The full moon shone brightly in the night sky. A light breeze ruffled the living room
curtains as Lily sat on the floor with Harry in her arms. The little baby giggled,
squeezing his tiny fingers around his mother's finger. His tousled black hair, identical
to James's, looked an adorable mess.
James watched the scene from his feet, leaning against the doorframe with a
proud smile as he twirled his wand absently between his fingers. It was hard to
believe that moments like these, so simple and peaceful, could exist amidst the
chaos that the wizarding world was facing.
— He's going to be trouble, isn't he? — James joked, pointing his wand at
Harry, who was kicking excitedly. — With all that energy, he's going to be a
troublemaker.
Lily let out a soft laugh, her green eyes shining.
— Troublemaker? James Potter, you've always been the first to cause trouble,
so don't even try to tell me that Harry is the problem.
James forced a smile and came closer, kneeling beside Lily. He stroked
Harry's hair affectionately, his smile fading a little.
Lily noticed that her husband had seemed tense and restless all day. She
brought her hand closer to his face, lifting his head, making him look at her.
— What's wrong, honey? You don't look so good.
James bit his lip, looking away and letting out a sigh.
— I don't know. I feel anxious like something isn't right. I guess… — he
paused, trying to gather his thoughts. — I guess I just wish he could grow up without
fear. That he could play outside, without having to worry about any of that…
Lily tilted her head, her gaze full of understanding. With a gentle touch, she
caressed James's face, her fingers sliding through his thin beard. She knew exactly
how he felt; the weight of responsibility to protect that little life was immense.
— Hey… — she said tenderly, keeping her eyes fixed on James's. — We'll
make sure he has a safe life. And we'll always be by his side. We can't control the
world, but we can give him all the love and protection he needs.
James took a deep breath, the weight on his shoulders easing, if only a little.
He smiled gratefully at Lily, who leaned over to give him a kiss on the forehead
before standing up.
— Dinner will be ready in five minutes. — she said with a smile, running her
fingers lightly over the baby's head and leaving a kiss on his son's forehead, making
him laugh excitedly.
As soon as she left the room, James sighed and looked at little Harry, who
was staring at him with those bright eyes, completely oblivious to his parents'
worries. He was so small, so innocent, and James felt like he would give anything to
keep that sparkle in his son's eyes.
— Hey, champ. — James murmured, picking Harry up and rocking him gently.
— Don't worry, okay? I'll be here for you. Always.
Harry chuckled and James smiled, feeling a little more confident. He knew the
future was uncertain, but there, in that room lit by the moonlight and the warmth of
that little life in his arms, he promised himself that he would do everything to protect
his family.
— I promise, Harry. — he whispered, looking into his son's eyes. — We'll be
fine. Your mother and I will fight to make sure you have the world you deserve.
James held Harry against his chest, smelling the comforting scent of his son's
little head. Harry grabbed his shirt, biting the collar as he laid his head against his
shoulder.
James played with Harry until he heard Lily's voice calling them for dinner. He
got up, still with Harry in his arms, and went to the kitchen, where Lily had everything
ready. She smiled when she saw the two of them come in and adjusted Harry's
highchair so that the little one could sit next to his parents.
James sat next to Harry and began to give him small spoonfuls of puree.
Harry, excited and curious, tried to grab the spoon and explore the food, which soon
resulted in small spots of puree spreading across his father's face and shirt.
— He's messy just like his father. — Lily commented, smiling.
— I call it an adventurous spirit, not a messy one. — James replied, laughing,
as he cleaned up some of the food that Harry had spread. Lily laughed too, and
Harry, seeing his parents' excitement, laughed out loud too.
When they finished dinner, James picked Harry up and took him to the
bathroom, where he prepared a warm bath for his son while Lily put the dishes in the
wash and rested a little in the living room. With every laugh that Harry let out as he
played with the water, James felt genuine and carefree happiness. He washed
Harry's dishevelled hair gently, enjoying that simple and special moment, watching
his son's eyes close as he enjoyed the relaxing sensation.
As soon as the bath was over, James wrapped Harry in a soft towel and
carried him back to the bedroom, where he dressed him in comfortable, cozy
pajamas. With Harry almost falling asleep in his arms, he took him to the living room
and snuggled him against his chest carefully, giving his son a soft kiss on the
forehead.
Harry bit his shirt, a habit he had always had since he was born, and, little by
little, the baby became drowsy in his father's arms, his eyes blinking slowly. James
snuggled him closer, letting the silence of the night envelop them both as he walked
around the living room, rocking Harry.
The house was quiet, only the soft sound of Harry's breathing as he slept in
his father's arms. Lily and James watched him in silence, side by side on the couch,
as if trying to record every detail of their son in their minds. The baby sighed, and
James smiled, running his hand through Harry's hair tenderly.
— He's our life, isn't he? — James whispered, looking at Lily, his eyes full of
love and pride.
Lily nodded, smiling fondly. She ran her fingers down Harry's cheek and
sighed.
— He's the most precious thing we could ever have.
James took her hand and intertwined their fingers.
— And he'll have the life he deserves. I promise, Lily. He'll grow up safe. We'll
make sure of that.
Lily was about to answer, but then a heavy feeling, a chill that ran up both
their spines, made her heart race. The air felt heavy, overwhelming, an evil
presence. Their eyes met, and James knew she felt the same.
— James? — she whispered, trying to contain the tremor in her voice.
Before James could answer, they heard the front gate slowly open. James
handed Harry to Lily, taking his wand. With a pale face, his eyes fixed on the window
and with quick steps, he went to the hallway and looked through the crack in the
curtain. Outside, a dark shadow moved, a figure that seemed to absorb all the light
around it.
It wasn't any of his friends or any of the Order's members. The shadow was
getting closer and closer, making James's anxiety grow. He left the door, returning to
the room where Lily was holding Harry protectively against her chest.
— It's Him. — James whispered, his voice barely audible but filled with dread.
— Lily, listen, — James said, approaching her and grabbing her by the shoulders. —
You need to go upstairs. Take Harry and hide, no matter what. I'll try to buy time.
She stared at him, her eyes brimming with tears. She knew what he was
saying, what it meant.
— No… James, no… — Lily whispered, trying to stop the tears from falling. —
Please, come with us…
— Lily, there's no time! — James interrupted, his eyes shining with the pain of
the decision he had made. James approached Lily, holding her face gently, his eyes
filled with the pain of the impending farewell. His gaze met hers.
He leaned down and kissed her softly, a kiss filled with everything that could
never be expressed in words. It was a promise, a plea for forgiveness, and above all,
a silent declaration of eternal love. His lips touched hers with tenderness and
desperation as if he could engrave every second of it into his memory.
When the kiss ended, he rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes
for a brief moment, absorbing that last moment together.
— I love you. I love you and I love Harry more than anything in this world.
Trust me now. I will slow you down. I will do whatever it takes.
Lily nodded, tears streaming down her face, unable to speak, but with one last
trembling smile, full of courage.
— I love you too, James. — she whispered, her voice breaking.
They were interrupted by the sound of the door being knocked down. Harry
woke up, crying furiously in his mother's arms, startled by the thunderous noise.
James turned to the door of the room, his wand in his hands, his heart pounding.
There he was. Lord Voldemort, his skin pale as marble, his eyes red and cold,
a cruel smile forming on his lips appeared in the doorway.
— James Potter. — Voldemort said, his voice low and menacing, as if
whispering inside his mind.
James took a deep breath, gripping his wand tighter. He kept his voice steady,
even though his heart was racing.
— Go upstairs, Lily. — James said, his voice as steady as he could, refusing
to show fear. — You will not go near them. — he declared, standing in front of his
wife with determination.
Voldemort let out a cold, almost mocking laugh.
— Such bravery. — he said, taking a step forward. — Do you really think that
will stop me?
James didn't answer. He knew that time was short and that this might be his
last chance. He cast a quick spell, but Voldemort blocked it with an almost lazy
movement of his wand, the smile never leaving his face.
Harry cried louder.
— Lily, go! — James shouted. — Go! Protect Harry!
Lily's body swayed for a moment, refusing to leave her husband there, but
Harry needed to be protected. She ran, climbing the stairs as quickly as she could.
James gripped his wand tightly, feeling sweat trickle down the back of his
neck. Fear burned in his chest, but he refused to let it show. Instead, his
determination made him stand firm, his gaze fixed on Voldemort.
— Then let us see if Potter's bravery is as impressive as it is said to be. —
Voldemort hissed, raising his wand in an elegant motion.
James wasted no time. He cast an Expelliarmus at Voldemort, hoping the
spell would disarm him, but the Dark Lord deflected it with a simple flick of his wrist.
A jet of red light shot from his wand in response, and James rolled to the side, the
spell hitting a shelf and scattering shards of glass and wood across the room.
— Protego! — James quickly conjured a shield to block Voldemort's next
spell, which bounced off and hit the wall, leaving a scorched mark. The pressure of
the magical clash made the air feel thick, almost unbreathable.
Voldemort stepped forward, his eyes shining with cruel pleasure. He raised
his wand again, casting a series of spells in rapid succession. James dodged as best
he could, every movement driven by desperation. He threw himself behind an
overturned chair to shield himself from a spell that blew part of the wall away.
— You cannot buy enough time, Potter. — Voldemort sneered, his voice
sharp. — Your resistance is futile.
James burst from his cover, casting a Stupefy with all the force he could
muster. The red bolt sliced through the air, but Voldemort dodged it in one fluid
motion. Before James could react, a jet of blue light struck the ground inches from
his feet, making him stumble.
He struggled to his feet, breathing heavily. Adrenaline pumped through his
veins, and his mind was filled with desperate thoughts of Lily and Harry. He had to
keep fighting, had to buy them more time.
— You will never understand what love is. — James spat, raising his wand
once more.
Voldemort smiled, a smile devoid of any warmth or humanity.
— Ah, Potter, you speak as if these emotions mean anything. — he raised his
wand, the deadly green glow beginning to emerge at the tip. — Fear. That is what
matters. That's what keeps everyone by your side. Love is temporary, anyone can
betray you. But when they fear you, no one will ever turn their back on you.
James didn't have time to react. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
He saw the green light, felt his body freeze. One last thought flashed through his
mind: Lily and Harry.
— Avada Kedavra! — Voldemort said, his voice ringing cold.
The beam of green light hit him in the chest, and for an instant, James felt
everything slowly fade away.
His body fell to the floor with a dull thud. Lily's scream echoed through the
stairs, a desperate plea that Voldemort simply ignored as he headed upstairs.
— Not Harry! Not Harry! Please, not Harry! — she begged desperately.
Harry cried loudly, so hard he was sobbing.
— My son... Harry... Harry… — James tried to speak.
More screams.
— No... No! Please, no! Harry! Lily! NO!
— NO! — His body finally obeyed. He sat up quickly, his breathing
quickening, his heart almost jumping out of his chest, his clothes sticking to his
sweaty skin.
James looked around frantically, realizing, even without his glasses, that he
was no longer in Godric's Hollow. He blinked several times, confused, as he tried to
regulate his breathing. Where was he? This was not what he remembered. There
was no destroyed shelf, no burned wall, and worst of all; there was no Lily, there was
no Harry.
— Lily! Lily! — he called desperately, looking around. — LILY!
James tried to get up, but his legs gave way, causing him to fall to the floor.
— Mr. Potter! — a woman dressed as a nurse helped him up and sit on the
bed. James tried to get up again.
— Where am I!? My wife and son! Where are they!? — he asked desperately,
holding the arms of the frightened woman in front of him.
— James. — he turned his head to the door at the sound of his name. There,
standing, was Albus Dumbledore, staring at him with some surprise. — I'm glad you
woke up. No one knew if you would really survive or not.
Dumbledore approached.
— Professor! — James let go of the woman. — Where are Lily and Harry!?
Are they okay!?
James felt his heart tighten, urgency taking over his body, his eyes wide,
searching for any clue on the headmaster's face.
— Where? — James repeated, his voice choked with desperation. — Where
is my son!? I need to see him, I need to see Lily!
Dumbledore looked at him with a sad expression, as if he were about to bear
the weight of a truth he knew James could not bear to hear.
— James… — the headmaster began carefully. — Lily made the noblest
sacrifice anyone could make. She gave her own life to protect her son.
It was as if James's world had stopped. His arms fell to his sides, and he
recoiled as if he had been struck. He shook his head, trying to dispel what he had
just heard.
— No… — he whispered, shaking his head. — No… No, that is not true… —
he laughed, a laugh of pure nervousness, his brain going into panic.
No! Not Lily!
Not your beloved wife!
The thought consumed him, the thought that Lily, his beloved wife, was gone.
The pain enveloped him like a wave that swallowed him, suffocating and
inescapable.
Dumbledore stood firm, but his eyes held a deep sadness. He sighed before
continuing.
— Voldemort used the killing curse. When you were hit, Lily had only a few
more moments with Harry before Voldemort found her. — Dumbledore paused as if
the words were heavy on his tongue. — But her sacrifice… triggered a powerful
magic, something Voldemort had not foreseen. That magic was what saved Harry.
James could barely process what he was hearing. Each word felt like a knife
plunging into his heart. His body began to shake, his hands covering his face.
— No… No! If I survived, why didn't she!? How did I survive? I remember. I
remember the spell and the green light. How did I… — James began, his voice
shaking, struggling to understand what had happened to him as his breathing
quickened.
He was alive.
If he was alive, Lily had to be too!
Dumbledore shook his head slightly, his face filled with deep regret.
— We don't know, James. Your survival remains a mystery. When we arrived
on the scene, Voldemort was already dead. Lily's body was there, but you were
somehow still breathing. Your condition was critical, and we feared you would not
wake. Your magic has been affected in ways we still cannot fully understand.
James remained silent, his hands shaking visibly. Images of Voldemort's face
and the blinding green light flooded his mind like a nightmare relived. He
remembered clearly the sudden emptiness that had enveloped him as if the world
itself had been ripped from beneath his feet. And now… somehow, he was there,
breathing, while Lily…
The reality hit him with brutal force.
Lily was dead.
The woman he loved more than anything had sacrificed herself, and he? He
was alive.
Why?
The thought was unbearable. Pain exploded inside him, tearing at his soul.
His hands automatically rose to cover his face, as if he could hide the flood of
emotions. But the tears came, hot and relentless, running through his fingers,
despite his best efforts to resist.
— Harry… What about Harry? — James managed to ask, his voice choked
with the tears he failed to contain. "You said Lily gave her life for him. Where is he? I
need to see him… Please…" he begged, the urgency in his eyes mixing with
uncontrollable desperation.
Dumbledore nodded slowly, understanding James's pain.
— He's safe, James.
— Where? — James asked urgently.
— In a safe place.
— WHERE? — he shouted, his patience at an end.
For Merlin's sake, all he wanted was to see his son. He just wanted to hold
the only thing he had left in his arms.
— Where is my son!?
— James, calm down.
— CALM DOWN!? — James snapped, his eyes flashing with anger and pain.
— The love of my life is dead! My son is far from me! — his voice broke, but he
continued, his entire body shaking with the intensity of his emotions. — All I want is
for you to take me to Harry! For the love of Merlin! — he begged. — All I want is to
see my son!
Dumbledore watched James with an expression that mixed patience and
sadness. He sighed, weighing his words carefully as he saw despair take over every
fibre of the man in front of him.
— James, please. — Dumbledore said, his voice low, trying to be as calm as
possible. — I understand your pain. No one should have to go through this, and I
swear we did everything we could to protect Harry.
But James wouldn't listen. His anger, his pain, and his fear had reached a
point where there was no room for reason. He stood up suddenly, his body shaking
with tension.
— NO! — James shouted, advancing towards Dumbledore. — You don't
understand! You've never lost the love of your life, you've never lost a son! — he was
completely out of control, tears streaming down his face. — Tell me where he is! I
need to see Harry! Please! — he begged, but his voice was almost a roar of pain.
Dumbledore remained firm, although his eyes reflected the gravity of what he
was about to do. He knew that James was in a fragile state of mind, and information
about Harry's whereabouts, in his current condition, could be catastrophic.
— James… — Dumbledore began softly, raising his wand with an almost
imperceptible movement. — Understand, he is safe…
James barely had time to react before he felt a strange warmth envelop his
body. His wide eyes met Dumbledore's for a second.
— No… — he tried to protest, his voice wavering.
But it was too late. A soft spell hit him, and his eyelids immediately grew
heavy. His vision grew increasingly blurry and dark, and he sank back onto the bed,
his breathing now calm and controlled.
— Keep him sedated for a while longer. — Dumbledore's voice echoed in his
dark mind. — When he wakes up, perhaps he will be more willing to listen. But until
then, we need to keep things under control.
And then his mind threw him away.
His eyes stared at the white ceiling of the room, his vision blurred both by the lack of
his glasses and by the dizziness that enveloped him. The room was silent, except for
the sound of his ragged breathing. James blinked a few times, trying to clear his
mind, but everything seemed hazy. His eyes were unfocused, the darkness of his
forced sleep still lingering in his mind.
He tried to move, but his muscles felt stiff, heavy, as if they hadn't been used
in days. Every movement was a struggle, and a groan escaped his lips as he tried to
stand up. His trembling hands groped for some point of reference on the mattress.
He finally found the cold, familiar metal, pushing his glasses onto his face with effort,
as if performing that simple action required strength he no longer had.
The world around him slowly began to take shape. James looked around, his
heart beating faster, a growing sense of disorientation taking over him. This wasn't
Godric's Hollow. The walls around him were white, the bed was uncomfortable, and
there was a strong smell of potions. This was a hospital.
Everything was fine. He was fine. There was no sign of destruction, of a
battle, or of Voldemort.
A sudden wave of panic coursed through him.
— Harry… Harry! — he sat up quickly, ignoring the pain in his weakened
muscles. Fear hit him hard. He needed to know where Harry was. He needed to find
his son. — Harry… — his voice was low, almost a whisper, as he looked around as if
he might appear at any moment.
His mind was still foggy, but fragmented memories began to come together.
He remembered Voldemort. The green glow. The screams. The sound of Lily's
screams and Harry's terrified cries echoed in his mind as if they were still there.
James tried to get up from the bed, but his legs gave out immediately, and he
fell back down, feeling the cold floor beneath him. He struggled to stand until he
finally managed to support himself on the bed, panting. He needed answers. He
needed to find Harry.
With effort, he managed to support himself on his legs and stagger to the
bathroom in the bedroom. James opened the door and leaned on the sink. He felt
cold sweat running down his forehead as, with trembling hands, he turned on the
tap, splashing a handful of water on his face.
When he raised his head, his eyes met the mirror. The figure staring back at
him seemed like a stranger. His hair was huge, disheveled, longer than he had ever
let it grow. The beard covered his face in a way he didn't recognize. He looked years
older, exhausted, as if he had spent months trapped in a nightmare.
— How long have I… — he muttered to himself, his mind trying to calculate
how long he had been unconscious.
His heart was pounding in his chest, a mixture of fear and anger growing
inside him. He couldn't stay there, without answers, without knowing what had
happened to Harry. James took a deep breath and, determined, went back to the
bedroom. He grabbed the clothes he found folded on a chair and began to change
quickly. He knew exactly where he was going: to Remus and Sirius' house. He and
Lily had always trusted Remus and Sirius to look after Harry, they had named them
as his godfathers.
Dumbledore had said that Harry was in a safe place. Harry would be safe with
Sirius and Remus, so his son is there.
James finished getting dressed, took his wand that had been left under his
clothes and looked in the mirror, casting a quick shaving charm and wetting his
hands under the tap and running his fingers through his long hair, pushing it back,
relieved that the large strands were no longer obstructing his vision. He wondered
how Sirius could stand his long hair. He took his wand and hid it well in the inside
pocket of his jacket and silently left the room, looking around, making sure that no
one was around.