Chapter 1: And Then There Was Harry.
~ And Then There Was Harry ~
Thursday, 31 October 1991.
The dark Halloween night looms over the humble cottage in Godric's Hollow, where tragedy awaits its moment. Lord Voldemort, the malevolent Dark Lord, advances with determination towards his goal: to end the life of baby Harry Potter, believing him to be the child of the prophecy destined to be his greatest enemy.
The chilly breeze of the night cuts through the air as dry leaves crunch under Voldemort's feet. The moon, hidden behind thick clouds, only manages to cast pale glimmers over the valley, enveloping it in a mysterious gloom. The atmosphere is charged with an ominous aura, anticipating the impending tragedy.
Inside the cottage, James and Lily Potter cherish those precious moments together with their son Harry. Their laughter fills the room, and the love they share is palpable in every gesture and gaze. Yet, amidst the warmth of family, they also feel the unease of the outside world, where evil lurks in the shadows.
James gazes intently out the window, his eyes squinting with a mix of determination and fear. He knows something terrible is approaching, and his heart races as if trying to escape his chest. Thoughts swirl in his mind, wondering how to protect his family, how to face the impending fate.
Lily also feels the weight of uncertainty. Though she tries to stay strong, she can't help but be overwhelmed by a sense of anxiety. She tenderly caresses Harry's soft cheek as she embraces him against her chest. In that maternal gesture, her unconditional love for her son is evident, but so is the fear of losing him.
In the midst of the darkness, a murmur of restless voices invades Voldemort's mind. His obsession with the prophecy consumes him, fueling his ego and desire to eliminate any threat that dares to defy him. With each step he takes, his confidence solidifies, and his thirst for power drives him forward. Recalling, at times, those unsettling excerpts from the prophecy that Severus Snape, one of his loyal Death Eaters, relayed to him some time ago...
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not..."
When he finally reaches the cottage's entrance, the atmosphere changes dramatically. Warmth and joy fade away, replaced by intense hostility. His cold gaze fixates on the door, while his lips form a sinister smile. He knows the time has come to fulfill his malevolent purpose. To rid himself of any future source of adversity.
Meanwhile, James' gaze focuses one last time on the window, and his heart quickens as he sees an unmistakable aura of darkness at the entrance of their home. Betrayal seems to have been inevitable, and James understands that Voldemort has discovered their whereabouts. Peter Pettigrew, one of his closest friends and almost like a brother, had betrayed them and sold them to the Dark Lord.
James: "Lily, take Harry and run! It's him! I'll hold him off!" – James urgently warns. And in a desperate act, he decides to confront Voldemort to give Lily and Harry time to escape. His eyes reflect the determination to protect his family, even if it means facing the Dark Lord himself. His heart beats strongly as he prepares for the confrontation.
James' brave decision is not solely based on protecting his family but also on buying time. Voldemort enters the cottage, and with relentless coldness, he ends James' life, leaving him no chance to defend himself. The promise of a loving husband and father to protect his family shatters in an instant. His once bright and mischievous hazel eyes stare lifelessly into nothingness.
Lily, on the other hand, feels her body trembling with fear but also with courage. With Harry in her arms, she heads to the baby's room and unleashes the sacred flames of her Sacred Gear, Incinerate Anthem. The purple fire surrounds her, and although she's scared, she does not hesitate to protect her son with all her being.
Lily: "Mummy loves you, yes? Mummy loves you..." – Lily repeats over and over to the baby Harry, who is crying out of fear, she herself shedding tears upon learning the cruel fate of her beloved husband, James.
Tension rises as Voldemort approaches the room where mother and son take refuge. The purple flames dance with a supernatural aura, and the sound of their crackling mixes with Lily and Harry's stifled sobs. The air feels dense, laden with mixed emotions and fear of the unknown.
With each step Voldemort takes, a chill runs through the atmosphere, presaging the terror about to unfold. Until he finally reaches the room, and Voldemort advances toward Lily and Harry, but he's met with a wall of sacred purple flames generated by Lily's Sacred Gear, Incinerate Anthem, surrounding her and the baby. Her sacred purple flames encircle Lily and Harry, forming a fiery barrier of protection.
Voldemort, as he approaches, demands that Lily steps aside.
Lord Voldemort: "Move aside, foolish girl... do it now!"
Voldemort, devoid of empathy and mercy, repeatedly demands that Lily steps aside. But she stands firm, moved by an indomitable maternal love, willing to give her life to protect her child. Though her hands tremble, she shields Harry, who stands behind her, with determination.
The uncertainty and fear reflect in Lily's green eyes as she recites incantations amid the flames. She knows she's in danger, but her determination is stronger. Each word she utters is an act of love and sacrifice for Harry. Lily's love for her son and her determination to protect him outweigh the fear of death. Unyielding, she bravely counters Voldemort with the sacred flames of her Sacred Gear, Incinerate Anthem.
However, the Dark Lord is a powerful wizard and temporarily manages to repel the flames with a spell, threatening Lily to step aside once more. But she remains steadfast in her position, determined to protect her son at all costs and to the last consequences.
Lily: "No, Harry, no, Harry, please, not Harry!"
Lord Voldemort: "This is your last chance! Move aside... do it now! Or you'll pay!" – Voldemort, despite his ego, is not immune to the fear Lily and her persistence instill in him. In a moment of doubt, he questions the possibility that the prophecy might be true. But he quickly smothers those thoughts in his thirst for power, refusing to be defeated by a mere woman.
The air vibrates with tension as seconds feel like eternity. The clash between them becomes palpable, and Harry's fate hangs by a thread.
And Voldemort... finally cold-bloodedly murders Lily; everyone's heart breaks into pieces. The roar of the flames turns into a mournful lament. The desperation that had overtaken Lily while trying to protect her baby with her last breath had tested Lord Voldemort's patience, who decided to instantly end Lily Potter's life by using the Killing Curse. The mother collapses to the ground, her once bright green eyes, so similar to Harry's, become lifeless, taking away the spark of life.
The sea of purple flames that had previously protected Lily and Harry disappears without a trace... The purple glow of the sacred flames fades with Lily's life, leaving only silence and desolation in the cottage.
Once the murderer, Voldemort prepares to ruthlessly kill the infant before him. Nothing stops him; in a being so filled with darkness and evil, there is not a hint of mercy towards the child. Lord Voldemort, feeling accomplished, knowing he has evaded the prophecy, and with great jubilation, aims his wand at the child and recites the Killing Curse to end his life once and for all, and when the curse is cast, the unthinkable happens.
As Voldemort points his wand at baby Harry, the air crackles with electricity. The beating of Harry's heart is audible, like a resounding drum of innocence and hope amidst the darkness.
Unnoticed by anyone, at the end of Lily's life, for brief moments, her Sacred Gear, Incinerate Anthem, reached its "Balance Breaker" for the first and only time. A power unleashed by Lily's desperate wish to save her son. Now capable of fulfilling her last desire. Accepting a final and ultimate price, the life of Lily Potter. At that moment, the sacred flames become more intense, enveloping baby Harry and Voldemort in a whirlwind of emotions and magic.
The emerald flames burn with overwhelming brilliance, and a mysterious choir resonates in the air. The sound of Voldemort's Killing Curse mixes with the crackling of the flames, creating a symphony of destruction and redemption. They have arisen to defy fate, to go against destiny trying to write the death of their son, even if it costs Lily's life, she decided to pay the ultimate price.
Harry, unaware of the magnitude of what's happening, only feels the comforting warmth of the fire surrounding him. It's as if a protective presence embraces him, dispelling his fears and giving him the strength to survive, believing in his infantile innocence, that it's his mother's arms embracing him.
Voldemort, confused and enraged, struggles to maintain control. But it's futile. The Incinerate Anthem's "Balance Breaker," emerging from Lily's deceased body, transforms into a great whirlwind of sacred emerald flames, the same color as Lily's and Harry's inherited eyes. This mysterious and powerful whirlwind consumes Voldemort's Killing Curse and Lily's magic, intensified through sacrifice and the Sacred Gear, becoming more potent than ever, striking and incinerating the body of the evil Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, killing him, and driving his wholly unstable soul out of the ashes that remained of his body.
Time seems to stand still as tragedy unfolds inside the cottage. Each second is an eternity, and every heartbeat is an echo of the emptiness now in its place.
When the flames finally dissipate, silence reigns in the cottage. Incinerate Anthem's "Balance Breaker" fulfills its purpose and fades away, ensuring that there will never be another wielder of this Sacred Gear in the supernatural world. Leaving only baby Harry, who now bears a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, a symbol of the night his destiny changed forever.
And... absolute silence engulfs everything, only broken by the muffled sobs of a baby who cannot comprehend the tragedy that has just occurred. A little orphaned Harry is bewildered and unable to understand what he has just witnessed. His future is uncertain, and the weight of being the sole witness and survivor of the tragedy that took his parents falls upon his fragile shoulders. An innocent baby, destined for an uncertain fate.
The lights in the cottage have dimmed, and only the distant stars are silent witnesses to what has happened on this fateful night. The Valley of Godric has witnessed a tragedy that will forever mark the history of the magical world.
Harry, not comprehending the magnitude of what has occurred, cries in the arms of his lifeless mother. His eyes reflect the confusion and innocence of a baby who cannot grasp the tragedy he has just witnessed.