It was pretty late at night and Harry was asleep on the floor of the living room. James was pacing in front of the fireplace, worry creasing his forehead. It was two hours past when Lily was supposed to be home.

He wanted to go out and look for his wife, but he also knew he couldn't leave his son all alone just as he had decided to floo the Longbottoms and ask them if they could look after Harry, the front door burst open.

James immediately bought up his wand, running to stand protectively in front of Harry.

"James!" Sirius screamed as he walked into the house.

Harry woke up startled and his eyes filled with tears upon the sight in front of him, a gut wrenching scream erupting from his throat. James too was numb with fear, not knowing what to do. For coming in the front door was his best friend, in whose arms was the limp body of his wife.

Harrys' and Sirius's shouts finally broke through his stupor.

"What happened?" He demanded as he helped Sirius lower Lily onto the sofa. Her left side was completely slashed open and burned, half her flesh cauterised, the other half bleeding profusely. He swallowed back his tears and forced himself not to hurl as the smell of burning flesh reached his nose.

His wand was a blur as diagnostic test after diagnostic test poured out of it.

Unfortunately both young men were deaf to Harry's cries as the young child struggled to crawl, walk, drag himself to his mother's body.

"Bellatrix." Sirius spit out, his jaw tightening in anger.

"She and a couple of her lackeys caught us as were sneaking back. Lily took a hit that was meant for me."

His whispered the last part, remorse and hatred for himself choking him.

"I sent a patronus to Dumbledore, he said he would get Poppy and be here as soon as he could be."

"What spell is this?" James asked focusing on his wife all his spells were coming back with results that worried him.

"James." Sirius said guiltily.

"What?" James snapped.

"Sirius I don't have time for this. What spell is this?" James snapped when Sirius didn't reply.

"It's a Black family spell, it's…it's lashes of fire which latch onto a person's magic." Sirius whispered.

James hands stilled. His mind blanking. He knew what that meant. Such spells were designed to kill and only kill. They would eat away at his wife's magic and since for a magical, their magic and soul were entwined she would be dead as soon as the magic left her.

The only sounds in the room being Lily's laboured breaths and Harry's waddles.

"Take Harry." James whispered.

"He shouldn't see his mom like this."

Sirius nodded sadly and bent to pick up the toddler, trying to muster up a smile for the toddler.

"Come on kiddo, let's go get a snack okay?"

Unfortunately for Sirius, Harry's eyes were trained on his mother anger burning in them. Bellatrix had now almost killed two of the most people to him. And he was going to make sure she paid for it.

Sirius bent down to pick him up but yelped as he was stung.

James's eyes snapped to Sirius.

"Sirius what-?" He began to say as he turned around, it was in that gap that Harry reached his mother and grasped the hand that was falling off of the sofa.

In that one second everything went quite and James and Sirius froze not moving. In that moment a spectral form of Lily rose up gasping for breath.

"James-!" Her husband's name was the first on her tongue.

But noticing her husband and friend frozen and a ghost like being who resembled her Husband strongly but with her glowing eyes.

"Harry?" She hesitated. She was scared, what was this place? Where was she? And who was this teenager who looked like a grown up version of her son. Last thing she remembered was being hit by a spell.

"Hey mom." Harry said trying to smile reassuringly.

"What-what's going on?" She asked.

Harry's smile wobbled.

"I'm sorry mom. I couldn't save you." He said tears choking his voice.

"You were hit by Bellatrix." He said his eyes drowning in grief.

"It's okay baby, it's not your fault." Lily said hating the way her son looked, so broken and tired. Her spectral hand reached to touch Harry's cheek, his own coming up to cover hers.

Smiling a sweet smile, she closed her eyes, peace overcoming her. Her form glowed gold before settling back into her body, her breaths evening out.

"I told you your parents wouldn't die didn't I?" Evangeline said gently.

"I know, but it still hurts." He said as two hands came to rest on his shoulders.

"Rest now, little Harry and be assured your mother will still be there when you wake."

With that the exhausted child fell back to the physical plane already asleep and didn't notice his father's and godfather's excitement as they noticed his mother's vitals even out just as Dumbledore arrived with Poppy, Remus and Peter.