A formal warning: This story will contain abuse, non-con/rape, death, dark themes, it will not contain graphic descriptions of such.
*****And I don't own HP, or the excerpts from the book/movie you see below*****
"Stop." Hermione said. "There's someone watching us."
Sirius drew out his wand immediately, Hermione and Harry pulling their wands out too. "Are you sure?" Sirius asked.
"I saw someone move, I could have sworn." Hermione said.
"It's a cat." Harry said quickly. "Or a bird. Let's go."
They left the graveyard quickly. "This way." Sirius said, leading them towards a lane of cottages.
"Sirius, where...?" Hermione began to ask.
"Just trust me." Sirius said.
"Is Bathilda Bagshot's house this way?" Harry asked.
"I don't know. That's not where I'm taking you." Sirius said, as they walked towards the end of the lane they were heading down. Harry seemed to realise what the dark mass at the end of the lane was, and sped up, dragging Hermione with him. Sirius followed him, approaching James and Lily's house for the first time in sixteen years.
Sirius was running towards the house, eyes focused on smoke billowing from the upper floor.
No, please, not James and Lily.
Oh God, what about Harry?
He ran over debris on the lawn, the only sound he could hear was his motorbike behind him. He rushed through the destroyed front door, and he froze. James was sprawled out on the floor in the hallway, his glasses crooked on his face, his eyes unfocused.
He fell to his knees. "James, James, no-" He reached for James, but couldn't touch him. He couldn't feel the coldness of James' flesh. No, this wasn't real.
James couldn't be dead.
"Lily." Sirius said, jumping to his feet. "Lily!"
He ran upstairs, yelling her name.
Please, not Lily too. Please.
The smoke was coming from the nursery, but the smoke was clearing quickly. "Lily!" Sirius yelled, and then he froze. Sirius could see Lily's hand, and couldn't move. She was dead.
They were all dead.
He had trusted Peter, they had all trusted Peter.
And now, James and Lily and Harry were all dead. He felt anger rising, letting out a scream of rage. Peter betrayed them.
Their best friend had sold James and Lily to Voldemort. He heard a noise and froze. Was Voldemort still here? Was it Peter?
"Who's there?" He demanded, pulling his wand out. "Show yourself!"
He heard the noise again, and then realised what it was- it was quiet crying. He ran forward, his heart shattering at the sight of Lily laying in front of the crib. There was another body too, and a moment later, he realised that it was Voldemort.
His eyes flickered to the crib to see Harry, bleeding from the forehead, wailing. He stepped around Lily, grabbing Harry.
"It's okay, buddy, I've got you."
"This is where it happened." Sirius said, even though he really didn't need to say it.
Sirius stared at the house. The front lawn and the bushes were all overgrown now, the debris that had covered the lawn was half buried by the long grass, the fence and gate were discoloured and crooked.
"I wonder why they never rebuilt it...?" Hermione asked.
"Maybe it's like Dark Magic, and you can't, like injuries?" Harry offered.
"A memorial, most likely." Sirius said. "A way to honour You-Know-Who's first defeat, and to remember James and Lily."
Harry stepped closer to the gate, reaching out a hand and touching the gate. A sign rose from the ground, golden writing appearing on the wood.
On this spot, on this night of 31 October 1981, Lily and James Potter lost their lives. Their son, Harry, remains the only wizard ever to have survived the Killing Curse. This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart their family.
"Harry, you aren't going inside?" Hermione asked. "It looks unsafe-"
Hermione broke off as they caught sight of someone walking down the lane, hobbling towards them. The figure moved extremely slowly, slightly stooped, and Sirius was sure it was a woman.
The woman stopped a few feet away, staring at them. She gestured for them to follow her. "Are you Bathilda Bagshot?" Harry asked.
The woman nodded, beckoning at them again. Hermione, Harry and Sirius exchanged glances, and then followed Bathilda Bagshot passed a few cottages. She led them up a path towards one, fumbling with a key before unlocking the door. She stood back to let them in, and Sirius was overwhelmed by the stench of old clothes and rotting food. Bathilda was old and stooped, her eyes extremely sunken, her skin almost transparent in places and dotted with veins and liver spots.
The house was dark and dusty, paint peeling from the walls. Bathilda led them to a different room, where Sirius could smell something that almost smiled like rotting meat. Bathilda was trying to light candles, her hands fumbling over some matches.
Harry walked forward, taking the matches and lighting the candles for her. The candles lit the room dimly, revealing the room, which was coated in a thick layer of dust.
"Miss Bagshot? Why did you want us to follow you?" Hermione asked as Harry looked at picture frames on the mantle.
"Miss Bagshot? Do you know this man?" Harry asked, grabbing a frame and turning to Bathilda.
"Harry, what are you-" Sirius began.
"This man is the thief who stole from Gregorovitch! Miss Bagshot, do you know who this man is?" Harry asked.
Bathilda shuffled forward a few steps, cocking her head towards the hallway.
"Do you want us to leave?" Sirius asked, and she shook her head. Bathilda stared at Harry, and then gestured to herself and to him and then the ceiling.
"I think she wants me to go with her." Harry said.
"No." Sirius said. "Not alone."
"It's fine, maybe Dumbledore wanted her to give the sword to me only." Harry said. "I'll go with her."
Bathilda headed for the stairs slowly, Harry following her. Sirius wanted to follow, but didn't want to upset Bathilda. If Dumbledore had asked her to do something for only Harry, he didn't want her taking back her promise if he got in the way.
"Sirius, I don't like this." Hermione said quietly. "Something seems wrong."
Sirius didn't want to admit that he had been thinking the same thing. He was wondering if he should have followed them, what if this was a trap?
Then again, how would Death Eaters know to place a trap?
There was a loud bang from upstairs, and the two of them immediately drew their wands.
"Harry?" Hermione called, as they ran for the stairs.
"He's coming!" Harry yelled as there was another bang. Sirius smashed the closed door open, just as Harry jumped across the bed, the large snake lunging after him. Harry collided with Hermione, who shrieked. The snake reared back, and Sirius reached for Harry and Hermione just as Hermione cast a Blasting Charm at the snake. They Apparated just as the charm bounced back towards them.
They appeared outside the boundaries of the home and Sirius realised Harry had passed out.
"Inside." Sirius said to Hermione, picking Harry up.
Sirius carried Harry into the house, dropping him onto the couch a little rougher than he intended. Hermione disappeared into the kitchen as Sirius pulled up Harry's sleeve, digging through Hermione's bag for the Dittany.
"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside now." Harry muttered, and Sirius froze.
"Harry?" Sirius asked, as Harry began tossing and turning. Sirius realised that Harry's skin was clammy, and he wondered if it had something to do with the snake's venom.
"This is my last warning-"
"Harry, it's alright, you're safe." Sirius said as Hermione reappeared. He took the rag from Hermione. "Go find Dora or Kingsley, they should be back by now, they might be upstairs. They might know how to treat the bite."
Hermione nodded, heading upstairs.
"Harry? Can you hear me?" Sirius asked, wiping sweat from Harry's face.
Harry twitched in his sleep, turning his face away from Sirius' hand.
"Sirius, there's no one here!" Hermione called as she ran back down the stairs.
"No..." Harry muttered, and Sirius turned to Harry again, but now he was wondering where Tonks and Kingsley were.
Sirius grabbed Harry's arm, dropping Dittany on the bite. It healed over partially, but it would have to work.
"No... I dropped it..." Harry muttered.
"Harry, it's alright." Hermione said, walking forward. Sirius debated on using the Reviving Spell on Harry, and then Harry's eyes opened.
"Harry, are you alright?" Sirius asked, straightening up while Harry sat up.
"Yes." Harry said, but Sirius wasn't convinced. "What happened?"
"Bathilda was the snake." Hermione said. "She- the snake attacked us."
"We got away." Harry said, and Sirius nodded. "I'm sorry, I thought if we went to Godric's Hollow... I thought there'd be something there."
"It's not your fault." Sirius said. "We agreed to go. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Where's my wand?" Harry asked, ignoring Sirius' question. Sirius and Hermione exchanged looks. "Where is it?" Harry asked again.
"Broken." Sirius said. "Hermione cast a Blasting Charm, it ricocheted, but we got out."
"I really thought Dumbledore would have left the sword there for you." Hermione said.
Harry was quiet. "I- I am glad we went to see Mum and Dad." He said. "Even if there was nothing to help us against Vol- You Know Who."
Sirius looked at his watch. "The moon rose a while ago, I don't understand why Dora isn't here. She said she'd be back."
"You don't think something happened?" Hermione asked. "Or maybe, they came back and had to go somewhere else?"
Sirius was quiet for a moment. "Remus would know, but- well, unfortunately, he can't exactly tell us." Sirius said. "I just hope they're alright."
They were bound together, back to back. McLaggen had made no effort to summon Voldemort, instead he and the four hooded Death Eaters seemed more interested in gaining information that they could use to gain favour in Voldemort's eyes.
Kingsley had to admit, he was relieved they hadn't summoned Voldemort yet. The sooner the Death Eaters summoned him, the sooner they'd die. At least he could try to figure out an escape route. He could feel Tonks' hands against his, and was wondering why she was moving her hands so much. He got his answer a moment later when one of her nails scratched his wrist.
The ropes were far too tight for them to wiggle their hands free, but they probably weren't impossible to cut, and if Tonks could morph her nails sharp enough...
McLaggen and the cloaked Death Eaters left the room, and Kingsley was sure they had gone to summon Voldemort. It had been hours and both of them had refused to answer anything.
"I can't get the ropes on my wrist." Tonks whispered as soon as the door shut behind the Death Eaters. "And I don't think my nails are sharp enough for the ropes on yours."
"I'm so sorry, Dora." Kingsley said.
"What? For what? This isn't your fault." Tonks said.
"I'm the one who asked you to join me today." Kingsley said.
"King, I'm not mad at you. I don't blame you."
Kingsley was quiet for a moment. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course."
"I'm sorry for what I'm about to do."
"What are you about to do?" Tonks asked, as Kingsley shifted his hands, the ropes rubbing against his wrist. He did feel bad for what he was about to do, but if he could at least get her ropes off of her wrists, she could either escape or untie him. He focused on conjuring a small amount of flames, feeling the heat in his palm. The heat intensified and he heard Tonks gasp in pain.
Just the ropes, only burn the ropes.
He pulled the flames away when he felt her hands pull away. "Are your wrists free?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Can you untie mine without moving?" Kingsley asked. "If they come back, you need to make sure it looks like your hands are still tied."
He could feel her hands pulling at the ropes on his wrist, and a few seconds later, felt them loosen. "Now what?" She asked.
"We need our wands." Kingsley said.
"Are you mad? McLaggen has them!"
Kingsley shushed her, just as the door opened and a cloaked Death Eater walked in, closing the door behind them. Kingsley could see the Death Eater holding their wand, but their grip wasn't very tight. He could potentially overpower the Death Eater and take the wand, but would they be able to escape?
Kingsley jumped to his feet, running at the Death Eater, wrestling the wand from their hand. Tonks jumped to her feet as well, knocking the Death Eater against the wall, her arm across their throat. Tonks grabbed the front of the Death Eater's robe, pulling them forward and cracking their head against the wall before they could fight back.
The Death Eater slumped to the ground, unconscious. Kingsley grabbed the hood of the cloak, pulling the mask away. "Stan Shunpike?" Tonks asked. "Since when is he...?"
"Probably Imperiused." Kingsley said. "Leave him, we need to go."
Tonks nodded, stepping away from Stan. "Can we Apparate?"
Kingsley took her hand, Apparating. It worked, and they reappeared outside the boundaries of their home. "They didn't think to set up anti-Apparition wards." Kingsley said, and then he laughed slightly. "My God, wouldn't that be the first thing someone should do?"
"One would think, but I don't think they're too smart." She said.
"Good thing too." Kingsley said. "Dora, it's done. You can't do Order missions anymore. I shouldn't have asked you to join me today."
"What? But, I can help!"
"It's too dangerous." Kingsley said, as they walked towards the house. "You could have been hurt today. As it is, you no longer have a wand."
"But I have my spare dueling wand-"
"It's too dangerous, Dora."
"The war is dangerous, Kingsley." Tonks said. "I'm already in danger just for being alive!"
"You can't keep putting yourself in danger, Nymphadora! I understand that today was my fault, but this has to be the last patrol you do."
"I'm still an Order member!"
"Yes, but you can't be an active member. No patrols, not wandering. You stay here, stay safe-"
"Stay hidden?" Tonks demanded.
"Nymphadora, it's not only you. Remember? That's what you told me." Kingsley said. "Your parents wouldn't want-"
"Oh my God, I know!" She snapped. "That's always your response, but quite frankly, who cares what they'd want? They're dead!"
"Dora."
"What about what I want? I want to fight You-Know-Who and Death Eaters-"
"And that's a problem! You can't fight while pregnant, you can't leave your baby to go fight! Are you really willing to put your child through what you went through? To leave them behind, with no parents, and to just hope that your child will end up in the care of someone who can- and is willing to- properly care for them?"
"Willing to?" Tonks asked. "Kingsley, you make it sound like this was forced upon you."
"It was." Kingsley said. "We had never spoken a single word to Ted or Andromeda, not until they came to the Order because of Andromeda's family-"
"Well I'm sorry, maybe you should have handed me over to the Malfoys!"
"If we had, you'd be dead."
"Well, I'm sorry that keeping me alive is such a hassle." Tonks spat. "You should have still handed me over, could have saved you two a lot of trouble-"
"Yes, it was a hassle. But not because we were protecting you." Kingsley said. "It was a hassle because we had to wake up at three in the morning to feed you, or because we got letters every few weeks because you broke another rule at school. And trust me, it was a huge hassle when we both worked extremely hard to make sure you could make it through Auror training like you wanted to. And let's not even talk about how much of a hassle it is to lay awake every night, hoping that you can survive this war."
Tonks was quiet, staring at him, so Kingsley spoke again. "You were the only chance we got to be parents. If Ted and Andromeda hadn't come to the Order for help, we would have never known to check on them. You would have never been found in time." Kingsley said. "So next time you want to say we didn't have to suffer the hassle of raising you, remember that we chose to."