Hey readers - here we are with the next new chapter : )
This one is actually based on the original opening chapter before I decided to start this project again, so it is a heavily edited version of the original battle. I've simply updated it to fit my most current style of writing, but after this one, all the chapter will be totally brand new. I actually didn't mind the original version of this one too much, I just wanted to update a few things ; )
Anyway, I really just wanted to say a HUGE thank you, both to those who stuck around after I announced I was starting over with this story, and those that are new to it. It's always a bit scary going back to a project you shelved years ago, so the support you guys showed by favouriting, following and reviewing this story was very much appreciated : )
Please remember that Harry Potter is not mine, and I hope you enjoy this story : )
Attack on Potter Manor
Lily positively charged in the direction of the nursery of Potter Manor.
The need to get to her child at this quite frankly terrifying moment was almost overpowering. She could scarcely believe that five minutes ago she had been tucked up in bed with her husband, and now she was rushing to defend her child. As such, the young mother's heart was pounding in her chest, her legs burning from exertion, but not once did she falter or pause for breath. Her little boy, her precious baby, needed her. She had to protect him. She had to. So come hell or high water, nothing was going to stop her from doing exactly that. In that moment, Lily Potter truly was a force of nature.
No Dark Lord or Death Eater would dare mess with her right now.
After what felt like an agonising eternity to poor Lily, but in reality was just a few scant seconds, the red haired young witch heard the gentle sound of her baby crying echoing from the nursery. Normally the sound of her toddler's sobs would tug at her heartstrings, but right now Lily couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief just hearing them. Sobbing might that her baby was still alive, and with that... that monster so close by, no other feeling in the whole wide world would ever quite compare to how much joy that brought her. Lily knew that now wasn't the time to ponder those feelings now though. As such, she burst into her son's nursery with all the patience of a bull in a china shop.
Thankfully, she found exactly what she was hoping to.
Harry's room was that of a typical toddler's nursery; a vibrant, whimsical world where imagination reigned supreme. The walls were adorned with cheerful murals depicting beloved storybook characters, playful animals, and fantastical landscapes. James had insisted on that when he had decorated the room whilst Lily was pregnant, claiming that it created a sense of wonder and enchantment, something that they both wanted their son to grow up with. Soft, plush rugs covered the floor, providing a comforting cushion for tiny feet and hands exploring their surroundings. Over in the corner stood a mountain of colourful toys, from plush stuffed animals to brightly coloured building blocks, all curtsey of James and his friends. They all loved spoiling little Harry something rotten, not that Lily could claim to be better. Their little boy had them all wrapped around his chubby little finger. All in all, the room was filled with a comforting warmth, achieved through soft lighting and the presence of cuddly blankets and pillows, offering a haven of security and comfort for the little inhabitant.
And speaking of, the little inhabitant in question was in need of his mummy.
Lily rushed to the crib in the centre of the room and smiled. Her little one was awake and sitting up. His tiny fists clutching at the bars, Harry's dark hair an unruly mess, just like his daddy's. Her own eyes looked up at Lily, swimming with cascading tears. Lily could only assume that the alarms had awoken Harry from his slumber, and as his mother, Lily knew that just like his father, her little boy did not like being disturbed from his sleep.
Lily smiled despite the situation they were all in.
Their little one was the perfect blend of them both, in everything from his appearance to his nature and personality.
Lily shook herself. This wasn't the time to be thinking about such trivial things. This was an emergency. One she planned on getting her son far, far away from as soon as humanly possible. Still, she couldn't help her smile though. Seeing him in there, her beautiful baby, safe in his cot and so, so tiny.
It made her heart ache for a world in which he wasn't in such constant danger.
She watched as Harry climbed to his little feet and was gripping the bars of his cot with his tiny fists. His sparkling green eyes continued shining with tears as he reached up to her, clearly wanting her to pick him up.
"Oh, sweetie" Lily cooed down at him gently, her tone as soft and soothing as she could make it under the current circumstances, "Did the nasty noise wake you up?"
Harry sweetly gurgled back up at her, smiling now that he'd seen his mother.
The sight almost tore Lily's heart clean in two. Her little boy was practically the human embodiment of innocence itself. It wasn't fair that because of a damn prophecy, which honestly amount to little more than a vague riddle, his life was constantly being threatened. Voldemort really was a monster. A vile, soulless monster.
Oh, what she'd like to do to him for threatening her baby. It didn't even bare thinking about.
Again, Lily had to mentally remind herself that now was not the moment for such bitter and uncharitable thoughts. The young mother knew that she really ought to be panicking, and hell, she had been before, but now she needed to remain calm. Her child needed her to be calm. And so Lily quickly obliged Harry's wish and picked him up, cradling him to her chest, hugging him gently with the love of a natural mother. Almost instantaneously, the red haired young witch felt infinitely better. They weren't out of the woods yet, far from it, but nevertheless, the relief of having her son safely in her arms had a powerful calming affect on her nerves.
Sadly, Lily knew she couldn't revel in that magnificent feeling for long.
There wasn't so much as a single second to spare, so the red haired young witch begrudgingly forced some haste into her actions. She quickly got down to business by hurrying over to a small chest of draws in the room, her child still clutched to her chest, his little arms wrapped around her neck, his breathing soft against her skin.
It was a wonderful reminder that they were both still alive, and it only heightened Lily's resolve that they both remain that way.
As such, the young mother's focus immediately honed in on one specific object in the room. Set on top of the toddler-sized chest of drawers was a small stuffed animal. A jet black dog to be exact. Harry simply adored it, much to Sirius' delight, having been the one to buy it for him. These days however, the toy held a purpose far greater than just being an object of comfort for a small child.
These days, the stuffed dog was a Portkey.
It had been James' idea initially, but Lily had readily agreed with the logic behind it. Knowing just how immense the danger poised against their infant son truly was, both of the young parents had decided that they wanted an unregistered Portkey close to where Harry spent most of his time. Their thinking was that in the event of an emergency - much like this one - both the child and the means of escape would be in the same place. It was more a time-saving exercise than anything else, despite the fact that unregistered Portkeys were technically illegal, since the Ministry liked to track where magical people were commuting to. That was no way in hell that the Potters were going to advertise their son's whereabouts like that though, not when his very life was dependent on the fact that his whereabouts remain a secret. It was therefore a law that James and Lily were both willing to break if it insured their precious little boy's safety. The only reason the toy was on the chest of draws was so that Harry wouldn't be able to reach it, and accidently be teleported to one of the safe-houses by himself without them knowing.
Lily would be forever grateful that her husband had had that idea now. It really was quite the stroke of genius.
This way, Harry would be able to make a swift exit long before Voldemort could get inside the manor, let alone anywhere near him. Lily's beautiful features contorted in a heavy frown, and she lost in a deep thought as a horrible realisation suddenly came to her. Harry needed to be sent to safety. Lily knew that with all of her heart, and it was naturally a top priority. But... she simply couldn't abandon her husband either. She just couldn't. Lily and James were a team. A damn good one at that. And James needed her by his side to help him fight, just as much as Harry needed her to get him away from here.
A choked sob managed to slip past the young woman's lips, but she quickly stamped it down. She couldn't afford to fall apart at a moment as dire as this after all.
But how could she possibly choose?
It was cruel, perhaps the cruelest decision that a person could ever face. Their partner, or their child. No matter what Lily did it felt like she was letting part of her family down. Damn Voldemort. Damn him for making her chose like this, the bastard.
Lily forced herself to take a deep breath to try and steady herself. It was an attempt that failed miserably.
Needless to say, her decision was difficult.
Harry needed to be taken to safety, that was a given. He was the one most at risk by staying here at Potter Manor, and Lily wouldn't tolerate her precious baby being kept in such a dangerous situation. At the same time however, her husband also needed her help so that he would stay alive. At least with Harry, they knew for a certain fact he could escape to safety unscathed. Sadly, they had no such guarantee when it came to James. The realisation chilled her all the way down to the bone.
With her heart clenching painfully, Lily made the impossible decision.
"I'm so sorry sweetheart" the young wife and mother whispered softly into her baby's soft hair, breathing in his scent and memorising it, just in case this was the last time she'd ever be there to take it in, "I'm sorry. So sorry. Please forgive Mummy, my darling little boy. Please forgive me for this".
Heart shattering in her chest and her eyes swimming with tears just like her son's, Lily gently placed the Portkey in Harry's little hands.
As if to drive home just how innocent he was in all this, Harry immediately cuddled the toy to his chest, his tears stopping as he held his stuffed dog. He let out a stream of happy babbling as his mother gently placed him and his stuffed dog back into his cot. With curious emerald orbs, Harry watched as Lily then went back to the draws and scribbled a quick note on some faded old parchment.
Lily had never hated herself more than she did in that moment.
Even the end of her old friendship with Severus had torn at her soul less than this act was. Despising both herself and especially Voldemort for putting her in this position, Lily coiled her letter into a scroll and pressed it into Harry's hand. He looked at it curiously for a moment, before he eagerly started waving it around excitedly, clearly thinking it was a new toy.
It was not a new toy for her son.
Rather, the ratty old piece of parchment was a note to one Professor Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress at Hogwarts.
James and Lily, upon the agreement of Albus Dumbledore, had ultimately decided that the safest place for Harry in times of dire need would be Hogwarts. Voldemort would never dare set foot inside the castle. Not whilst Dumbledore still lived. Not to mention the fact that the ancient wards surrounding the renowned school of magic would be very effective at keeping him out. The castle was exactly where this particular Portkey was destined for. Soon Harry would safe. He'd be going.
Alone.
"I'm so sorry Harry" Lily whimpered, praying she was making the right decision. After all, Harry needed his father, just as much as he needed his mother. More than that though, he deserved to have them both, "Remember that no matter what happens, Mummy and Daddy will always love you"
Lily whispered her gentle words of goodbye, the guilt almost eating her alive. A few tears leaked from her eyes, but she brushed them away before her baby could see them and get upset.
"We both love you so much, my sweet boy. I'm so sorry" the red haired young witch whispered one last time.
Knowing that her resolve would fail if she didn't act know, Lily quickly brought up her wand. Drawing a deep breath so that she wouldn't second-guess herself, she begrudgingly activated the Portkey.
In an instant, her little boy, her precious baby, vanished in a flash of light.
Lily couldn't hold back the small scream of despair that tore itself from her throat. Never in a million years would the young mother be able to forget that sight. The sight of her baby disappearing before her very eyes. Her heart felt as though it was shattering. She truly felt terrible for not going with him, for not being with Harry, but James still needed her too. Despite the mother in her wanting to go, the wife in her was fighting to stay.
It was an impossible situation, one where she'd been in complete and utter turmoil with herself.
But Harry was safe.
Lily forced herself to remember that. He had got away, and Voldemort couldn't get near him now. The red haired young witch nodded to herself, slowly pulling herself together. She kept up her mantra - Harry was safe. It helped clear her mind, enough so that Lily could remember that she didn't have time or the luxury of feeling guilty right now. She could indulge in that later.
Right now, her husband needed her.
So practically forcing herself to move, Lily hastily wiped the tears from her eyes and all-but sprinted from the room. There was no point in staying in the nursery now after all , haunted by the act that she had just committed. Instead, there was only one thing left to do.
Lily ran for the stairs, her heart pounding wildly beneath her chest. She could only hope and pray that it would still be beating by the time this was all over.
It was time she face Lord Voldemort.
Unknowingly mirroring his wife's action, James was also through the halls of Potter Manor. The dark haired young man was currently using his wand to quickly transfigure his clothing from pyjamas into a Muggle hoodie and jeans as he hurried along. He point-blank refused to dress as conservatively as many other wizards did. Muggle clothing was much more comfortable, and less restricting which allowed him to move his arms for spell work more freely. Plus, he had no desire to face Voldemort in his pyjamas. Even in times of war, a man still needed his dignity after all.
The dark haired young man hurried out of the manor through the back door in the kitchen, and out into the manor's grounds. He was met with the same spectacular view he had grown accustomed to over the years, yet it never failed to take his breath away.
The grounds of Potter Manor were a sprawling expanse of meticulously groomed gardens, a verdant tapestry woven with vibrant blooms and sculpted hedges. Formal lawns, like emerald carpets, stretched out hehind the house, their edges softened by borders brimming with roses, lavender, and other fragrant delights. Ancient, gnarled trees, their branches laden with the stories of bygone seasons, dotted the landscape, casting dappled shadows upon the meticulously tended flowerbeds. There created the perfect natural hiding place for the dozens of deer and wild rabbits that were meandering about. Fountains, crafted from weathered stone, whispered and chuckled, their water a constant, soothing melody amidst the tranquility. There were even many large stone statues of prominent Wizarding figures that had been erected over the many years that the manor had stood for. As James hurried out into the chilly October morning, the dark haired young man just hoped some of the beauty would still be intact after what was about to happen. He had no doubts that this was going to escalate into a full-on battle after all, which meant that right now there was only one certainty in James' life.
Whatever happened next, it wasn't going to be pretty.
"Point me" James, knowing that time truly had never been more of the essence than it was right now, quickly whispered the words to his wand.
Whilst under the protection of the renowned and resplendent manor house the manor, that particular spell worked a little differently to how it was usually designed to work. That was mainly due to the numerous and intensely powerful magical wards that surrounded the grounds and building. So instead of pointing due north like the spell was originally created to do, when used inside the perimeter of the Potter Manor property, his wand would point him towards whatever he wanted it too. For example, if he was looking for Lily but couldn't find her within the enormous stately home or its expansive grounds, James could use the spell and it would point him directly towards her. Right now however, the dark haired young man wasn't using the clever little modified spell to guide him in the direction of his lovely wife. No.
He was using it to find their murderous would-be intruder.
Before the man's fearful hazel coloured eyes, James' wand started spinning in the palm of his hand, slowly at first but rapidly gathering speed. Soon enough, the magical instrument stopped rotating and settled upon pointing in a single direction. James' narrowed eyes followed the beacon. West. So that was the direction the danger was in. He couldn't help but grimace as he courageously set off running in that direction, the muscles in his legs burning with exertion.
James really wasn't looking forward to this showdown.
Nevertheless, the dark haired young man man bravely charged on, sprinting past the various marble statues and the trickling water fountains that decorated the grounds. Soon enough, James reached the outer wall. Like many of the older Wizarding families' main stately homes, Potter Manor was encircled by a formidable curtain of high, grey stone walls, their surfaces weathered by time and hinting at the many secrets held within. These walls, seemingly impenetrable due to their mass alone, never mind the hundreds of ancient and complex magical wards that had been added to them over the decades, had always served as a stark barrier between the manicured world within and the outside world. Throughout his young life, they had always given James a warm sense of safety, a comfort against the uncertainty that lingered of their world. They were steeped in magical protections - some as old as the manor itself, others recently added by James himself - and now if a spell were to hit the wall, it would simply bounce off it. Still, James wasn't sure if Voldemort would be able to break through the wall's defences. The man was somewhat of a wild-card when it came to magic. James was just praying for his family's sake that the enchantments would hold. He just wanted his wife and son to be safe after all.
That wasn't too much to ask for... right?
Lily was hurtling past the main living room of Potter Manor, still determinedly wiping the last few tears away from her eyes as she hurried to find her husband, when suddenly the fireplace erupted with emerald flames. The red haired young witch couldn't help but freeze in her tracks, immediately drawing her wand out of the natural instinct born in war, and holding it aloft in the direction of the fireplace.
Then she registered who her unexpected guest actually was, and she realised that they weren't really unexpected at all.
Lily couldn't hold back the sigh of relief that escaped her. She watched, her emerald orbs already wide and swimming with gratitude, as she watched the newcomer step out from amongst the unnaturally coloured fire.
It was none other than Albus Dumbledore.
The red haired young witch quickly realised that she didn't even have to worry about him being an imposter. Even in the unlikely event of a Death Eater being able to obtain a piece of Dumbledore to use Polyjuice Potion, or casting charms to alter their appearance that the manor's magic couldn't break through - nobody could get past the wards if they weren't keyed into them. Only Voldemort himself could be the possible exception, and even that wasn't proved. Lily just hoped that she wasn't going to find out the answer to that theory today.
With that realisation, Lily gently lowered her wand.
As the red haired young witch instinctively changed course, deviating paths from her quest to find her husband in favour of her living room, Lily watched as the enigmatic man brushed some ash and soot off his outlandishly-colourful robes. She suddenly became self conscious about the fact that her old headmaster was about to see her in her pyjamas, but she quickly forced that silly thought aside. Now was hardly the time to worry about being embarrassed after all. To her utmost relief, Lily then noticed that the wizard held in such high esteem by so many already had his wand in hand. It was for that reason that Lily already felt about a hundred times better about this entire, bleak situation.
"Albus!" the young witch exclaimed, her tone and expression both palpable with relief, "Thank goodness you're here!"
Her old headmaster straightened out his robes and quickly turned to face her. His bright eyes, which usually twinkled with fondness and a hint of playful mischief, where heavy with concern. He immediately set about hurrying towards her.
"Lily!" Albus didn't bother with the usual pleasantries today, for which Lily was immensely grateful, "Minerva informed me about Harry's sudden arrive in her office. I can only assume that the attack is happening now?"
Swallowing hard, Lily nodded her head grimly.
The wise elderly wizard grimaced as well, knowing that a hard but hopefully bloodless battle was imminent in their future. Nevertheless, Albus bravely squared his shoulders and tightened his grip on his wand. It was more than obvious he was ready for a duel.
"Lead the way" he ordered simply, the very picture of a man determined.
Not needing to be told twice, Lily promptly set off sprinting through the winding halls of the manor again, guiding the way as Albus trailed along trailing after her.
They had nought a moment to waste.
"JAMES!"
The dark hair young wizard, the current patriarch of the Noble House of Potter, whirled on the spot in a highly undignified manner when he heard someone frantically yelling his name. His eyes immediately honed in on the flash of red amongst the green, and he grinned as he saw Lily positively charging in his direction. His heart fluttered in his chest at the sight of his beloved wife, despite the dire circumstances they were facing. He watched as his soulmate used to wand on herself, transfiguring her own pyjamas into more appropriate clothing. She was now wearing a warm-looking red woolly jumper, and black jeans. It was only as his wife drew closer that the dark haired young man realised that Lily wasn't alone.
James couldn't help the grin that lit up his face, nor the relieved sigh that escaped his lips, as he clapped eyes on Albus Dumbledore, hurrying towards him.
Despite the fact that he was clearly getting on in years, the wise elderly wizard was keeping pace with James' wife quite easily, both heading towards James. Albus' long silver beard was trailing over his shoulder as he sprinted across the lawn.
Under different circumstances, the sight would have been hilarious.
Right now though, James was much more focused on the fact that his chances of his whole family staying alive had just risen ten-fold. Soon enough, Lily and Albus had both joined James at the outer corden of Potter Manor, panting for breath but not faltering, not even for a single moment of respite.
"James, what is the situation?" Albus immediately got right down to business, urgency clouding both his tone and expression, "Has there been any movement on our enemy's part yet?"
"I don't know Albus, I was just about to…" James started to say, but his wife cut him off abruptly.
"Tisby!" the fierce young wife and mother yelled loudly, her urgent tone echoing throughout the grounds. With all of their lives riding on the outcome of the upcoming battle, they had not a moment to waste.
For a moment, there was no response.
Then with a startling loud Crack! - which despite being expected, still made all three of them jump - Tisby, the Potter Family's loyal and devoted House-Elf, materialised out of thin air in front the three humans. The female elf was young for her kind, but she was not treated as a slave like so many others of her kind. James and Lily were both exceptionally kind to her. They paid her - something that most wizarding families, and brainwashed House-Elves heavily frowned upon - and even gave her weekends off. Tisby had tried to refuse at first, but James and Lily were having none of it. Tisby was a living creature and therefore she deserved rights. And they were all much happier for it.
"Mistress Lily. Master James. Great Wizard" Tisby bowed in greeting to all three of them, her voice high-pitched and squeaky.
"We think that Voldemort…" Lily immediately started to say, wasting no time on pleasantries.
"Eek!" Tisby whimpered in fright, and quickly covered her ears at the sound of the dreaded name.
Lily sighed in exasperation, a tad irritated by the elf's reaction, but she forced that particular sentiment aside. Tisby was hardly alone in her fear after all. Forcing herself to remember that, the red haired young witch continued in a softer, kinder tone.
"We think he's here" Lily explained quickly, trying to stay calm and patient for all of their benefits, "We need you to activate The Dome straight away".
"At once, Mistress Lily" Tisby bowed respectfully once more, before she immediately vanished again with a second, equally-loud crack!
"The Dome?" Albus wondered as the house-elf faded away into nothingness, looking around with an air of genuine curiosity.
After all, as far as the elderly headmaster could see, there wasn't anything out in the quite exceptional grounds of Potter Manor that even vaguely resembled a dome. James and Lily looked at each other, the latter a little pointedly, and James sighed begrudgingly. They both nodded as they came to a unanimous agreement. After all, if they couldn't trust Albus Dumbledore with this sensitive piece of information, well... who could they?
As he was the one that possessed the most knowledge about his family home's magical defences, James was the one that started to explain.
"The wards manipulate themselves to form a dome of pure light magical energy that reaches up over the building and covers the grounds in their entirety" the dark haired young man explained as concisely as he could, "Nothing can get through it…".
He really shouldn't have tempted fate like that.
No sooner had the last syllable parted company with his lips did a sound eerily reminiscent of rumbling thunder fill the air, echoing around them and filling the trio with a shiver of dread. The ground beneath their feet trembled, almost like an ancient beast beneath was stirring, yearning to break free. But there was no fabled underground dweller there today. Just power. Lots of power. Coursing through the very earth itself as it grew in intensity.
Suddenly, with a massive whoosh that caught all three of the magic wielders off guard, dozens of beams of sheer golden magic burst out from beneath the ground, in a circle around Potter Manor and its expansive grounds, arching up high into the sky over the resplendent stately home. They all watched, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, as the beams of raw and ancient magic all coalesced at a singular point in the sky - and with all the power of a burning supernova - the ball of golden energy exploded outwards in every direction.
"MERLIN'S SAGGY LEFT...!" James managed to gasp out in shock before he was abrupt cut off. Even though he know of The Dome's power, he had never seen it in action before. It honestly was... breathtaking.
"JAMES!" Lily immediately scolded him for cursing, the habit now firmly ingrained as a result of motherhood.
Usually Albus would have been highly amused witnessing such an exchange. Today though, he couldn't even muster up a strained smile. His expression heavy with concern, he, along with Lily and James, all watched as the golden pulse of pure light magic continued falling at a downwards curve in the form of an almighty dome. Soon enough, the energy field slammed back into the ground, and a beautiful dome of glittering golden light manifested, protecting the manor and grounds. The magic radiating off it was almost blinding. It was obvious that this protection was some seriously impressive and powerful defensive magic.
"Most impressive" Albus commented, rather casually given the current crisis they all found themselves in, "How else can this most charming home of yours protect itself, James?"
The dark haired young man hesitated for just one second.
Magical properties and protections of one's home was not a topic discussed in civilised wizarding society. Period. James had no doubt that if his father knew he was even contemplating giving away the manor's secrets, the old man would be spinning in his grave. On the other hand, James trusted Albus. And right now wasn't the time for secrets. Albus needed to know everything if he was going to have even a chance at successfully keeping James, Lily, and most importantly of all, Harry alive. So with that thought in mind, the dark haired young man told him, all the whilst mentally praying that his father's spirit wasn't about to return and give him a right rollicking.
"If Voldemort manages to break through the dome and the wall and gets inside, the statues will come to life and distract him. We have magical sensors ready to fire some particularly unpleasant curses at him… the garden and trees will aim poisonous spores, pods and seeds at him, and that's just the tip of the iceberg" James quickly rattled off, his tone and expression both incredibly smug.
It was obvious that the young wizard was quite proud of the defences his home had to offer.
Fleamont Potter, James' father, had once confined in him that in the ancient days, apparently one of their ancestors had been rather paranoid, and had installed all sorts of magical traps and defences. The magic used to create them was so powerful that nobody could remove or disable them. Not even Albus himself, let alone Voldemort.
Given today's dangerous climate, James had never been more grateful for that fact.
"Well, let's hope things don't come to that" Lily mumbled fearfully. Even the very idea of that... monster setting a single foot inside their home chilled her all the way down to the bone.
Sensing his wife's distress, James turned to face her.
He saw the raw fear in her beautiful emerald orbs, and all James wanted to do in that moment was pull her into his arms. Hug her tight against his chest until she wasn't afraid anymore. It killed the dark haired young man to see his beloved Lily so tense and frightened. But unfortunate for them both, James begrudgingly knew that now wasn't the time for comfort.
It was time to take action.
"Where's Harry?" he asked urgently instead of soothing her, loathed though he was to do so. After all, his son's protection was a top priority, "Did you manage to get him to safety?"
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Lily nodded, her expression solemn.
"I sent him to Minerva's office at Hogwarts via the Snuffles Portkey we made for him" the red haired young witch quickly explained, still feeling a little guilty over sending Harry away all alone, and detesting Voldemort even more for putting her in such a horrible situation, "I put a note in his hand explaining everything. Minverva will protect him for us for the time being".
If Albus looked confused about the name 'Snuffles', he hid it well. He probably just assumed it was the name of Harry's toy.
"Good" James nodded in relief. This was the very last situation Harry needed to be in right now. Ever, actually.
The dark haired young man opened his mouth to speak again, but whatever words were on his lips never had the chance to be spoken. For at that exact moment, a massive beam of crackling black lightning was sent hurtling at the dome of light.
BOOM!
James, Lily, and Albus all flailed and shuddered.
Each of them was able to easily feel the magical energy radiating from that beam of dark light. It felt like poison. The darkest form of evil.
It was... revolting.
None of them had to ask to know what it was. It was the essence of Lord Voldemort's twisted and corrupt dark magic. With horrified eyes, they all watched grimly as the jet of dark lightning colliding with the dome, but miraculously, it merely ricoheted off and faded into nothingness. The dome rippled and faltered for a split-second, but almost immediately stabilized, and remained just as powerful as ever.
"He's starting his assault!" Albus warned the young couple next to him urgently, although the warning wasn't really necessary.
After all, it was kind of obvious what was happening.
Before any of them had chance to react beyond Dumbledore's warning, five more beams of darkness rained down upon the magical dome surrounding Lily and James' beautiful home. And just like it had a few moments ago, the dome flickered slightly, but managed to hold. It quickly reinforced itself, effortlessly standing up to their aggressor's unrelenting assault.
"Merlin's beard" Lily whispered, a new sense of fear gripping her heart now, her emerald orbs wide with sheer disbelief, "To even make it flicker takes an immense amount of magical energy".
If Voldemort could wield that much dark magic single-handedly, Lily didn't much fancy their chances in this fight. Still, Harry was safe. And as a mother, that was the most important thing in the world.
"Then let's return the favour" James cried, brandishing his wand as he squared his shoulders, the picture of a man determined.
Lily and Albus both followed the dark haired young man's example, and held their wands up high over their heads. United in their goal, all three of them cast a different offensive spell. In almost perfect synchronisation, their respective attacks soared through the air back over the wall. The different coloured lights of the three unique spells faded over the wall, and in the distance, they could quite clearly see the distinct flashes of magical explosions lighting up the sky. The black beams abruptly stopped. James looked at the wall in wonder, a hopeful glint shining in his hazel coloured eyes.
"Do you think we hit him?" he couldn't help but ask.
He received his answer in less than a second.
"MERLIN'S BEARD!" James yelled in utter horror, his handsome facial features going rigid with pure and unadulterated shock, "That's... that's completely impossible!"
What had once been a golden dome of the purest light magic, was suddenly burning scarlet.
It was like somebody had set the magic itself on fire, burning and warping it into something dark and twisted. Swirling red clouds and black energy were covering the dome now, plunging Potter Manor and its surroundings grounds into darkness. The wards were splintered but holding, the dome fighting valiantly against the corrupt magic trying to shatter it and get inside.
They had to stop it.
"I can't believe it" Lily breathed in horrified awe as she watched with wide, terrified eyes. The dome was barely holding together under the strain, forced to reseal itself as quickly as Voldemort was able to damage it, "How can one wizard produce that much magic at once?!"
Albus looked grave indeed.
"This is the worst thing possible for the side of light" the old man shook his head in dismay, his tone and expression both deeply troubled by the spectacle they were witnessing, "Voldemort simply holds too much power. He must be stopped at any cost".
It came as no surprise that the headmaster was the calmest of the trio, but he was still worried nevertheless.
"James, Lily, wands at the ready" Albus commanded as he tried to project an air of confidence, raising his own wand and pointing it in the direction of the wall surrounding the grounds. Lily and James both mirrored the action. With a fierce battle-cry, he bellowed, "NOW!"
Inperfect tandem, the three of them began firing off every single offensive spell they could think of.
Again and again; Albus, Lily and James launched spell after spell over the high stone walls, their magic streaking off in the direction of their attacker. It wasn't really surprising that Albus' were by far the most impressive. He was using a spell neither James nor Lily recognised to send orbs of shining silver light over the wall. They could scarcely keep up with him, and the exertion of expelling so much magic in such a short span of time was beginning to take it's toll on them both.
They didn't falter in their retaliation though. Not when their very lives depended on them winning this battle.
Across the wall in the distance, Albus, James and Lily could all hear the orbs of raw light magic exploding, and they could feel tremours running through the ground beneath their feet. It was taking everything James and Lily had just to remain standing, but still they didn't pause to catch their breath.
Despite the exhaustion rapidly creeping up on all of them now, the battle raged on fiercely, and in the end it almost became like a fireworks display. Lights burning and exploding in a variety of colours and intensity. But no matter how powerful they might be, the all knew that this couldn't go on forever. In the end, it was inevitable. As surely as the sun would rise tomorrow, something had to give.
In a matter of minutes, something did.
Before the horrified gazes of both the Potters and their old headmaster, the dome began splintering.
"NOOOO!" Lily screamed at the top of her lungs, her beautiful face contorted with a scoop of terror previously unknown to her, "THE DOME'S INTEGRITY HAS BEEN COMPROMISED!"
Reacting quicker than either her husband or her friend, the red haired young witch began waving her wand and uttered a stream of long and complex incantations at almost unbelievable speeds. Before the trio's very eyes, the cracks that Voldemort had inflicted upon the dome slowly sealed themselves shur as she poured each and every shield spell she could muster into them, repairing the damage.
"James, help Lily" Albus commanded after taking a moment to admire her impressive spellwork, a sense of urgency heavy in his tone again, "I'll focus on the attack!"
James nodded his agreement.
The dark haired young wizard quickly switched his attention to helping his wife rather than aiming his energies over the wall at their attacker. Whilst Lily was definitely better at charms than James was, he was by no means a slouch himself. With the two of them working in perfect harmony, husband and wife were slowly but surely able to reseal the cracks in their protection. In a matter of second, the dome was just as full and robust as before.
Lily and James both allowed a sigh of relief to slip their lips. The battle wasn't over yet however, and both the Potters knew it.
All the whilst, Albus had been firing gigantic pulses of pure magical energy over the battlement-like walls that surrounded the manor at an almost insane pace. Satisfied that the dome would remain intact, at least for the time being, Lily and James refocused their efforts into assisting him in his assault.
The hard-fought battle raged on.
James gritted his teeth in sheer determination. Lily bit her lip, praying to every god she'd ever heard of that their luck would hold out.
Finally, after what felt like an agonising eternity but in reality was just a few more short minutes, yet still not a moment too soon for the Potters and Dumbledore - they heard a sound that clearly signalled the end of the battle.
An enraged yell of sheer outrage.
It was an incredibly tense five seconds. If one were to test it, you could probably hear a pin drop, the grounds were so silent. James, Lily and Dumbledore all waited with baited breath. Finally, to their upmost relief, the barrage of curses being thrown against the dome halted. As they watched, the trio witnessed a stream of black smoke rise up into the sky, and then it simply vanished from sight. There was only one conclusion for them to take from that spectacle.
Lord Voldemort had retreated.
They had won.
In unison, James, Lily and Dumbledore all let out a collective sigh of relief.
"He's gone… but he will be back" Albus told James and Lily solemnly, his gaze sympathetic. It wasn't fair that youngsters like the Potters should be enduring such constant threats, but sadly, this was the hand that fate had dealt them
The young parents both just stared back at their old headmaster, their green and hazel eyes both still incredibly fearfully, despite their current feelings of relief. They knew he was right of course, despite how much they both wished he was wrong.
"We must come up with another plan, and soon" Albus continued, his expression grave indeed, "He obviously knows the location of Potter Manor now, which means it is only a matter of time until he breaches its defences, impressive though they may be".
James and Lily glanced at each other wearily.
Both of them were still very shaken from the recent encounter with the Dark Lord, yet despite that, there was also something else settling in their stomachs. A grim sense of determination. Solemn, the Potters both nodded in response to Dumbledore's dire warning. He was right after all. It was time to come up with another plan. They had to keep their family safe. And most importantly, they had to keep their son alive.
No matter the cost.
And that marks the end of another chapter : )
Like I said at the beginning, I just edited the original version I wrote years back for this chapter since I really just wanted to update it to fit more in with my up-to-date writing style. Hopefully you guys enjoyed by second-pass at this magical battle scene, but for those of you that remember the original version of this story, I can promise you that as of the next chapter, the contents is going to be brand new and original : )
Anyway, I think that's just about everything from me for this week, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review telling me your thoughts and opinions. Also, if you have any suggestions of what you'd like to see further on as this new timeline unfolds, be that characters or events you'd like to see, please feel free to leave them in a review as well, and I'll give them due consideration : )
Until the next time, keep on reading : )