An Epiphany at Godric's Hollow

Godric's Hollow had changed a lot in the last 10 years. The tudor and cottage style homes still lined the path as it had for many years. Witches, wizards, and muggles alike all lived side by side in this village. For the most part from the outside the houses all looked like an ordinary muggle village. At least to the untrained eye. The feeling of magic in the air set it apart from most ordinary villages. Witches and wizards could see certain houses with signs of magic in them. Whether it be the plants out front that many members of the wizarding world had learned about in Herbology classes, or it be from the little magical charms or toys that strewn the lawns, most witches and wizards could spot their own if they tried. It was harder tonight though.

It was Halloween. Children, both muggle and magical, ran through the streets from door to door. Collecting candy from neighbors. The muggle children were dressed in what they thought witches and wizards looked like. While magical children dressed in nice robes or fancy dress robes, taking advantage of the holiday to dress in traditional wizard wear in front of muggles without consequence.

The magical families all stopped at one house in particular towards the edge of the village. Around this house were anti-muggle and concealment charms. It was certainly no ordinary house. Even by wizarding standards. For there was a large gaping whole at the side of it on the second floor.

Nearby the house a monument had been built. (Also not visible to the muggle community.) A stone woman sitting on a bench holding a tiny bundle. Seated next to her was a stone man with a slightly older baby boy up on his shoulders. The man wore glasses and the baby perched on his shoulder bore no scar.

The wizarding families who crowded these two places all dispersed at promptly 8 pm. For it was decided by all of them that they would leave that time on Halloween each year for the Potter's family to have the time to themselves if they wished it.

Something that Jane Black was grateful for as she led her small family of 3 (and Remus though he was considered part of the family) through Godric's Hollow. There were two less children this year to accompany them on their annual trip to the village. Harry Potter and Procyon (Jazlyn) Black were supposedly safe at Hogwarts for their first year. And Jane was well aware of their absence. For it was these two who were affected by the day the most out of all the children.

Harry always appreciated the time visiting his parents' graves and seeing his old home. He felt connected to his parents in some way. And Harry who, when he was younger, had told his aunt Jane that he sometimes saw flashes of green lights in his sleep. It wasn't until he was older that she told him that the green light was likely the remnants of his memory of that night.

Jazlyn, on the other hand, Jane knew was probably wrecked with nightmares this week though she had yet to mention them in her letters home. It was because of letters from Harry that Jane knew her daughter had been having them while away at school. Jazlyn, unlike Harry, never liked to visit the village. Now that Jane knew her daughter was a seer, she wondered if it was because her daughter could see certain things when she did come. Jane always offered for her daughter to stay home, but she always insisted that she wanted to visit her aunt and uncle.

"I'm not a coward and I'm doing this for Uncle James and Aunt Lily." Jazlyn would always say.

But as those two were at Hogwarts, that left 9 year olds Caelum and Caspian Black and 10 year old Avalon Potter to accompany Jane and Remus to Godric's Hollow. They first passed the monument of The Potter Family. Clara Abbott had been the one to approach Jane and Remus about having it constructed. According to her, the people of Godric's Hollow were planning on erecting it without talking to Jane. But ever the loyal and considerate Clara had insisted on asking the Potter's closest next of Kin. Jane wasn't sure about it but Remus had ultimately convinced her that it would be nice to have something to remember them by. But the original design was different from the final product that stood before them. It had only included Harry being held by Lily with James beside her. Not many had known of Avalon's birth at the time. But Jane and Remus knew they couldn't honor the family without including everyone. So together they modified it. Having the stone copy of James lift a one year old Harry onto his shoulders while Lily carefully held the new born Avalon was something they both agreed was a more accurate representation of the little family.

The visit was different without the eldest two Black and Potter children. Caelum and Caspian loved to hear stories about the Marauders and their adventures, so Remus told them many stories and reminisced with them. While Avalon loved to hear stories about her parents, so this year Jane told her all about her childhood with James and meeting Lily. It wasn't that Harry and Jazlyn didn't like hearing those things, they loved it as well. But the two of them were quieter during visits to Godric's Hollow. Harry liked to spend hours either in front of the monument or in front of his parents' graves. While Jazlyn would often slip away only to be found later either having tea with Bathilda Bagshot, one of the long term residents of Godric's Hollow, meeting with Hannah Abbott or other wizarding children in the area, in the Bell tower of the church looking over the Village or up at the stars, or having slipped back to the graves of James and Lily and speaking quietly.

Avalon Potter was a very talkative young girl and liked to ask lots of questions about her parents and other things during the visits.

"They keep the house like this to remember the violence that tore apart the family?" Avalon said with a frown after reading the sign that had erupted from the gate once she had placed her hand on it. "Why would we want to remember that?"

The family looked at the sign in question.

"On this spot, on the 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."

Wands always raised for the Potters: James, Lily, Harry, and Avalon

"It's not like that, Avalon," Remus said gently. "It's more like to remember what you and your family went through. As a reminder that while this is the place that Voldemort met his downfall, it was at the cost of a family. So that people can properly respect it."

"Everybody always celebrates today," Caelum remarked.

"Yes," Remus said. "And there's nothing wrong with that. It was certainly a relief to not have to worry about Voldemort so much. A lot of people were lost because of them. And a lot of other families were separated as well. This monument can honor them."

"We grew up with the war, it lasted around eleven years and started when we were around your age," Jane said. "We were just glad that we didn't have to fight anymore and that our children could grow up in a safer world."

She brushed the hair out of Caspian's face (who stood closest to her) and kissed the top of his forehead.

"Have you ever gone inside?" Caspian asked, looking into the Potter's Cottage.

"Caspian!" Avalon and Caelum hissed. Caelum tried nudging his brother for asking what they thought was a tactless question.

"What?" Caspian shrugged.

"It's alright." Jane said with a small laugh. "Not since the morning of that Halloween when I stopped by to pick you up, Avalon. I haven't been able to bring myself to go in since then."

"You came to get me to take me to a healer, right?" Avalon asked. She had been told why she had been her Aunt Jane that night when she was much younger and Jane had first told her what had happened to her parents as well as many times after that whenever the topic had come up. Avalon saw it as a stroke of luck. Given that if she had stayed with her family it was likely she would have been killed as well. She may only be 10 but she understood that fact very well and was very grateful for her aunt.

"That's right," Jane said.

"If you haven't gone in there and they've preserved it the way it was, would their stuff still be inside?" Avalon asked curiously.

Remus and Jane looked at each other.

"Did you ever go through their stuff?" Remus asked.

Jane shook her head. "No, did you?"

Remus shook his head.

"What about after their Will was read?" He asked his friend.

"I- erm, had the House elves collect it if I felt it needed to be collected and placed into vaults at Gringotts or another protected location. Though I believe many things were left here. Clara Abbott was kind enough to preserve and protect everything here until I was ready to come back for it." Jane replied sheepishly.

"What do you mean 'their Will'? What's that?" Caspian asked.

"A Will is a document some people write that says who gets what they leave behind when they die." Remus answered. "For example much of what goes into Harry's vault was left to him in their Will."

"Did they leave me anything?" Avalon

"Of course they did!" Jane said. "We will give it to you when you're older. Probably starting next year, Like Harry."

"So you haven't gone through all their stuff yet, then?" Caelum said matter of factly.

"I have— some of it," Jane said somewhat sheepishly.

"But not really and nothing that's in there?" He added pointing inside.

"I-well no—" she replied.

"But what if it was important?" Avalon asked.

"I think I've gone through what's important." Jane said. She glanced over at Remus and he shrugged back at her.

The family left the site of the Potter Cottage and headed towards the graveyard behind the church. The 3 children walked ahead while their two guardians trailed behind speaking in hushed voices.

"I can't believe neither of us have gone through their stuff in the last 10 years!" Jane said to Remus.

"To be fair we've been prioritizing raising their children and yours," Remus said. "Besides I think if there's anything the two of us have learned in the last 10 years is that we can both be a mess."

They reached the Graves of James and Lily Potter. Flowers from the villagers and other members of the wizarding world littered the place. There were always so many of them on Halloween that Avalon liked to collect some of them and place a flower on as many of the empty graves in the graveyard as she could. The family took their turns to privately pay their respects.

Jane stood over James and Lily's graves while Remus and the twins helped Avalon deliver excess flowers. It might be odd to be talking to a grave where James and Lily couldn't really hear her. But she found a strange comfort in it. As if she was talking to them and for a moment she could imagine them

listening.

"Hey Jamie," Jane said quietly as she knelt. "I know you always hated when I called you that when we were younger. Before Hogwarts. But I miss you. I miss being kids with you. Honestly I don't think we ever went a day without seeing each other when you were still here. Perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration. And I know I say it every year. I miss you too, Lils. It's been hard without you. You always knew just what I needed."

Jane wiped away tears from her eyes before continuing.

"It's been 10 years." Jane said. "Avalon and Harry have grown up so much. They become more like the both of you every single day. Harry looks a lot like you, James. But he acts just like you, Lily. It's the opposite with Avalon. Although if I'm honest she could probably out smart the both of you and she's got the biggest heart. She asks lots of questions and wants to know just about everything. I wish you could see it. Oh and Harry started Hogwarts this year. A Gryffindor! Just like us! And you won't believe it, Jamie, he's made it to the Quidditch team as a first year! He's a seeker, like you always said he'd be. I got him the best broom available, like I knew you would. You'd both be so proud of him! His first game is next weekend, you know Remus and I won't miss it for anything. I brought you photos of them."

She waved her wand and two photographs appeared. One was a moving photo of Harry waving from the Hogwarts express. The other of Avalon, it was a muggle photo that, of course didn't move, Petunia had taken and given her of Avalon painting Petunia's garden.

"I still wish you could see my twin boys, Caelum and Caspian. I wish you could've gotten to meet them. They're a lot of fun. Sometimes it feels like having a piece of you and a mini Sirius still with me, James. They act so much like the two of you." She said with a laugh. She placed a photo of the twins trying to catch a bowtruckle they had found in the backyard next to the other two.

"Procyon is with Harry at Hogwarts." Jane continued. She placed a photograph of her daughter playing with a large tarantula next to the others. The photo had come as a surprise to Jane. It had been sent to her by Katie Bell with a little note that said, "I'm sorry I couldn't stop her from being corrupted by the Weasley Twins. But not to worry, she'll be in good hands with them." Jane of course kept a copy for herself. "She's a Gryffindor as well. She's having a hard time but I think it's gotten better. She only tells me a little about it. It seems she's found a couple of older students who took her under her wing. I don't really know them too well, but from what I've heard they're wonderful. She's among the top of the class too although she seems to be also getting quite a bit of detentions, sound familiar? Oh I wish the two of you could see her. I know she misses you both too. James, you always seemed to know how to get through to when I couldn't or on the rare few occasions when Sirius couldn't. She's been taking Sirius's absence hard and the other students have targeted her for who her Father is. I wish you had told me that you switched keepers. It's taking so long for me to figure it out. Jazzy's the one that's paying for it now. I wish there was a way for you to help me. To tell me what to do. Lily, I know if the roles were reversed you would've freed James by now. You always were several steps ahead of the rest of us. One back up plan after another—"

She trailed off. "Would their stuff still be inside?... What if it was important?" Avalon had said that. And what if she was right?

Jane quickly finished speaking and paying her respects to James and Lily. She had suddenly come up with a new plan. It seemed talking to their graves really had helped.

"Thank you James, Lily," Jane said as she stood.

The twins and Avalon were settling into bed when Jane quickly ushered Remus into her office and shut the door. She began pacing while he simply watched in confusion.

"Care to share why you brought me in here?" Remus asked.

"I can't imagine Lily not having a contingency plan," Jane said, not pausing in her pacing.

"It's been 10 years, Jane," Remus sighed. "The contingency plan was having a secret keeper."

"Yes!" She said, finally stopping and waving a finger at him. "Exactly. But unknown to the two of us, they had a completely different plan and switched keepers."

"Ok... so then that was the contingency plan," Remus said, still completely confused.

"Right but Lily was always a careful planner and she always thought of everything," Jane said, resuming her pacing. "She always said that muggle law, 'Anything that can go wrong will go wrong'."

"Murphy's Law," Remus said, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Yes! That!" Jane exclaimed and stopped to point at him again. "So...even if James, Sirius, and Peter all insisted that even I shouldn't know, don't you think it's likely she would have thought of a way to tell me or you or someone just in case anything had gone wrong?"

"That is likely," Remus agreed slowly. "You, more than me. They knew for a fact you weren't a Death Eater, they weren't sure about me."

"Remus," Jane paused and looked at her friend sincerely.

"It's ok." Remus said. "I can understand it. Besides I was just as sure it was Sirius."

They looked at each other for a moment and nodded to each other. They had long since come to terms and apologies had long since been made.

"Something Avalon and the boys said today made me think," she began again.

"About going through James and Lily's things," Remus finished her sentence for her. Over the last 10 years the of them had become rather close, like brother and sister. It was easy for Remus to begin to follow her train of thought.

"Exactly. We should go through the Will again, maybe there's something in there that we missed. There has to be something in there we can use to free Sirius. " Jane said.

"Do you have it?" Remus asked.

"I don't think so. But it should be at the ministry." Jane replied. "I'll get it first thing in the morning."

Behind them the fireplace roared to life. Minerva McGonagall's face appeared in the fire.

"My apologies for disturbing you so late in the evening but I feel there is something you should know," she began.

An: sorry again for the delay! This was meant to be a Halloween chapter but I ended up rewriting it several times. I hope you enjoy it and the bonus chapter I am adding after this one!

Disclaimer:

A few lines of text were taken from The books that I unfortunately do not own and used in this chapter.