Late September 1981, Godric's Hollow
"Don't you think it's a bit too obvious?"
"What do you mean, Padfoot?" James Potter gave his best friend a bewildered look. "Who else would be our Secret Keeper? I can't think of anyone better."
"Prongs, think about it. Anyone would immediately know that I am your Secret Keeper. Wouldn't it be better if it was someone else, someone nobody expects?"
Frowning, James studied his friend. Of course, he had a point. Everyone would immediately guess who their Secret Keeper was. "Who are you thinking of?"
"What about Remus?"
"Remus has been acting a little strange lately." James slowly shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I'd trust Remus with my life. But he has his own problems."
"What about Wormtail. I doubt anyone would even suspect he's your Secret Keeper," Sirius suggested.
Wormtail, James thought pensively. Why not? Wormtail was a good friend who could be trusted. Then again… James shook his head. "I'd feel better if you were our Secret Keeper, Padfoot. After all, it's about Lily's and Harry's safety. I'd never gamble with that. It's too important."
Taking a deep breath, Sirius raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, Prongs. Whatever you want. Of course, I'll be your Secret Keeper." With a broad grin, he added, "Otherwise, you'll think I'd chicken out."
Nine years later, Halloween 1990, Godric's Hollow
Harry Potter stood at the window in his bedroom. His nose pressed against the cold window pane, he stared out sullenly at the small Quidditch pitch behind the house. The moisture from his breath condensing on the glass matched the weather outside. Harry wanted to fly so badly, at least use the few moments when it was only drizzling and not raining cats and dogs, but his mother wouldn't let him.
As so often lately, his gaze lingered longingly on the stone wall and the small patch of woodland behind it, which formed the border of their property, and at the same time, the end of the world Harry knew. In his entire life, he'd rarely left his home, and every time he was allowed to, he'd been so excited to meet other children, even if they were much older or much younger than him. Once, Harry even had a friend. Neville was born almost the same day as Harry. But after visiting each other a few times, he'd never seen the boy again. His mother had told him Neville's family had been attacked by an evil wizard, and he had left the country with his grandmother after his mother died in the attack. Ever since that day, Harry believed his parents that it was too dangerous to leave their home. That's why they lived here, tucked away in this cottage in Godric's Hollow he wasn't allowed to leave.
Of course, his parents were often out there. But it rarely happened for them to leave at the same time. And when it happened, Dora Tonks, his godfather's cousin, would drop by to look after Harry and his sister. And that only happened when Dora was on holiday and not at Hogwarts. Ever since her parents had died in a Death Eater attack, she lived with Sirius during her holidays. Despite being much older than Harry, Dora was funny and could change her looks at will since she was a Metamorphmagus. Harry was deeply impressed by this ability. He really liked her.
Sullenly, Harry let his gaze wander around his room until his eyes fell on his broom, which had been sitting in the corner for the last week, and he sighed. If only he... A thought struck him. If he wasn't allowed to fly outside, he could do it in here, couldn't he? Just like when he used to fly on the baby broom his godfather, Sirius, had given him. Without doubt his mum would scold him, but for now, he would have fun.
Already in a better mood, Harry grabbed the broom and tried to turn a lap in his room, which wasn't easy because the room wasn't that big, at least not big enough to fly in it. Once he'd managed the third round without hitting the wall or doing any major damage, he got braver.
He leaned forward as far as he could without the broom flying off, reached for the doorknob and opened it.
"Mum, look what Harry's doing again!" wailed his sister, Emily, as he stormed down the stairwell into the living room, knocking over a chair and just managing to stop his broom in front of the dining table where his sister was sitting, leafing through a book.
"What is he doing, darling?" his mother called from the kitchen. "And what's that noise?"
"He's flying across the living room on his broomstick," she complained. Giving Harry an indignant frown, she jumped up and cried, "If Harry can do it, so can I," and stomped off, probably to get his old baby broom.
"Lily? Lily, are you there?" A voice suddenly came from the fireplace.
Harry turned and spotted his godfather, Sirius, peering out of the flames, a worried look plastered on his face.
"Sirius, what happened? Why don't you come in?" Harry asked, kneeling down to get a better look at his godfather.
"Harry, can you call your mum, please. It's important," Sirius requested in a grave voice, without smiling at him, which usually never happened. His godfather always had a smile for him.
"Yeah, sure," Harry replied and ran to the kitchen.
His mother must have heard that she was being called because she was already hurrying over. "What's the matter, Harry? Who's there?"
"Uncle Sirius wants to talk to you, Mum," Harry explained, following his mother back into the living room.
"What's it, Sirius?" she asked, worried, while getting on her knees in front of the fireplace. "Something wrong with James?"
"No, no. Prongs is fine," Sirius reassured her. "He's with some others checking the wards around Hogwarts. There are rumours again that Voldemort is trying to take over the school."
"What is it then?" asked Harry's mother, concerned.
"I wanted to ask if you could look after two more children. It would only be for a day or two."
"What kids are you talking about?"
"D'you remember Molly Weasley?" asked Sirius tentatively. "Her husband, Arthur, was at the Ministry when Voldemort burned it down with Fiendfyre last year."
"I remember her," Harry's mother said thoughtfully. "So many innocent people died that day. The Weasleys had seven children, didn't they? What happened to Molly? She's alive, isn't she?"
"Molly was in Diagon Alley in the morning and was caught in a Death Eater attack. She was taken to St. Mungo's. Her two youngest, a boy Harry's age and a girl who should be a year younger, are home alone. Can you take them in for a day or two until Molly gets released? Kingsley is taking the kids to their mother right now. But they can't stay in the hospital, and Kingsley is needed at Hogwarts."
"What about her other children?" Harry's mother asked, worried.
"Her eldest is away on Order business, and the others are still at Hogwarts," Sirius replied.
"Okay." Harry's mother sighed. "Bring them over. You're the Secret Keeper. You're the only one who can bring them here."
"Thanks, Lily. It may take a bit, though. While the kids are visiting their mother, I'll head to Hogwarts to see if they need any help. See you later," Sirius called, giving Harry a brief smile before disappearing in the flames, which then died out again.
"I hope those two know how to fly," muttered Harry. "What's the weather supposed to be like tomorrow, Mum? Wouldn't it be nice if I could play outside with our guests?"
"With any luck, the sun might shine tomorrow," said Harry's mother. "But first, let's make the beds for our visitors. After that, we'll prepare dinner. Come on, you two. I'm afraid you'll have to move a bit closer together in your rooms."
"I want the girl to sleep with me in my room, Mum. What's the girl's name anyway, Mum?" Harry's sister cried, excited.
"I don't know, Emm. But I suspect the two would rather share a room. After all, everything here is unfamiliar to them," Harry's mother replied while opening the door to Emily's room.
"But I don't want to sleep in Harry's room," Emily complained.
"And I don't want to sleep in Emily's," Harry countered. "Why can't the boy sleep in my room, Mum?"
"Okay, you two." Harry's mother shook her head and sighed. Raising her hands, she suggested in a patient voice, "How about we let our guests decide for themselves?"
"Good idea," Harry blurted out confidently. "The boy probably wants to sleep with me in my room anyway."
"Good. That's settled then," Harry's mother said, chuckling. "But you two still must tidy up your rooms."
"Oh, Mum," Harry moaned. But the prospect of finally meeting someone his age again made his steps bounce with anticipation as he made his way to his room.
"Mum, when are our guests coming?" Emily asked for the umpteenth time as they sat in the kitchen, waiting for their visitors. "I wanted to play with the girl before we have to go to bed."
Harry rolled his eyes. Although he was also looking forward to having company, his sister's constant questioning got on his nerves. Especially since he'd noticed the worried looks his mother had already thrown at her watch several times.
"I don't know either, dear," his mother replied. "Something must have stopped Uncle Sirius. Or the kids have found some other place to stay."
"That's too bad," Emily said grumpily. "And I'm hungry."
"Yeah. I'm also starving," Harry agreed.
"Let's have something to eat then. I've prepared bangers and mash," Harry's mother said and began setting the table. "Harry. Please go and get something to drink for both of you."
Harry grimaced and mumbled, "Okay, Mum." He took a jug of pumpkin juice from the chilled compartment of the cupboard and set it on the table. "Mum, the pumpkin juice isn't really cold. You should reapply the cooling charm." His eyes caught the kitchen clock, and he paused. "Mum? Why isn't Dad home yet?"
His mother froze. After a moment, she took a deep breath and turned to Harry with a worried expression. "I don't know what's taking him so long, my dear. I can't imagine inspecting the security wards around Hogwarts with Dumbledore would take that long. Maybe another issue came up." Sighing, she murmured thoughtfully, "Dad will be home soon."
"But you're worried?" Harry asked, and it was more of a statement than a question.
"Yes, of course," admitted his mother. "It's dangerous out there. So many people disappear without a trace every day. And ever since the Ministry was gone..." She paused and looked at Harry. "But don't worry. Your dad knows what he's doing. He'll be home any moment."
Dinner was a quiet affair. Harry kept watching his mother out of the corner of his eye. He was worried because she was only picking at her mashed potatoes listlessly. He'd never seen her like this before. Even his sister ate in silence, occasionally chancing a glance at her mother. Even she seemed to notice that something might be wrong.
"Mum?" Emily asked, looking up from her plate.
"Yes, my dear."
"Are the two children still coming?"
"I really don't know, Emm," Harry's mother replied. "Why don't you two go to bed right after dinner? And tomorrow morning, when you get up, your dad will be back, and you can have breakfast with him."
"Oh, Mum. I don't want to go to bed yet," groaned Harry.
"If you want, you still can read a bit in bed, Harry. And you can take your doll with you, Emm," said Harry's mother. "And in the meanwhile, I'll try to find out if Dad needs help."
"You want to leave us alone?" Harry asked, astonished. That had never happened before. When his mum and dad were away together, there was always someone else in the house, usually Dora or Sirius. Although, Sirius then mostly went out together with his parents.
"No, of course not," his mother replied. She paused, sighed and shook her head abstractedly. "Maybe. But just for a minute. I need to find out where he is. Something is not right here. He usually lets me know when he's late." She glanced at Harry. "But I'll hurry and be right back."
"Why don't you send your doe?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"I've already tried that. Twice actually," his mum replied, a sob escaping her. "But he didn't answer."
Taken aback, Harry stared at his mother. He'd never seen her sobbing. Had something happened to his dad? Dazed, Harry nodded. "Okay, Mum. Go find Dad. I'll take care of Emily." He turned to his sister. "Come on, Emm. Go, brush your teeth and put on your pyjamas. And no dawdling. I also have to go to the bathroom before I go to bed."
At that moment, a brightly shining silver stag burst into the room and walked up and down once. Turning to Harry's mother, the stag said, "Lily, close the Floo connection and have everything ready for you and the kids to leave the house at short notice. Sirius is missing, and it looks like Voldemort is standing at the gates of Hogwarts with all the Death Eaters of Britain in tow. Be very careful. I love you!"
Frightened, Harry glanced at his mother, who stood frozen in the middle of the kitchen, her face white as chalk. Her eyes wide open, she stared at his father's slowly fading Patronus and cried, "James!" After a short sob, she whispered, "James." Taking a deep, shaky breath, she turned towards her children. "Pack your things. Some warm clothes, underwear, and some fresh pyjamas. Harry, make sure to help Emily when you're done with your things. And don't forget your favourite toys."
"And my broom," Harry added.
His mother nodded. "Then bring your things down into the living room and wait there."
Later, Harry would only remember that at some point, he'd fallen asleep on the sofa in the semi-darkness of the living room with Emily snuggled up to him. He'd slept very restlessly, and whenever he woke up in the night, his mother was either staring silently out the window into the darkness or pacing restlessly up and down in the kitchen next door.
It was already starting to get light outside when Harry's mother gently shook him awake. "Harry, wake up," she whispered.
Harry looked up at her drowsily. "Yes, Mum? What's it? Has Dad come home?" Reaching for his glasses, he realized he'd forgotten to take them off before he fell asleep.
"No, Harry," his mother replied in a low voice. "I'll go and see where he is. I won't be gone long, I promise. Until then, take care of Emily. If anything strange happens or someone you don't know shows up here, you have to hide. Sneak out into the woodland behind the Quidditch pitch. You know best where to hide there."
"Why would strangers show up here, Mum?" Harry asked, worried. "You always said nobody could find us here."
"I don't know what happened to Uncle Sirius. He's our Secret Keeper. Your dad said he was missing. And if...if..." His mother sobbed, and Harry saw a tear slide down her cheek. She sniffled briefly and locked eyes with Harry. "Anyway. Run away if someone you don't know shows up here. I will hurry, too. I promise. Be careful, Harry, and let Emm sleep a little longer."
Harry nodded and watched as his mother pulled on her winter robes and left the house through the back door.
Careful not to wake Emily, he got up and quietly walked into the kitchen to check the front entrance through the window. The gate was barely visible in the morning fog. When he couldn't see anything suspicious, Harry went back into the living room and peered out the window. The far end of the Quidditch pitch wasn't visible in the fog, but everything seemed quiet.
"Harry, where's Mum?" asked his sister, sitting on the sofa with her hair tousled, looking around searchingly.
"She'll be right back," Harry replied, hoping that was true.
"I'm hungry," Emily said grumpily, making a face like she was about to cry.
"Then go and get yourself something to eat from the kitchen or you'll have to wait for Mum to get back," Harry said, raising an eyebrow at his sister. "You're old enough to get you something to eat on your own."
"I'm only eight," Emily clarified.
"That's what I said. You're a big girl and old enough," Harry replied, slightly annoyed. "And now be quiet. I have to watch out here."
"Why do you have to watch out? And for what?" Emily asked curiously.
Harry took a deep breath. He wanted to stay calm. It wasn't his sister's fault that they were here alone, and he was in charge. "Please, just go and get yourself something to eat, Emm."
With a reproachful look on her face, Emily climbed off the sofa and padded to the kitchen.
More than an hour later, the morning mist had already cleared, and their mother wasn't back yet. Emily had got out her colouring book and started drawing, and Harry slowly was getting hungry too. He'd been pacing back and forth between the windows the whole time, but everything had remained quiet outside.
Harry was about to open the chilled compartment to find something to eat when he suddenly heard a noise outside the house that he recognized from Apparating.
"Emily, get your things. We have to get out of here," Harry whispered hastily, peering out the kitchen window. He breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized his mother and Dora Tonks. But something was wrong. Dora, who looked like she'd bathed in mud, was leaning heavily on his mother, who led her to the front door.
As the two stepped through the door, Harry noticed that Dora wasn't covered in mud - it was blood, and her face was contorted with pain.
After helping the older girl onto a chair, his mother straightened up and looked at Harry. It was only then that Harry realized that his mother was crying and shaking like a leaf.
"They're all dead," she whispered in a toneless voice.
"Who's dead?" Emily asked, standing in the kitchen doorway, eyes wide open.
"Everyone," Harry's mother whispered. "Dad, Uncle Sirius and Remus. Mad-eye. Everyone. Hogwarts burned down, and most of the students inside died. Burned. By Fiendfyre."
"Did the Death Eaters win?" asked Harry in horror.
"No." His mother shook her head. "There are no winners, only very few survivors. And Dumbledore killed Voldemort."
AN: I pondered for quite some time whether I should start posting this story or better wait until I have finished writing more chapters. In the end, as you can see, I couldn't resist and posted the prologue. Even though it means I won't be able to update weekly, I will try my best to post a new chapter every month. With six more chapters already finished, I hope I can keep that promise without putting too much pressure on myself.