Title: The Betrayal
Season: 11
Round: 3
Position used: Seeker
Prompt: Vac 'Goddess of Speech' [Hindu]: Write about the impact of someone's words to another.
Additional Prompts used: N/A

Hogwarts Assignment 6: Oneirology task 3
Prompt: Losing teeth- Write about someone keeping a big secret

Time to Rhyme (Dogs and Frogs): Dogs number 17- Cocker Spaniel
Prompt: James Potter, (trait) family-oriented

March Writing Club: Would You Rather?; TV Special numb 20 One of Us is Lying; Superpower Hour- villians number 5- Caleb; Niftie & Swiftie number 5-The Archer; Colour theory number 13- (Winnie the Pooh) Piglet; Literary Legends number 1; AU-wesome Adventures
Prompt: number 5 (Family) Potter's; (theme) murder; write about a serial killer, or a story involving one; (trope) friends to enemies; (word) squeaky; (plot point) a murder; (character) James Potter

Irish Appreciation: number 29- John O'Shea
Prompt: (plot point) defending someone

Newt's Suitcase: Doxy- female
Prompt: (character) James Potter

Gather Your Party: Cleric number 7- Grave
Prompt: alt: (setting) Godric's Hollow

Word count: 1364
Betas: Dora, Lily

A/N Warnings: Descriptions of major canonical death
Set when Lily and James are in hiding. I'm using the timeline that sometime in late autumn/winter 1980 Severus goes to Dumbledore to plead with him to hide Lily and her son. In Snape's memories, the trees are bare of leaves when he does this and Lily's letter to Sirius suggests they were in hiding for Harry's 1st birthday when he received his toy broomstick. It does beg the question of why Wormtail waited so long to betray them but we'll not go there :D


"I'm bored, Lils," James said, slouching on the sofa with a sigh. "I wish I could be out there with Padfoot, making a difference."
"I know, love," Lily replied, looking up from the game of pat-a-cake she was playing with Harry and smiling sympathetically at James, "but you're making a difference here, for your family. You're protecting us; protecting our son."
"I know, you're right." James sighed again. "And nothing is more important than keeping this handsome man safe." James got up and picked Harry up swinging him around, until Harry squealed and giggled with delight.
"What I find most baffling about the whole thing," Lily said, with a small frown, "is that Voldemort would put any stock in a prophecy. I mean, as dreadful and awful as his deeds and ideals are, he's not unintelligent—quite the opposite- so why set any store in a Seer's words?"
"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that one, Lils," James replied. "But he has. If I wasn't so worried about Harry, I would say it's laughable that he's so threatened by a baby and some Seer's words. So, we're stuck here hiding, unable to help defeat him to save our child and we must put our faith in our friends and the rest of the Order to do it."
"Well, come here little man." Lily reached out and took Harry from James. "Let's get you a bath, you're all sticky from all the cake you've had." Lily took Harry's little hand and waved it to Daddy.
"Bath time my little Quidditch player," James said, smiling, and leaned in to give Harry a kiss goodnight and blow a raspberry on his cheek, making Harry giggle again. Lily smiled softly at her husband. He had changed so much since their younger days at school and especially since the birth of their son. "Mummy and Daddy love you so much." James gave Harry another kiss before Lily took Harry upstairs to have his bath.

James poured a couple of glasses of elf wine for himself and Lily and sat back down on the sofa. From upstairs came the soft, gentle sound of Lily singing to Harry in his bath and the splashing sounds of Harry playing in the bath water. James took a sip of his wine and smiled contentedly. He might be stuck in the house unable to assist the Order, but at least he had his wife and son. At least they could have these moments together. These moments were blissful and they could make many happy memories for Harry. Sometime many years from now they would be able to look back on this time and laugh. They would be able to look back and tell Harry about all the wonderful things they did together. Harry's first birthday party. Harry zooming about on his toy broomstick that Sirius had bought him. The happy times spent here with Sirius, Remus and Peter, the best friends anyone could ask for. Lily letting Harry 'help' bake the cake for the Halloween party that they had today. Harry had been delighted to watch Sirius transform into his 'Halloween costume' of a great black dog and back to Sirius, into a dog and back to Sirius, repeatedly. It had been such a wonderful and memorable day with their friends. Even if Harry wouldn't remember it, they would be able to tell him about all these times, because they were in hiding and they were safe; Harry was safe. Voldemort couldn't touch them while they were under the protection of the Fidelius Charm.

Lily came back into the living room, Harry in her arms in his little blue pyjamas, and sat down on the sofa beside James, who handed her the glass of wine once she had placed Harry on the floor.
"To our little family." James smiled at his wife and she smiled back at him.
"To our little family."


"You are useless, Wormtail," said a cold, cruel voice. "You fail at every task I ask of you."
"My Lord, please. I will do better. Another chance. One more chance," begged the mousy-haired man in a squeaky voice.
"I've given you chance after chance. Crucio," said the cold voice, an unpleasant smile curled on his lips as he watched the mousy-haired man screaming and writhing in pain at his feet. Finally, he lifted his wand and stopped the curse.
"My Lord," sobbed Wormtail. "My Lord."
"Enough, Wormtail!" said the cold voice. "I grow tired of your failures. Perhaps I should rid myself of such a worthless servant."
"My Lord, no, please. I will do better. I can do better," Wormtail squeaked and sobbed.
"Crucio," Voldemort said again and Wormtail screamed once more.
"My Lord, please have mercy," Wormtail sobbed.
"Why? Why should I have mercy? You have been of no use."
"I can give my Lord what he so desperately seeks." Wormtail sobbed from the floor.
"What I seek is the Potters!" Voldemort spat.
"I can give them to you, my Lord. If you will spare me. I can give them to you," Wormtail sobbed, trembling with fear.
"How?"
"They made me their Secret Keeper, my Lord. I can tell you where they hide if you will just spare me!"
Voldemort's nostrils flared.
"Give me their location and I will spare you. Give me their location and I will even forgive your past errors. Now where are they?"


James was sitting in the living room with Harry while Lily finished tidying up the kitchen. James had his wand out and made puffs of different coloured smoke erupt from his wand. Harry giggled and tried to catch the smoke in his hands. James laughed along with Harry. Lily opened the living room door and entered.
"Right, little man. Time for bed," she said, her long dark red hair falling over her face. James leaned down and scooped up Harry, gave him a kiss and handed him to Lily. He dropped his wand on the sofa, stretched and yawned.
"Goodnight, daddy's precious little boy," James said, as Lily took Harry upstairs.

James had just sat back down on the sofa when the front door burst open. He leapt to his feet and sprinted into the hall to find Voldemort had crossed over the threshold.
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off—"
"Avada Kedavra!"
There was a flash of green light that filled the hall and James Potter slumped to the floor, dead. Upstairs Lily screamed and started to barricade the door then snatched up her son and cradled him in her arms.


Voldemort forced the door open and swept aside the chair and boxes with a flick of his wand. Lily placed Harry in his cot and stood in front of him, her arms wide.
"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"
"Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside, now…"
"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead—"
"This is my last warning—"
"Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…"
How dare she. He was a merciful Lord. He had spared Wormtail out of mercy and he would spare her for Severus if she would only stand aside. He was giving her plenty of warning. She just had to step aside.
"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please—I'll do anything—"
"Stand aside—stand aside, girl—" He was losing patience now! He could shove her aside of course. He could keep his promise to Severus but her defiance of him was irksome. That she thought she could somehow stop him from what he had come to do by pleading. Didn't she realise how powerful he was?
"Avada Kedavra!"
Another flash of green light lit up the room and Lily Potter slumped to the floor like her foolish husband, dead. Voldemort looked at the child who had not cried, perhaps thinking this was all some game for his amusement. He pointed his wand at the boy's face. To watch as he removed this dangerous obstacle to his triumph. The child began to cry. This would be too easy. Just as his parents were too easy to finish off. One more spell and this danger would be gone.
"Avada Kedavra!"