere to be found. All of a sudden his eyes were covered.

"Happy Birthday, darling," Lily whispered in his ear, uncovering his eyes. He spun around quickly, hadn't having heard her come up the stairs. She gathered him up in a hug, placing a kiss on the top of his untamable black hair before whispering in his ear again, "why don't we go wake your father up? You go on the right side, I got the left."
Harry admired his mother for many reasons. She was a kind women, who no one ever had a bad word to say about. She had always been there for him, and would always know how to make him feel better. Apart from that though, she had a sense of humor, and often enabled his help when it came to the pranks she wished to play on James. Together they made a great team.
They crept into her room. Lily had climbed slowly onto her side of the bed, figuring James wouldn't notice her moving around—he was used to it by now. With Harry on the other side, in position, she slowly began mouthing a countdown.

"3, 2, 1…"

They both went right up to either side of his head, which was buried in a mountain of pillows and yelled, "FIRE!"

James shot up frantically, twisting and turning in the covers, trying to get out of his tangled sheets unsuccessfully as moments later he landed with a 'thud' on the floor. With his blurred vision he just made out the pair of feet that were directly in front of him.

"Morning, Dad," Harry said, cheekily, as Lily began giggling on the bed. This scene never got old.

"HARRY!" James exclaimed rubbing his back, for dramatic effect before he swooped his son up and threw him on the bed. "You are in so much trouble young man," he began, before grabbing his wife from where she was and tossing her down next to his son. "You two are so doomed." They squirmed under his fingers, unable to hold back their laughter as he tickled them both. After a while he released his family, so they could catch their breath.

"Happy birthday, son!" James said, as he sat down next to his son. "I see you are already for the day. So what do you feel like doing, Mr. Eleven-year-old?"

"How about we start off with breakfast," Harry said just as his stomach grumbled a little bit.

Both Lily and James chuckled. "I've already got it started on the stove, come on," Lily said, before jumping off the bed, the two boys following closely behind her.
Downstairs James and Harry sat at the table, one reading the newspaper while the other doodled on an old one. Lily stood at the counter, dishing out the pancakes and bacon onto the plates. She placed a plate in front of both the boys, before she went to pour the juice into the glasses.

"So birthday boy, what do you want to do after breakfast?" Lily asked, as she sat down at the table next to her son.

"Can we go to the zoo?" Harry asked his parents timidly,"Mrs. Peprin, at the end of the term assembly, announced that there would be new exhibits there."

"Sure, we will head out straight after breakfast! I'll drive!" his father responded, rather excitedly.

"Why don't you head on upstairs, after you're done and get your stuff together." At that, Harry shoved the rest of his birthday breakfast into his mouth before running out of the room and up the stairs.

"Well he seems rather excited." James said, sipping his tea as he picked up the newspaper yet again.

Lily chuckled a little, "Why yes he does. James, do you think it will come today? I mean, they come on your eleventh birthday right?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, it does for those from all magic families, but maybe Albus has a different protocol in place. Harry isn't exactly like those other kids. We may both be magical but he's been raised as a muggle. We did the right thing, right Lils?"

"He's been happy," she thought out-loud. "We wanted to give him a normal childhood, and Albus agreed with us on that. They would have found us and finished the job, or used him to get their master back. He's still just a boy."

"I know, but what about when he finds out about this world—will he be mad at us for keeping him from it?"

"I guess we will have to wait and see." She said, smiling slightly, shrugging her shoulders before she turned to the dishes that needed to be washed.

The Reptile House at the London Zoo was packed, muggles everywhere, children running around, sticking their faces right up against the glass. The Potters watched as their son took in the mayhem, his eyes shooting from one place to the next in excitement for all there was to see. Harry, who was most eager to look at the snakes, moved through the crowd quickly, his parents behind him trying to keep up.

"Woah, you eager beaver!" James exclaimed, as he caught up to his son, putting his hand on his shoulder. "I want to see them too!" James looked up, trying to spot where the reptiles might be.

"Over there Dad!" Harry yelled, pointing towards a glass enclosure that had a few people in front of it.

A rather large boy had his face smeared up against the glass. "Dad, make it move!" the boy said to his father, who was absent-mindedly starring at the exhibit brochure in his hand. The father of the boy knocked his hand against the window, "MOVE!" he yelled at the snake, who was bathing on a rock under the enclosure's lights. "This snakes boring, let's go," the boy said after realizing the snake had no intent on leaving his rock.

Lily, who had just caught up to her boys, grabbed James arm before going completely still. "Find something inter… Lils you ok?" James started, before realizing who he was seeing. He had turned around only to come face to face with no other than Vernon Dursley, his brother-in-law for all intensive purposes.

"Vernon," he nodded curtly, wishing he was anywhere else but here at the moment. Vernon Dursley, had married Lily's sister Petunia and he despised James. He hated how inexplicably unordinary he was as Vernon strived for ordinary in his day-to-day life.

"James, Lily," Petunia exhaled, only looking towards them after hearing James' greeting to her husband.

"What are you doing here?"

"Harry wanted to come. It's his birthday." Lily stated, the last part rather quietly.

"Oh, well Happ— where is your son?" Petunia asked, confused, as the boy she barely knew was in front of her just moments ago.

The three, with the exception of Vernon who had gone back to his pamphlet, looked around before they spotted young Harry next to the snake where the Dursley's had just been. The snake appeared to be more active now, lifting its head off the rock, perking up a bit at his new onlooker. In an instant though the scene changed. Dudley Dursley came out of nowhere and pushed Harry out of the way. Harry not impressed by the behavior of the boy thought about how funny it would be if the boy fell into the water that lay directly below the glass inside the enclosure. In moments his little fantasy became a reality, as the boy fell over the railing and into the snakes habitat. The snake managed to get itself over the railing and into the main part of the Reptile house. He nodded and hissed a "thanks" to Harry, who was still on the floor in shock from it all. In another instance he looked back to where the boy had fallen to realize that the glass that had disappeared just moments ago was back, and that the boy was now trapped and banging on the glass. James rushed over to Harry after the adults all snapped out of it.

"You alright son?" James asked, panic spreading across his face.

"Wha-what happened? How did the glass just disappear?" Harry asked, his eyes bouncing from one place to the next as everyone in the zoo ran around frantically, terrified of the snake that had just been let loose.

Lily came over just as he finished his question, "I'm not too sure, Harry, but I'm sure the zoo will figure it out. We should go though; they'll want to shut this part of the zoo down for safety. Why don't we head home?" she said, wrapping her arm around her son's small shoulders leading him away from her panicked sister, who didn't even notice the Potters slip away, and towards the car.

Later that night, the three of them sat down in the living room, tired and full from the birthday dinner they had just devoured.

"Dad, want to play a game against me?" Harry asked his father, holding up the chess set.

"Sure, Harry, why don't you set it up on the table."

Lily leaned over to her husband, who was relaxing on the other end of the sofa. "Think it will happen soon?" James had opened his mouth to respond but just then a loud knock could be heard at the door. Harry had jumped at the sound and had begun making his way out of the room and to the front hall.

"Harry, sit down. I'll get it," James said, getting up off the couch while Harry made his way over to his mum on the couch.

James made his way to the front door. He looked out the small hole out onto the deck, but saw nothing but coat. At this, he unlocked and opened the door.
James looked up at the man on the doorstep. The stranger had a large brown jacket on that looked as though it had seen better days. Burn marks and patches covered it, along with some other splotches that James didn't think to question the man about. His feet, which had on very large leatherwork boots, had to be as long as half of the doorframe. The man had to be over 9ft. tall! His head was half covered by a scruffy black beard and tangled hair, but his shining eyes were visible through the mess.

"Hagrid?" James question, overjoyed by who was in front of him.

"James Potter, good to see yeh!" Hagrid said, beaming down at the man before him.

"What on earth are you doing here? Did Albus send you?"

"Yeh, I am here to bring yeh young Mister Potter here, his Hog-warts letter yeh see? Dumbledore thought I was best suited for the job!"

"Well, would you like to come in then? He's just in the living room with Lils."

"Alright, then." Hagrid ducked and moved his way through the front door, trying not to break anything. James stood and watched as the half-giant made his way into their home closing the door behind him, then following him into the living room.