Summary: Due to the heroic sacrifice of the Longbottoms the Dark Lord fell in 1981, the legacy of that night being a small boy hailed as a savior. Weeks later the effects were still felt in the loss of James Potter, his own death leaving behind a three-year-old son and a mark that would change the magical world forever.
Chapter Two
Monday, December 7th, 1981
Offices of Joseph R. Warren, Solicitor
Moving forward in life without her husband, Lily was quickly realizing, was the most difficult thing she'd ever had to do. The world didn't stop turning like she felt it should've, and the few times she'd ventured out from home, her heart seemed to break a little more until she finally just decided to stay indoors for a while.
People were celebrating, shops were opening – some new ones and some old ones who'd shut their doors for the duration of the war. Families were, for the first time in years, beginning to populate Diagon Alley again. Florean's was open, serving his frozen treats with a smile on his face and hope seemed to have returned to the masses. Gringotts was booming, the economy seeming to swing upwards overnight as the witches and wizards began to once more buy and sell and do their very best to forget that a civil war had ever taken place.
Trials were ongoing, and the Prophet ran daily special editions for all the Death Eaters who'd been arrested following Voldemort's fall. Some were sent to Azkaban, while others who had the disposable resources were not. Some who were captured appeared genuinely innocent, and it became a murky business telling who was who. Many of them, Lily knew, had never even been caught in the first place and were allowed to go on with their lives as if they'd just gone on holiday.
Throughout it all, she kept feeling that same crushing weight on her chest as she realized that, outside of close friends, the death of James Potter hadn't seemed to make a difference in the world.
Thinking of close friends, the lump which was permanently stuck in her throat seemed to tighten as she remembered the trial of Sirius Black, the only one she could bring herself to attend. He wasn't accused of being a Death Eater, but the fact that he'd murdered Peter in broad daylight the day of James' funeral didn't paint him in any better light.
She'd spoken on his behalf, as had Dumbledore, but the facts were still the facts. Despite the legal council she arranged for him, the best they were able to do was reduce the charge of murder, down to manslaughter. He would still spend 12 years in Azkaban for killing a fellow wizard – the faded Dark Mark on Peter's arm, irrelevant. Barty Crouch was not a forgiving man.
"I'm sorry, Lily…"
The words he muttered as he was dragged from the room by the Aurors were just another shard of glass in her heart. He wasn't sorry for killing Peter, she knew – Lily wasn't sorry the rat was dead either. Sirius was sorry for the switch, sorry for the 'prank' which they'd decided would be genius, and had incidentally placed the life of her family in the hands of a traitor. Sirius would've died before giving their location up, and Peter had seemed to do so willingly.
Remus was gone in the wind, hadn't even showed up for the trial. He'd disappeared somewhere into the Muggle world and he'd placed some enchantment on himself so owls couldn't find him. They just kept returning with the letters. Dumbledore allowed her to send a letter with Fawkes – whom Remus couldn't hide from – but there'd been no response.
It didn't matter. Lily already had one boy to look after and if Remus wanted to behave that way she'd let him. She just didn't have it in her to deal with another child. She knew he was hurting and lost, but so was she. While it stung her own sense of independence, she just wished he was there so she could lean on him, just for a while.
Instead she found herself alone. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Alice, Marlene, Frank...all gone, in one fashion or another. She could name a dozen more friends and at least three dozen more classmates who were either dead or imprisoned, and while she knew it wasn't true, she felt like she was all that was left. Just her and Harry.
She tried phoning Tuney while she was in London, but Vernon slammed the telephone receiver as soon as he heard her voice. It seemed she was still unwelcome at her sister's house. It was probably just as well. James nearly killed the man after her mother's funeral, and the hate in Tuney's eyes was something Lily still hadn't forgotten.
"Mrs. Potter, it's time," a woman spoke softly. Heather, the secretary for the solicitor who was handling James' final will. She was a rather strict looking woman, with dark brown hair pulled back into a tight bun and a severe face. Still, she'd been nothing but kind to Lily and so she tried to smile at the witch who was only doing her job. It didn't feel like it formed correctly on her face, but it would have to do. It's all she had to give.
"Thank you," said Lily, rising from her chair to follow her.
"Forgive me, but, are we waiting on anyone…?" the woman asked hesitantly.
Lily nearly choked, but she'd become very good at holding it in these past few weeks. "Just me," she answered quietly. It seemed to make the woman uncomfortable that she'd asked, and she nodded quickly.
"Of course, if you'll please follow me."
She was lead through the office which she'd only visited once before, just after she and James were married. It was owned by a wizard named Joseph Warren, who was beginning to get on in his years but who's family had worked with the Potters in the past. The man himself was already in the room when they arrived, and she tried not to allow it to bother her that there would be nearly a dozen empty chairs around the large conference table.
"Lady Potter, thank you for coming," he began, standing and giving her a short bow. "I'd like to apologize for the early notice, which I was informed caused you some stress at this difficult time. Our notices are automated and, unfortunately, if they aren't responded to they're sent again just to confirm that they're received."
"It's no trouble, thank you Mr. Warren," she replied. The man was well dressed in a set of sharp navy robes, and though his gray hair was balding and his shoulders beginning to hunch over, his dark eyes were very clear and focused, she noticed.
"Heather, if you'd please bring us some water and tea, that would be lovely. I there anything else I can offer?" he asked, but Lily shook her head.
"Just water would be fine."
Lily noticed that there were several folders of documents laid out on the table, some of them bearing the official seal of the Ministry, and others the mark of Gringotts, while still others held the Potter coat of arms – two crossed wands over a red field, with a holly branch hanging above it. On either side of the branch perched a raven, and at the bottom was a banner with the family motto:
Novissima Inimica Destruetur Mors – The last enemy to be destroyed is Death.
The crest was as familiar to her as her own hand. She'd seen it ever since her first year in Hogwarts, when James was still a prat and flashed his family ring at anyone who looked at him long enough. It hung above her head during their wedding, and it was imprinted on the casket James was buried in. On Harry's bedroom door at the cottage, on the gates of Ravenhill, the wax seal James always used for his letters…
While Lily didn't really understand, having grown up in the Muggle world, there was a lot of pride held in that symbolism.
"Please have a seat, and forgive me if I'm a little disorganized at the moment," said Mr. Warren. "I've gone through a lot of similar proceedings as of late, and I find myself a little out of sorts."
Once she'd taken a seat, he did so as well, pulling the spread of documents closer to himself. He looked through several, and then began stacking them in a manner of organization only he could understand. Lily found herself slightly uncomfortable. She hadn't really dealt with this sort of thing before, as her parents never left a will and Tuney took almost everything before she even knew they passed. Now, at age 21, she found herself a widow and stumbling from one task to the next.
Heather entered the room once more with a tray floating in front of her outstretched wand – a jug of water and a pot of tea, with cups and glasses and cream and sugar. She sat it down quickly and left the room, closing the door behind her. Mr Warren stood, pouring her a glass of water, and himself a steaming cup of tea.
"Now then, I will apologize in advance for any distress this meeting may cause you, and at any point if you'd like to step out or take a break, feel absolutely free to do so. I also have some calming droughts, still sealed from Slug & Jiggers, should you need to avail yourself of one," he said kindly. "I will begin by asking a few questions, and then we will move on to initiating Probate, which if you are unfamiliar, is just a fancy term for officially opening the Last Will and Testament. It will begin with settling any outstanding claims or debts, and then we move into naming beneficiaries and dividing assets. As a final step, we will read the final words of Lord James Charlus Potter. As you are his wife, and are the sole witness here today, I will leave those words for you to read alone."
Lily nodded silently, taking a shuddering breath to try and prepare herself. Her mouth felt suddenly dry, and she was thankful for the water provided.
"Then let us begin," he said. "First, I would like to ask if there is anyone we should contact before we begin. I understand that your husband named several people in the will, and while the memory will not be available to me until we begin Probate, I do distinctly remember several persons mentioned. I have the necessary means to contact them if you'd like for me to."
Lily shook her head. "I can guess some of who he would've named, and they're likely either...they're not available. I tried to contact those who remain, but I was unable to."
"Of course," the man nodded. "There is also the matter of charitable donations. As his wife, if there are any assets which are due to be paid, but cannot be received due to a deceased beneficiary or another legal reason, it is your decision if you'd like to donate those assets to charity, or keep them for your family. All relevant donations will be filed with the Ministry, and paid out at the same time as the rest of the assets."
"I...I imagine there will be some," she said, the traitor's face flashing through her thoughts. "Any monetary assets can be split between the Hogwarts Muggleborn Fund and St. Mungo's evenly. James liked to donate to them at least once each year around Christmas time. Any properties should instead be kept in trust for Harry, our son."
"Naturally," Mr. Warren said, nodding once more and scratching away with his quill on a form which she could just see the seal of the Ministry in the corner. "If there is anything that is neither monetary, nor property – such as personal items or perhaps heirlooms – we shall have to decide what you'd like to do as we come to them."
Lily nodded her agreement, and watched as he pulled several folders toward himself.
"Now, if you are in agreement, I will break the seal on these documents, this day, the 7th of December, in the year 1981."
Lily hadn't noticed before, but there was a self-writing quill on the table in the corner which was copying each word down onto a roll of parchment. Realizing that he likely needed a verbal queue to begin, she replied, "Of course."
A tap of Mr. Warren's wand on the top-most folder caused it to spring open, and a piece of what looked to be Spell-O tape twisted into the air briefly before vanishing into a little puff of smoke. In an unconscious action, Lily immediately started thinking about what type of secrecy charms it would take to function, but quickly pulled herself from those thoughts as the solicitor began opening more folders.
"First, as stated before, we have a list of outstanding claims or debts." Mr. Warren began. "There appears to be only one – a single charge of unauthorized apparition while intoxicated, a fine given by an 'Auror Padfoot', and filed with the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Transportation on the 22nd of February, in the year 1981. The fine is in the amount of 1 galleon, 1 sickle, and 1 knut"
Lily closed her eyes and tried to even out her breathing. "Sirius wasn't an Auror," she muttered through clenched teeth. Trust those two buffoons to kick her in the stomach with one of their pranks on a day like this.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked looking up at her in confusion.
"Of course, sir, I apologize," she said, taking a slow, deep breath. "We can settle that immediately."
"Excellent," he responded, once more filling in a form with the Ministry's seal on it. How in the hell Sirius had managed to fool the Department of Magical Transportation into believing he was an Auror was, frankly, somewhat disturbing. And trust James to receive the ridiculous fine and refuse to pay it on principle. He probably laughed about it.
"Next, we come to the beneficiaries," Mr. Warren continued, oblivious to her thoughts. He moved the folders around until he was holding those with the seal of Gringotts, as well as several with the Potter coat of arms. "We have a total of sixteen beneficiaries, not including yourself and young Harry to whom the bulk of the assets will be given. This was changed from the twenty-three beneficiaries, two years hence, when eight beneficiaries were removed by Lord James Charlus Potter, giving the reason that they were deceased, with no living relatives. It was changed once more, just over a year ago, to add a single beneficiary. We can begin when you are ready."
Lily nodded, wondering just how many on that list were still alive. "I'm ready, Mr. Warren," she said, unsure if it was required for the process, but trying to fumble her way through it anyway.
"First, is a contract with one Garrick Ollivander, which has existed, and is to exist in perpetuity, for the rights to access a total of four properties belonging to the Potter family. This is stated for the purpose of gathering necessary supplies for wandcrafting, and in return, the contract states that descendants of the Potter family are to receive their wands for a price of five galleons, regardless of inflation. This contract is to be upheld, in full, until either the Potter family no longer exists, or the Ollivander family no longer exists. This contract will require an updated signature by yourself, and once Harry James Potter becomes a legal adult, will once more have to be renewed."
Lily nodded and quickly signed the parchment he placed in front of her after a quick skim to be certain. She hadn't known about the contract, but it was very likely something that predated James or even his father. Taking a glance at the date the contract originally went into effect, Lily's eyes widened sharply to see only three digits for the year – more than a thousand years of history within such a simple piece of parchment.
She was certain she shouldn't haven been allowed to sign it.
"Very good, this will be filed with the Ministry and a copy sent to Mr. Ollivander. Contracts such as this one are quite rare in these proceedings, as usually he who is next in line for the headship of the family would've already signed. They are filed with the Last Will and Testament just in case of a tragedy such as this one." the solicitor explained kindly.
Lily gave a shaky smile in thanks, but she really didn't want to talk about it. James would've signed alongside his father, then, and Harry should've as well…
"Next, we have a monetary sum of twenty galleons to a 'Tom, the Bartender', owner of the Leaky Cauldron with a small note. 'A few rounds on me.' signed James Potter."
She didn't know why, but that small detail made her eyes sting and her throat burn, and she quickly pulled a tissue out of her pocket. It was such a simple thing, really, but it was so in line with his general outlook that is was almost as if she could hear him saying it.
"We have two more which say the same, one for an Aberfoth Dumbledore, owner of the Hog's Head pub, and another for a Madam Rosmerta, owner of The Three Broomsticks pub. May I assume that all three of those beneficiaries are of sound health and able to receive these assets?"
He kindly didn't remark on her sniffling as she nodded, merely turned back to his parchment and marked with his quill.
"Next we have a monetary sum in the amount of five thousand galleons, which is to be converted into the Muggle currency of Great British pounds, to be given to one Dudley Dursley. As it would appear that Mr. Dursley is currently a minor, these funds would be placed in trust for him at the Bank of England until such a time as he is a legal adult, or else can provide evidence of a great financial hardship. May I assume that he is also of sound health and able to receive these assets?"
Lily nodded, and allowed herself to take a deep breath, and acknowledge the man that her husband had become. Where once he'd been a foolish and prideful boy, he grew into a fine, generous and honorable man. No matter the issue he had with Dudley's father, the child was her nephew and James would have loved him all the same. He hadn't even told her he included her family, and as Dudley was only just a year old, that must have been the addition he made to the will.
Tuney and Vernon were not likely to receive anything, but it was just as well. She remembered how he'd bragged – at a funeral, no less – that he was well-off.
"Next we have a monetary sum in the amount of five thousand galleons, as well as a letter, to one Marlene McKinnon." he announced, and she was forced to stop him before he could ask.
"Th-That beneficiary is deceased, and has no known living relatives," she said, and once more she had to stop the outburst of tears she wanted to release. Marlene was her best friend, her roommate for seven years at Hogwarts and was Harry's Godmother.
"Of course," he muttered, marking down something on his parchment. "And the letter?"
"I'll keep it, for now," Lily answered. She wouldn't read it, not yet at least, but maybe one day when the loss of both of them was somehow more manageable.
"Moving on, we have a monetary sum of five thousand galleons, as well as a 'cat-scratch-post' and a letter to a Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Mr Warren gave her a somewhat amused and dry look "She is, to the best of my knowledge, still of sound health and able to receive these assets."
Lily gave a sort-of choked laugh, nodding, even as she dabbed her eyes. Maybe James wasn't quite as grown-up as she believed.
"We also have a collection of books, which are currently stored in Gringotts, and a pair of wool socks for a Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the same school. He is also, to the best of my knowledge, still of sound health, yes?"
Again she nodded, curious about the socks, but less so about the books. It was likely that they were so obscure as to be useless to anyone else – they could even be written in mermish, for all she knew.
"To a Frank- dear me," he cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. "To a Frank and Alice Longbottom, we have the monetary sum of ten thousand galleons, as well as a collection of medieval weaponry, and a full suit of armor. I..well, that is to say…"
"Neville should have them, though I would prefer he doesn't receive the weaponry for quite some time." she answered quietly, trying to smile at the man encouragingly. She wasn't certain if she pulled it off, but she understood his reaction. Frank and Alice were being hailed as heroes – rightfully so – and he probably didn't expect to read their names. It also was obvious there was no point in asking if they were able to receive the assets.
What the armor and weapons were for, only James and Frank would know.
"Yes well...there is also the sum of ten thousand galleons to Mr. Neville Longbottom, as well as a letter." he said, trying to get himself back together.
"James was Neville's Godfather, so I'm certain he'd still wish for him to have it all. I understand Augusta isn't taking any messages at the moment, but if your office has any issue with reaching them, I'll happily help," she offered. It was hard for everyone right now, and unlike some selfish people she understood that there was a boy without a father – or a mother for that matter. Things wouldn't go smooth for quite some time until people had a chance to heal and grieve.
"My thanks, Lady Potter," Mr Warren said, clearing his throat once more and sitting straighter in his seat. "Nearly done now. We next have a monetary sum in the amount of five thousand galleons for an Arthur and Molly Weasley, as well as a letter addressed to Arthur, and a box of jewelry for Molly. It is noted that the jewelry once belonged to a Victoria Prewett, sold to William Potter in the year 1926. Lord James Potter would like to return them. May I assume that they are of sound health and able to receive these assets?"
"Yes," she confirmed, and while she hadn't expected to hear their names, she knew them to be good people. They had twin boys the same age as Harry, and she'd been able to become friends with them while working with the Order, despite them being quite a bit older than herself and James. That amount of money – and the heirlooms – would likely change their lives. They had six children and she'd heard rumor that Molly had another on the way. Merlin help her.
"Lovely," he muttered, marking something down. "Next we have a monetary sum in the amount of ten thousand galleons for a Remus John Lupin, as well as a small warded property in Kielder Forest and a letter. May I assume that he is also of sound health and able to receive these assets?"
"He is, though you may have to deposit the letter in his Gringotts vault. He isn't taking post at the moment," Lily said quietly. The property was heavily warded, and one that James had helped him build so he'd have a safe space to change. As agitated as she was at him, she'd never deny him what James wished for him to have. He was a good friend, the best really, and despite running off so suddenly Lily only wanted good things for him.
"We have a monetary sum of ten thousand galleons, as well as a letter to a Peter Andrew Pettigrew," he began, however Lily had been waiting for his name to appear.
"Dead," she said, and the word may have come out more harshly than she intended. Mr. Warren looked at her quite oddly for a moment. "Burn the letter, please. The money goes to charity."
After another brief look at her, the elder man allowed a sad half-smile to cross his face, and nodded. He likely thought – and he was right – that another Death Eater had come to light, just like so many others. "Of course," he muttered. "And finally we have a monetary sum for ten thousand galleons, as well as a case of Ogden's Finest and a letter to a Sirius Orion Black."
"He…" Lily shook her head. "He's imprisoned, though he will be released eventually. I guess just have everything deposited into his vault, and he can receive it upon his release."
"Yes, of course," he said, making a final notation, before stacking the folders to one side, and bringing a final group of them in front of him. "That concludes the beneficiaries, and all remaining assets belong to yourself and young Harry. The properties, I'm terribly sorry to say, will have to remain in possession of someone born to the Potter name. You can, of course, access them all, but due to the family trust, you are not legally allowed to liquidate or distribute them. They are, for all purposes, young Harry's property. The vaults are open to you, though Gringotts will not allow you to withdraw more than half the remaining sum should you ever wish to. That too, I'm afraid, belongs to Harry Potter. This was not put into place by Lord James Potter, but has been held in trust for many generations. It is…"
"A fail-safe, I'm aware, sir," she said, and she tried to be as kind as possible about it. "James and I spoke about it before we married."
Technically she owned nothing, and for once it had nothing to do with her Muggle blood, though it did have to do with her blood in general. It was a fail-safe for the rare chance that someone married into the family with bad intentions. The Potters could never lose more than half their wealth and none of their properties. It was common among the wealthy purebloods, and something that made sense.
"Yes, well," he cleared his throat. "Alongside properties and liquid assets, there are also family heirlooms and several lucrative businesses, of which the Potters still have a vested interest in. These are also held in young Harry's name, though he will have only limited authority over them until he reaches adulthood. He can still access the benefits, such as free products and positive income, but he'll be unable to exert any executive authority over them."
This, she was also aware of. James' uncle Fleamont Potter started one of them, a potion company which produced Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, and the ever popular Sleekeazy's Scalp Treatment. She used both on Harry already, as it was the only known product created with the cursed Potter hair in mind. They showed up by the crate-full every few months, though she supposed that without James they would be using a lot less…
"All of this will be included in the documents you'll leave here with today, and if you have any questions, I'll be sure to make myself available for you. The final piece of business today is to have you sign some documents, closing things out, and then of course there are the final words of Lord Potter. These, I will leave with you. You can feel free to take them home, and read them where you are more comfortable."
She agreed, and after a whirlwind of signing documents in between dabbing her puffy eyes and sniffling, she left with an arm full of parchment sealed away into several large folders. None of it really meant anything to her, but it would eventually, and it would to Harry.
The only thing she cared about at the moment was also the thing she found most terrifying. The final words of her husband, the boy who chased her for years without success, and the man she eventually came to love, marry, and start a family with. People told them they were foolish for having a child fresh out of school, and while there was a war on besides, but now, looking back, she was glad they did.
James may be gone, but she still had Harry, and if they'd waited who knows what may have happened. Maybe he wouldn't have been born at all, or maybe just later. Maybe they both would have died in the fighting, without a precious little boy to come home to.
He was born at the right time. James got three long and wonderful years with his son, and Harry got to know his father much more than he would've if they'd waited.
Yeah, so this is it, huh? Last Will and Testament.
Figure it makes sense to get something like this in place, just in case, you know? The war's getting pretty bad, and you never know when your train's gonna come. There's a lot I wanna say, I guess, but not really sure how to say what matters.
Oh, and by the way, this is for Lily and Harry. If any of you other tossers are reading this, then piss off, yeah?
Anyway. Guess if you're reading this then I didn't make it through the war. I've been trying to keep this thing updated, and if the war was over, I had a plan to change this whole thing. So if you're reading this version of it...I'm sorry.
It's funny, you know? In school, I always looked forward to getting out there, looked forward to joining the fight and standing up for what's right just like my dad. Me and Sirius and Remus and Wormy...well, not Wormy, he's not much of a fighter. I always had this picture in my head though, of us charging into battle, kicking arse and defending the innocent and all that. Never really...never really turned out that way.
Guess I was just as thick as Dad said I was when I told him I wanted to fight. I don't anymore, not really. The fighting isn't what I thought it'd be. People are still getting hurt, and worse, and sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm even making a difference. The world is a lot different than I thought it was, back then.
But then I come home to the pair of you, and...we have dinner, and we laugh, and I think about all the people that don't get to do that anymore. And then I decide I wanna fight all over again. I just want to fight and fight until it's all over, and then we can be a family. We can go to the parks, and go on holiday. We can fly on the pitch and I can teach Harry everything…
Guess that's all just a dream, now, but it's a damn good one.
I hope I just botched it. I hope I forgot all about updating this thing and we maybe got to do all of that. Maybe I'm an old man now and Harry's grown and he has sprogs of his own. Maybe we have another, who knows?
Ah, who am I kidding? Writing this has been on my mind for a while now, and I don't think I'd forget about it. I never want you to read this, either one of you. First chance I got I'd burn it. Just means I was a little too slow or a little too weak, and they got me.
Lily...I just want you to know that I love you, and that if I'm not there anymore, then I couldn't think of anyone else I would have wanted at my side all these years. I don't regret anything, and now that I'm gone, there isn't anyone I'd trust with my boy besides you. Since the first time I saw you back at school, I always knew I wanted to be with you. I may not have known exactly what that meant back then, but I do now, and nothings changed.
I'm a little older (hopefully a lot older) and probably not any wiser, but I know that's still true.
Harry, if you're reading this, or maybe your Mum's reading it to you – sorry for all the lovey stuff, but you'll get it, one day. One day you're gonna find a girl that makes your head spin, a girl that twists you inside out and makes you feel things you don't understand and it's pretty scary, but you're gonna want to chase her anyway. Go for it, so long as she isn't holding a knife, I guess.
Learned that lesson the hard way…
Also, Harry, I left another letter for you. For when you're older and understand a little more. When you become a man, go into the study at Ravenhill, and talk to ol' Alfred. He'll tell you what to look for.
If the portrait of me bothers you any, either one of you, do whatever you need to with it. Talk to my granddad and he'll tell you how to get it down. Move it, lock it away, I don't care...I know how hard it was to face my dad, and I was already a man when he passed. Don't think you have to put up with that to honor me or something. I'd appreciate if you didn't burn it, so maybe a piece of me lives on or something, but if that's what you feel like you gotta do...I guess I don't mind so much. Harry's the only piece of me that really needs to be in the world anyway.
Merlin, I don't know how to end this thing. There's a lot more I wanna say, and maybe my words are too jumbled to make any sense of anyway.
I could talk to the pair of you for days and days and still not have said enough. I just want to tell you how I feel and what I think, but I know this is probably pretty hard for you already. So I'll shut up.
I love you both – and just know that anything good there was of me came from you Lily, and I'm leaving it with you, Harry.
-Novissima Inimica Destruetur Mors
Author's Note: So, this is Chapter 2, and while it's fairly basic, I feel like the death of James Potter deserves a chapter dedicated to it. A lot of authors brush past the death of the Potters with barely a mention, but this is a very defining time for both Lily and Harry, and I felt like it deserved some effort.
For Harry, this is going to be a major driving force as the years come and go, and so I felt it was important to explain a little.
I had to do it pretty much entirely from Lily's point of view, as I couldn't begin to explain how to speak from the viewpoint of a three-year-old. Suffice it to say he's sad and confused, and even more so because they suddenly moved to a new home he wasn't used to. A lot changed for him, but how exactly could I explain that? Not sure, so Lily's point of view will have to work for now.
I feel like there were a few nuggets of world building in there – Sirius' trial, as well as some basic information about the Potters in my story. I know the whole 'Lord' business is very overused and cliché, but I'm not going to take it to the extreme that some people do. There will be no bowing and pompous shit between school children, at least no more than there would be in a class system like the one J.K. created.
Anyway, the next chapter will see a small time-skip, though nothing extreme. We still have quite a long way to go before we get to Hogwarts for Harry's first year.
Thanks for reading, and review if you want to, or don't if you don't.